Best Western Wessex Royale Hotel & Restaurant Dorchester

A wonderful stay in a spacious room with excellent in room facilites. The wonderful surprise was the upgrade to our room, and the free access to complimentary teas and coffees in the lounge. If you wanted food from outside you could use the lounge for that take away. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Parking needs to be booked on site prior to arrival but there is a local parking only 5 minutes walk away that is convenient.

The bar was well stocked, I can not comment on the parking as we got the train. The staff were very friendly and helpful

We booked this stay through hotels.com and communications were good, especially the option to pre book parking as spaces were limited in the parking area behind the hotel. Check in was pleasant and we were shown to our 3 nice rooms, all a good size, nicely decorated and with modern bathrooms (although I do loathe shower curtains!) and a nice desk to work at. There were kettles in each room with plenty of tea and coffee options. Although the hotel does not do food there are plenty of options within a few minutes walk and we ate dinner at Kao San Thai, just opposite. There were a couple of guest lounge areas with free tea/coffee facilities and also a bar for the evening. Prices on the Saturday night were expensive but the Sunday night was far more reasonable. Wi-Fi was very good and the rooms were quiet, other than seagulls! The hotel was a good location, both for walking to Dorchester's attractions and exploring the wider area.

The whole stay was excellent . Staff so friendly to help . The rooms and beds are so comfortable . Thou I didnt eat here as I went out all my experience from start to finish was positive . Great location walking distance all bars and restaurants and local sites . Small car park at rear if get there early then space can be available other then that it would be public parking but this didnt put me off as hotel was great . Beware no lifts but very helpful staff :)

The Best Western Wessex Royale is a beautiful hotel. Although we didn't dine there, the dining area looked very nicely appointed. Our great disappointment was that the room that was available at the time we made our booking, was on the third floor and there is not a lift. The various staircases to get up the approximate 50 steps, were very narrow and with our luggage, were extremely challenging.

A lovely hotel in Dorchester located on the high street. No restaurant but so many around us that this was absolutely no issue whatsoever! Very friendly staff, hot drinks available for free, cmfortable room, free overnight car park nearby...we had a lovely stay in this hotel and will definitely stay there next time we are in the area!

Excellent Room. Very clean and comfortable. Not happy about price of parking in hotel car park, nor the fact that it is stated as £15 per night but when it comes to paying, another £1.49 is billed. This practice should be outlawed. The total fee should always be made clear before committing to payment!

I was disappointed that you were charged £15 for parking. You could not get breakfast in the hotel?

Very convenient location in downtown Dorchester, good for walking trips around the town. Several museums and historical sites nearby. Very friendly, helpful staff. Nice restaurant for breakfast (no lunch or dinner service). Several restaurant very nearby, easy walk. HOWEVER, very tiny parking lot (accessible from a side street) which can accomodate a maximum of 9 small UK sized cars, so it is easy to find ot full. A large public parking lot is a couple blocks away, and it is possible to find nearby street parking.

Loved the hotel, but do prebook parking behind the hotel, as only 10 spaces

Quiet, clean, safe & friendly staff. Would 100% stay here again.

Very clean, comfortable room. Pretty quiet considering Main Street location. There’s no food available but space provided to eat your own if you want and plenty of tea and coffee in the lounge. Stayed on a Sunday so it was cheaper price - not sure if it’s worth top dollar but it’s a nicely done place.

The property was beautifully clean and welcoming after a long day travelling. A happy friendly welcome when we arrived. Already booked to come back.

Stayed at the sleeping bear as we were visiting lulworth cove for my birthday. Pre paid and booked a parking space at the hotel. Very comfortable bed and unlimited tea and coffee at all hours. Nicely decorated and felt homely and comfortable. A random sock from the previous guest left in our room, although hard to see in the cleaners defence! Good shower and tv in room. Would stay again.

Very nice hotel. Exceptional cleanliness and great staff.

Disappointed that when rooms are serviced each day the bed is no longer made--simply "pulled up" was the reply when we queried this at reception. On previous visits to your and other hotels the bed has always been made properly by the hotel staff. If the policy has been changed guests should be made aware of it. Disappointed also that there is no longer a folder of information about he hotel in the room. Guests now have to scan the clever pattern thing. O K for young "with it technos" but my wife and I are of an age where a piece of paper is what we need--but we survived and found out everything we needed to know by asking-- a bit old fashioned I know but it works. We spoke to about a dozen members of staff during our three night stay. To a man/woman they were all very pleasant, helpful, prepared to chat, give advice about the local area etc. They came across as being very happy at their work and are obviously working together as a good team. If the bed in Room 108 had been set a few more inches away from the window the chair with arms would not be in the way. However it is good to have two comfortable chairs in the room. We found the library area was an excellent place to sit and read or do crosswords. Breakfast was very good. Good to be offered open mushrooms instead of small button mushrooms. Breakfast menu was good and offered a good variety of choices. Food was cooked freshly and was hot. Good to have toast from an interesting not bog standard sliced .loaf

Lovely clean room with a very comfortable mattress. Had a fantastic night's sleep.

On arrival we were greeted with a warm a friendly welcome. The hotel was very well presented with wonderful decor and charm. Our rooms were lovely very clean and organised with amazing comfortable beds. Thank you to Lisa and the rest of the team.

Apart from noisy creaking floorboards and thin walls, no complaints.

Hotel is an old building that was renovated to modern standards. The room was nice. As it didn't have air conditioning the downside was only one window in our room could be opened as the other didn't work. Alsothe floor was uneven as it probably was not leveled but just covered with new carpet. The renovated bathroom was first class though.

Hotel was in a good location and i was lucky enough to get a parking space at the rear of the hotel. Room was clean, spacious and comfortable. Will stay again next time i visit Dorchester.

I booked here because of the reviews, and I am starting to think these people writing the reviews are either friends of the hotel staff, or they stayed at a different hotel, and gave this one a good review in error. Out of all the hotels we stayed at in the UK, this was the absolute worst. We stayed at a top floor room, that was absolutely stifling, without AC, and had a small window that the fan couldn't even fit in. The bed felt like a cement slab and the foot of the bed was higher than the head of the bed. Most of the room had a slanted wall, which made it difficult to walk around. Parking was ok if you are lucky to get one of the few spots available. The ONLY saving grace of this place was the woman at the Reception Desk. She was WONDERFUL. I get the feeling she is under-appreciated because she was not only Checking people in, but she was also making drinks at the bar. Other than that, I would never stay here again, and the people leaving the good reviews, maybe have lower standards than I do, The price I paid for this place, I deserved better.

Room beautifully appointed and comfortable. Bathroom really spacious and well designed. Well lit

Good stay. The room and bathroom were clean and the linen nice. However the room was compact and the limited storage was full of blankets and pillows. There was a portable suitcase stand but literally no where to put it. The biggest problem was being woken on the first morning by noise in the car park and the second morning by the noice from the shower in the next room, it was extremely loud. The staff were fantastic. Very friendly and helpful.

We booked this stay through hotels.com and communications were good, especially the option to pre book parking as spaces were limited in the parking area behind the hotel. Check in was pleasant and we were shown to our 3 nice rooms, all a good size, nicely decorated and with modern bathrooms (although I do loathe shower curtains!) and a nice desk to work at. There were kettles in each room with plenty of tea and coffee options. Although the hotel does not do food there are plenty of options within a few minutes walk and we ate dinner at Kao San Thai, just opposite. There were a couple of guest lounge areas with free tea/coffee facilities and also a bar for the evening. Prices on the Saturday night were expensive but the Sunday night was far more reasonable. Wi-Fi was very good and the rooms were quiet, other than seagulls! The hotel was a good location, both for walking to Dorchester's attractions and exploring the wider area.

A convenient overnight stop for our trip to Cornwall. Hotel was in a great position, close to en excellent Italian restaurant. Our rom was large and the bed was super comfortable. The bathroom was also large with a bath and a separate walk in shower. I would comment that you have to book parking through JustPark, at £15 per night! This seems rather excessive in a small town. There is also NO restaurant as mentioned in the details although there are tea/coffee making facilities in the room and downstairs near the bar.

Lovely clean room with a very comfortable mattress. Had a fantastic night's sleep.

Nice hotel on the high street, good breakfast and nice lounge/bar area. Only downsides were the bed wasn’t very comfortable and a lot of road noise. I would stay again but facing away from the road.

Hotel is an old building that was renovated to modern standards. The room was nice. As it didn't have air conditioning the downside was only one window in our room could be opened as the other didn't work. Alsothe floor was uneven as it probably was not leveled but just covered with new carpet. The renovated bathroom was first class though.

Having booked our parking through Just Park, we received excellent directions to the limited spaces at the rear of the hotel. (The satnav wanted to send us elsewhere!) We were welcomed, offered assistance with our baggage and directed to our room. We had selected a Superior Room as we were celebrating an anniversary and found ourselves (after a long and winding walk along a corridor whose floor was a little uneven in places - showing the history of the building) in a suite! Very nice (although the sofa is not particularly comfortable to sit on). The bedroom was large, with a very comfortable bed, a desk a chair and plenty of drawers to store your clothes. The ‘wardrobe’ is off the sitting area. 2 very large TVs and a lovely, large, well appointed bathroom. It suited us very well. No breakfast, but plenty of advice on options nearby. On checkout, I discovered that, although the message I had received from Hotels.com had stated (as per my selection on booking) that I would pay at the hotel, payment had been taken 2 days previously. It was explained that this was the policy of the hotel. I have no problem with this - but I do think that Hotels.com should reflect this in their booking confirmation. All in all, it suited us very well.

i was struggling to get a taxi for sunday morning and the receptionist got one straight away excellent service

Very friendly greeting at reception. We brought our dog and the hotel is truly pet friendly. Very clean and comfortable accommodation.

The bar was well stocked, I can not comment on the parking as we got the train. The staff were very friendly and helpful

Very friendly staff and a well looked after hotel, good location for walking into town with nearby restaurants.

Only problem was the big rubbish bin was wheeled past my room in the courtyard at 7.30am! Lisa the receptionist was wonderful xx

The lady working on reception provided fantastic service.

Checkin was not great. I had booked 4 rooms. Three of the guests were named but the fourth was not specified. I made an assumption that all four rooms would be booked under my name but on arrival the receptionist said there were only two rooms under my name. The other two were booked under the named guests which the receptionist found difficult to locate. Also, there was very scant parking and the bar was expensive.

Staff are very friendly and helpful. We were staying there for a live action role playing event and the staff were impressed with our costumes. Second time staying here in Dorchester, fully recommend.

Lovely staff.

The Sleeping Bear was an extremely comfortable place to stay. It had recently been decorated to a high standard and everything was well cared for. The staff could not have been friendlier or more helpful.

It was all excellent, the hotel is in great condition and perfectly located to wander around town, on-site parking is a bit limited. There is no food at the Hotel but there are heaps of places to eat within a few minutes walk. The only reason I scored one of the criteria down a bit was the lack of onsite meals, but in reality, and with the abundance of options nearby it really wasn't a concern. .

Very friendly staff and a well looked after hotel, good location for walking into town with nearby restaurants.

Great location. Staff friendly.

The hotel was clean tidy, and only the occasional noise from other guests moving around the hotel. We had a room at the back, away from the busy main road, so it was very quiet. Situated in the centre of Dorchester, about a 10 minute walk from the train station. A good choice of places to eat nearby.

A lovely hotel in Dorchester located on the high street. No restaurant but so many around us that this was absolutely no issue whatsoever! Very friendly staff, hot drinks available for free, cmfortable room, free overnight car park nearby...we had a lovely stay in this hotel and will definitely stay there next time we are in the area!

Lovely hotel, nicely set up and well located for everything in town.

Nice hotel on the high street, good breakfast and nice lounge/bar area. Only downsides were the bed wasn’t very comfortable and a lot of road noise. I would stay again but facing away from the road.

Good location, friendly reception staff, decent price.

Very convenient location in downtown Dorchester, good for walking trips around the town. Several museums and historical sites nearby. Very friendly, helpful staff. Nice restaurant for breakfast (no lunch or dinner service). Several restaurant very nearby, easy walk. HOWEVER, very tiny parking lot (accessible from a side street) which can accomodate a maximum of 9 small UK sized cars, so it is easy to find ot full. A large public parking lot is a couple blocks away, and it is possible to find nearby street parking.

Only spent one night at The Sleeping Bear but enjoyed it and would certainly recommend. Helpful staff, handy location and good room.

Business trip to the area and stayed for two nights. Nice hotel with a comfortable bar/lounge and a great breakfast.

Very clean, comfortable room. Pretty quiet considering Main Street location. There’s no food available but space provided to eat your own if you want and plenty of tea and coffee in the lounge. Stayed on a Sunday so it was cheaper price - not sure if it’s worth top dollar but it’s a nicely done place.

We booked this stay through hotels.com and communications were good, especially the option to pre book parking as spaces were limited in the parking area behind the hotel. Check in was pleasant and we were shown to our 3 nice rooms, all a good size, nicely decorated and with modern bathrooms (although I do loathe shower curtains!) and a nice desk to work at. There were kettles in each room with plenty of tea and coffee options. Although the hotel does not do food there are plenty of options within a few minutes walk and we ate dinner at Kao San Thai, just opposite. There were a couple of guest lounge areas with free tea/coffee facilities and also a bar for the evening. Prices on the Saturday night were expensive but the Sunday night was far more reasonable. Wi-Fi was very good and the rooms were quiet, other than seagulls! The hotel was a good location, both for walking to Dorchester's attractions and exploring the wider area.

A convenient overnight stop for our trip to Cornwall. Hotel was in a great position, close to en excellent Italian restaurant. Our rom was large and the bed was super comfortable. The bathroom was also large with a bath and a separate walk in shower. I would comment that you have to book parking through JustPark, at £15 per night! This seems rather excessive in a small town. There is also NO restaurant as mentioned in the details although there are tea/coffee making facilities in the room and downstairs near the bar.

Really nice stay. Lovely staff and nice breakfast in the morning. The bar is good too with a comfortable sitting area. Disappointed to hear the breakfast area is going, I'm a returning customer but will need to consider options next time as I enjoy breakfast onsite.

Great hotel in the center of the town. Late arrival but warmly welcomed by Graham. Excellent breakfast, very attractive contemporary decor and lovely staff.

N ice old traditional hotel with character. Pity there is no breakfast. Parking is a comfort. The staff were very helpful.

I missed the point in the information where no meals were available in the hotel. ie no meals at all. `No breakfast or evening meal available.

I was disappointed that you were charged £15 for parking. You could not get breakfast in the hotel?

Loved the place. The staff was great. Unfortunately, no breakfast...but I knew up front.