The Red Lion Hotel offers a warm welcome with free breakfast, a cozy bar, and a delightful garden. Enjoy kids' meals at the on-site restaurant or grab coffee from the cafe. The helpful staff has left previous guests feeling right at home.
Monkey World Ape Rescue Center - 8 min drive - 8.8 km
The Tank Museum - 10 min drive - 9.1 km
Lulworth Cove - 12 min drive - 7.5 km
Durdle Door Beach - 12 min drive - 6.4 km
Durdle Door - 16 min drive - 6.8 km
Getting around
Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.) - 58 min drive
Heathrow Airport (LHR) - 156 min drive
Wool Station - 7 min drive
Wareham Station - 12 min drive
Dorchester West Station - 13 min drive
Restaurants
Hurricane Terrace & Bar - 8 min drive
Orchard Tea Room - 8 min drive
Lulworth Cove Inn - 8 min drive
Monkey World Cafe - 6 min drive
Smugglers Inn - 11 min drive
About this property
The Red Lion
The Red Lion puts you within a 10-minute drive of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door Beach. You can relax with a drink at the bar/lounge, and the coffee shop/cafe is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat. Also, this bed & breakfast is within a short drive of Corfe Castle.
At a glance
DONE
Hotel size
5 rooms
DONE
Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10:30 AM
DONE
Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
DONE
Pets
Service animals welcome
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Free onsite self parking
Wheelchair-accessible parking on site
DONE
Other information
Smoke-free property
Property amenities
Food and drink
Restaurant
Bar/lounge
Coffee shop
What to do
Hiking/biking trails nearby
Mountain biking nearby
Horse riding nearby
Kayaking nearby
Snorkeling nearby
Facilities
Garden
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible parking
Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
Well-lit path to entrance
Room amenities
Food and drink
Highchair
Fees & policies
Pets
Service animals exempt from fees
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 25.0 per accommodation, per stay
Policies
This property does not have elevators.
This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).
This property accepts credit cards.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
This property is professionally cleaned.
Also known as
Red Lion Inn Dorchester
Red Lion Dorchester
Red Lion
Dorchester
The Red Lion
The Red Lion Hotel Dorchester
The Red Lion Hotel Bed & breakfast
The Red Lion Hotel Bed & breakfast Dorchester
Frequently asked questions
Is parking offered on site at The Red Lion?
Yes, there's free self parking.
What are the check-in and check-out times at The Red Lion?
Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:30 AM.
What is there to do at The Red Lion and nearby?
Have fun with nearby activities like cycling, fishing, and hiking. The Red Lion also has a garden.
Are there restaurants at or near The Red Lion?
Yes, there's an onsite restaurant.
Have a question?
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The Red Lion Reviews
Reviews
8.4
Very Good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
8.8/10
Cleanliness
9.2/10
Staff & service
8.6/10
Amenities
8.0/10
Property conditions & facilities
8.2/10
Eco-friendliness
Popular mentions
Service staff
Room
Breakfast
Food
Location
Pub
Shower
Bed
Bathroom
Welcoming
What guests liked
Breakfast was consistently described as excellent, delicious, and substantial with a wide range of choices. (18 reviews)
From real guest reviews summarized by AI.
Reviews
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 28, 2025
Clean, comfortable and a super friendly welcome. Abundant parking. Lovely pub restaurant.
Michael
Michael, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 29, 2025
The staff was absolutely lovely. They helped with everything and were so delightful. Im definitely staying there again!
Kimberleigh
Kimberleigh, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 15, 2025
Family run pub/ campsite
Run by a friendly family. Room was small but nice funiture/ equiped. An old house bur cosy
Samuel
Samuel, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 3, 2025
Most welcome I’ve ever felt anywhere! Great food and lovely atmosphere.
Jevgenia
Jevgenia, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
May 10, 2025
Pleasant Stay
Lovely stay, very friendly staff, rooms comfortable & clean, great breakfast.
Nice traditional pub with an Olde World charm. Nice location close to Lulworth Cove & Dorchester
Paul
Paul, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Mar 27, 2025
Great home from home breakfast was a bit overcooked but would happily recommend and will be staying again in the future
Mark
Mark, 1-night trip
6/10 Good
Apr 12, 2025
Dorset stay
Hotel was a little old fashioned, but we enjoyed our stay, it was handy for our visit to the Dorset coast and friends, staff were friendly and accommodating, food was good, plenty of parking
Paul
Paul, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Nov 15, 2024
Whole stay was excellent
Stewart
Stewart, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 1, 2025
We had a lovely few days stay last Bank Holiday, it is a charming pub with great staff, nothing is too much for them, very friendly and breakfast was Best! Delicious! My only suggestion would be to have at least brewed coffee! Beautiful place and very calm even though there is open bar downstairs.
Anna
Anna, 2-night trip
4/10 Fair
Jul 21, 2025
Road noise a problem
The road noise was a serious issue for us, particularly as we had requested a quiet room. But the service at the hotel was mostly fine.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 6, 2025
Welcoming cozy country pub
Very welcoming cozy country pub. Tasty breakfast included - eggs done really well. Gluten free options. Just the base we needed for a weekend walking on the coast nearby
Paul
Paul, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Mar 16, 2025
The host is very friendly, polite
chi choi
chi choi, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Mar 30, 2025
even though i was staying above a very busy pub i could not hear anything once in my room. the food was well cooked and speedy.
Joe
Joe, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Dec 11, 2022
Very hospitable staff and great food. Wish we could stay longer.
Wayne
Wayne, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
Nov 2, 2024
Loved our stay
A lovely small hotel with a lot to offer! The staff was welcoming and attentive, making our stay enjoyable. Breakfast was delicious, with a nice variety of cereals that our kids loved. Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, and it was great that they provided a dog bed for our pet, which made us feel very welcome
Dasa
Dasa, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 3, 2024
Super nice staff, very helpful in getting us a cab.
Adrian
Adrian, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Sep 24, 2023
I definitely liked having on-site dining options and that the parking was close by.
Laura
Laura, 1-night trip
4/10 Fair
Aug 21, 2025
Awful hotel - Avoid like the plague!!!
Apart from the brilliant bar/restaurant staff, this was probably the worst "hotel" I have ever stayed in - especially for the money. The food was barely edible, and the room (number 4) was beyond tired. The bed was uncomfortable, and the room was right next to some kind of air conditioning unit that was noisy and made sleep impossible!! The shower was hardly functioning (more of a dribble, than a shower)... Breakfast was overcooked and poor in the extreme. Not the sort of evening you need the night before a business meeting. Staff 5* Hotel 0*
Matthew
Matthew, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 12, 2023
Great place to stay. Alan perfect owner.
Benjamin
Benjamin, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 7, 2024
Staff very helpful and friendly
Joe
Joe, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
May 1, 2023
A wonderful welcome from Jay. Breakfast was excellent and a great location to visit local attractions!
Jennifer
Jennifer, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jan 25, 2025
Great food, excellent bar. V comfy room, very clean and well appointed. Excellent Car Park. Staff were brilliant. I picked this for closeness to our client's premises and will do so again. A real littel gem of a find. can definitely recommend the Red Lion lager!!
timothy
timothy, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 27, 2025
We didn't stay at the Red Lion since Expedia somehow didn't forward our reservation- which we didn't find out until we arrived and they were fully booked. But the hotel bent over backwards to find us a room in a nearby hotel about 10 minutes away and apologized profusely about the error (which was not their fault). 5 stars for their professionalism and customer service. Be warry of booking this hotel through this site though, the Red Lion indicated another potential guest had the same problem earlier this year.
eugene
eugene, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 29, 2023
Good stay
Nice clean room, excellent location, breakfast was very substantial too, literally everything one would need for their stay.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 7, 2023
The room was clean, the linen was spotless,and the meals were excellent. The English breakfast was exceptional.