The best spa hotels in Dorset 2023

What makes a holiday in Dorset? Maybe it’s fish and chips at the seaside, or hiking to the highest point on England’s south coast before rewarding yourself with a pint of local beer. Or visits to nude hill figures or an iconic limestone arch might take your fancy. This jewel of the West Country has things to do in spades – eating, drinking, active or laidback – plus plenty of on-trend hotels in which to lay your head.

If Dorset’s much-extolled salted sea air and bucolic tranquillity isn’t enough to bring you utter relaxation, you’re in luck. Among the county’s hills and on its rugged coast are hotels that have getting guests to unwind baked into their being. Think warmed underground pools, blissful treatments ranging from traditional through modern, and space to just… be.

There’s more to Dorset than just apple cake and Thomas Hardy. If you want a UK getaway – and to give your wellbeing a holistic boost – these are the best spa hotels in Dorset to book.

The best spa hotels in Dorset are:

Location: Bournemouth

The hotel that Bournemouth – overstocked with dowdy, dated seaside accommodation – has been crying out for. Inside, spaces are filled with art, tropical prints and a hint of Art Deco; outside, the star is a 30m heated pool, very much a nod to Miami’s South Beach, and the town’s long stetch of sand can be reached by a short zig-zag path.

If you can wrench yourself from a cabana, The Nici’s swish spa beckons, all soft lighting and gentle music (a change from the pumping soundtrack poolside). Treatments incorporate products from British “nutri-cosmeceutical” beauty brand Oskia, as well as CBD pioneers OTO. The latter’s Nici signature massage is a joy, where CBD-infused oils soothing tired muscles and dislodge long-held knots; afterwards, curl up in the relaxation space and pop open a can of OTO’s CBD seltzer, before making use of the steam room, sauna and indoor pool (or the gym, if you feel suitably energised post-treatment).