Wessex Royale Hotel

Wessex Royale Hotel descritpion

The Wessex Royale is a delightful Georgian hotel with an excellent location in the center of Dorchester. It has free Wi-Fi and a restaurant.
All rooms have premium digital TV channels, free Wi-Fi and modern private bathrooms with a bathtub and shower.
The Wessex Royale is ideal for a relaxing break. The hotel was built in 1756 and its classic features include fireplaces, paneling and a magnificent grand staircase.
The restaurant is fully refurbished and air conditioned. It is open each evening and serves traditional and exciting new dishes and several wines. The fantastic residents’ lounge has comfortable chairs, a warm and cozy fire and drinks.

Recommand

Low rates——Best price for 2 guests: $84+ • No booking fees • Save money!Best price guarantee — enter dates to see these prices!
18 properties in Dorchester——Including hotels, apartments, villas and more.
Manage your bookings online——Sign up for a FREE account·View a single booking.
475 independent reviews——We verify all reviews from guests who've stayed at Wessex Royale Hotel. Find out more about Booking.com Reviews.
The staff speaks English——Wessex Royale Hotel's staff speaks:Hungarian,English
Booking is safe——When you book with us your details are protected by a secure connection.

Facilities of Wessex Royale Hotel

Pets ：Pets are not allowed.

Food & Drink ：Bar | Breakfast in the Room | Restaurant with Dining Menu | Special Diet Meals (upon request)

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

Parking ：Free!Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not possible).

General ：Newspapers | Non-smoking Rooms | Family Rooms | Heating | All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

Languages Spoken ：Hungarian | English

Reviews for Wessex Royale Hotel

Review 1：I'm from Australia and did not Know where to stay . This place was perfect good location friendly staff and very comfortable . I would recommend !!

Review 2：Only niggle was a slightly sloping floor in bedroom! All part of the charm in an old and characterful building,but a little disconcerting!

Review 3：Friendly helpful staff,pleasant well appointed room,excellent range of choice for and very tasty breakfast.

Review 4：During Wedding Reception, waitress dropped a tray of drinks over my wife s evening dress. although apologetic, nothing to help from a very wet dress!

Review 5：Friendliness, and very helpfull

Review 6：Car parking was not easy, and within the Hotel,spaces very limited.HOWEVER there was adequate Public Parking, with no overnight charge, within a short walk.

Review 7：Room and General Hotel Layout, which for a one - time coaching Inn was one of the best of its type that I have stayed in.

Review 8：The staff were very friendly and extremely helpful. The room was clean and comfortable and the bathroom was exceptional. Breakfast was excellent with plenty of choice. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this hotel.

Review 9：The toilet in room 110 was a little badly designed and the proximity of the loo seat, towel rail and entry door could lead to an accident.

Review 10：Very comfortable hotel, friendly staff, lovely rooms and a nice town.

Review 11：Bath very slow to run. Parking always a problem as parking meters in certain streets only allow you to pay till 8am so ask reception where best to park

Review 12：Always a friendly welcome

Review 13：No real dislikes, but car park could have been a bit larger and better signed.

Review 14：relaxed environment, super food well presented, something for all palets.

Review 15：Parking can get a bit tight.

Review 16：Good location,Very good size family room,excellent breakfast(i'm very fussy with my food) very relaxed atmosphere nice staff(I travel and stay in 3 to 5 star hotels all over the world with my work and I was very pleasantly surprised with this hotel)

Review 17：We went away for our anniversary it was located well to all amenities,excellent staff and service,breakfast was a full english and was beautifully cooked,this place restored our faith in hotels as we had a bad experience in the summer.

Review 18：It was a shame that there was no food available after 9 on the Sunday evening but the Thai restaurant next door was convenient

Review 19：that I was able to book on line. I thought that the breakfast was excellent. The staff were also attentive. the hotel was quiet

Review 20：Creaky floors outside the door disturbed me anytime somebody went past. The room was cold due to a draft coming in from the closed windows. The TV was the smallest I have ever seen.

Review 21：WIFI speed was fantastic

Review 22：Due to the location on street, noise of traffic was substantial. Maybe secondary glazing would help. Bath tub was stained with streaks. Looked unclean, so maybe an update and unfortunately the shower pressure although commented on the signs, was dismal. For the price I expected better . probably worth £75 rather than £109

Review 23：Staff were very welcoming, service at dinner and breakfast with a relaxing competence, didn't feel intrusive when asked if all was ok.

Review 24：Unfortunately the fire alarm system happened to develop a fault while I was there, causing the alarm to sound several times during the night. The staff handled it as best they could, and in the morning they were very reasonable when it came to discussing payment.

Review 25：Friendly staff, good food

Review 26：There was no elevator and many stairs, which made it challenging to get luggage to and from room. i understand that the hotel is in an old building, but a more clearly defined baggage delivery service should be made available for guests.

Review 27：Front desk and dining room staff were very courteous and helpful. The location of the hotel is ideal for exploring the city.

Review 28：Very minor issue. Our room had a very bright street light shining into our room. The curtains were very thick but light seeped through onto the head of our child's bed. Practice making liqueur coffees needed too :)

Review 29：Really cosy hotel. Pleasant and helpful staff. Free parking and Wi-Fi. Free newspaper in the morning. Walking distance to the lovely shops in Dorchester. Al a carte meal, was very nice.

Review 30：Restaurant overpriced in my opinion, and charging extra for vegetables with main meals certainly not justified

Review 31：Room very pleasant and bar meal excellent

Review 32：The location was very good and I can highly recommend the restaurant. Rooms were big enough and had seting for two with a table which was very useful.

Review 33：The hotel itself is quite charming, with lots of period features, the free WiFi was a bonus. I booked a single room and was put in room 403, which looks to be in the attic space as there were roof beams in the room and the ceiling was pitched, saying that the room was a good sized with plenty of wardrobe and draw space. The bathroom was small but adequate, however the shower was pretty feeble and the shower curtain didn't extend across the whole bath due to the pitched ceiling. I ate twice in the hotel, once from the a al carte menu and once from the bar food menu, in both cases the food was delicious and well presented, the breakfast was equally good and the service was excellent.

Review 34：fire alarm went off during dinner a couple of times on different nights - very intrusive but hopefully fixed now rather creaky floorboards in corridors

Review 35：near-private dining and fabulous food

Review 36：We were visiting our son and as the hotel was close to where he lived we chose this one. The staff were friendly and helpful and our rooms were very clean. The choice for breakfast was excellent and the service was quick. Would certainly stay there again

Review 37：Main criticism was lack of parking but it's location is the reason, was no real problem found parking easily although had to pay a small amount.

Review 38：Excellent service, best Breakfast of the year! and I stay away a lot, also very good bright and cheerful service, wished I'd noted the waitress name (hope she wont mind me saying a mature lady (I'm 65 so somewhere about my age). All staff here worth a mention!

Review 39：Booked 2 rooms both noisy right above kitchen, banging, shouting ect upto just before midnight then started again at 5am. When mentioned justapologised but still charged £178 ?????? Would have slept better in carand cost nothing

Review 40：The beds on the top floor are very hard , uneven and caused me to have a poor nights sleep on the last 2 occasions that I stayed there. I have told the hotel direct.

Review 41：Location staff and breakfast

Review 42：The light on the outside of the hotel wall was right outside our window and it kept me awake - perhaps it could be turned off at a certain time of night. The hotel is on a main road and is very noisy. If you are a light sleeper (like me) do not take a room on the road side. We stayed on a Saturday night and people and cars did wake me throughout the night. My little girl also woke and was quite scared by the noise at one point. This is obviously not the hotels fault at all though and I was aware of this issue before we arrived because it was mentioned in other reviews.

Review 43：Really liked the hotel. It was very clean and the family room was spacious. Everything was very tasteful and the facilities are great. The food in the restaurant was really, really YUMMY and we only dined from the Bar menu and the restaurant staff were great. The car park is small but I was lucky enough to get a space and this was brilliant. I don't know how I would have felt if I hadn't got one. Good price and good location.

Review 44：Bathroom was very poor. Did not feel was worth the amount of for money paid compared to other hotels stayed in for same price in other places. Facilities were average No fridge in room, no safe in room.

Review 45：Breakfast and decor Staff friendly

Review 46：Everything was excellent! the staff are so friendly and helpful . The chef was brilliant and made me a special gluten free dessert. The food was delicious.

Review 47：Very small hotel car park. Creaky floorboards. No lift which could cause problems if you have limited mobility.

Review 48：The warm greeting on arrival. That my suitcase was carried up 2 flights of stairs for me. All staff were friendly and polite. The food in the restaurant was delicious. Ideal location in central Dorchester.

Review 49：The bed was uncomfortable and pillows were stained. The shower curtain did not prevent leakage over the side onto the floor. Parking not enough for hotel and the staff could not tell us where else we could park or at what costs.

Review 50：Staff were great.. food was excellent apart from the cheap baked beans at breakfast this was a let down. Room was nice sized and had all the amenities one needed. Free newspaper and drinks were fairly priced in the bar.

Review 51：On tge 1st night music blasting till 3.30am and only turned it off when I came down to complain. Music was being played by night staff. Nxt morning I told reception who didn't care. Bed lumpy. Shower rubbish. They advertise snacks 24hours but when I requested a snack one evening I was told by the guy at reception that all he had was crisps and that if I wanted he could make me a sandwich but he was in the process of cleaning the toilets and all I could smell was bleach so I declined. I paid £89 pet room per night and I would rate it less than £50.

Review 52：Breakfast was good.

Review 53：Unfortunately we coincided with large family events in the hotel on three of our four days which detracted from the pleasure of our stay, kept us out of the living rooms and made access to evening meals very difficult. We felt a bit like outsiders as mere resident guests, while the difficulties of the small car park were made a bit worse. But this was just bad luck, I am sure, and in general this is a very pleasant, well maintained hotel which we used as a base to have some delightful trips into beautiful Dorset and the Hardy country.

Review 54：Very friendly, helpful staff and nice meals, when available. Good location in central Dorchester. Restaurant and bar good.

Review 55：The mattress of the bed was dreadful. When I mentioned it to the staff member on duty, she said they had bought replacements but she didn't know where it was stored! A duvet was placed over the mattress but it wasn't really very good.

Review 56：Friendly staff

Review 57：WiFi didn't reach 3rd floor where our rooms were at the top of the building. When raining hard overnight there were a lot of dripping sounds and a damp patch appeared in the ceiling of the room. This was a bit of a worry but no water got into the room.

Review 58：Staff really pleasant and helpful. Breakfast really nice . Generous amounts of tea and coffee supplies left without having to ask.

Review 59：No loo brush in the room & the towels were lovely, but too small

Review 60：The relaxed & comfortable ambiance, pleasant staff & my poached eggs florentine were bliss

Review 61：The staff really made it a great stay, over and above that you would expect right from checking in, the bar, restaurant everything. They are a credit to the hotel.

Review 62：Since I had booked rather late, the only room available was on the third floor. Next time I must book earlier. The car park was very small.

Review 63：The kindness of the staff. They realized that because I am elderly, I found climbing the stairs to the third floor very tough, and they did everything they could to help. They told me to ring down for someone to help with my case before coming down to breakfast so I wouldn't have to go up again. A member of staff moved my car from where it was parked, and an Afro-Caribbean man came out from where he was working to guide me out of the exit.

Review 64：Very creaky floor boards in rooms and corridors, so quite noisy when people walking about past our room. Creaky bed, although comfortable to lay on but every time partner got in/out of bed, the whole mattress moved, thus disturbing my sleep.

Review 65：Central location. Lovely lounge/bar area & dining area. Fantastic breakfasts with really good quality ingredients. Free private parking (though limited space.)

Review 66：Parking was a problem. At a pinch the carpark could hold 11 cars. The nearby on street parking only allowed a 1 hour stay and had to be paid for by 8 o'clock in the morning,highly inconvenient when on holiday.Some sort of voucher system- as operated elsewhere would be more convenient.

Review 67：The friendly and helpful staff and the excellent food

Review 68：The staff were very welcoming and helpful. Breakfast was excellent and the lady who served us had a warm homely way with her. Location was good from the point of view of exploring the quaint Dorchester town centre. I look forward to staying again

Review 69：Nothing significant but they were holding a "restaurant launch" promotion when we arrived and we had to be a bit persuasive in order to get a drink in the bar at about 6pm ! "Grip/Hold bar" to get out of the bath would have been helpful as it was a reasonably high drop, particularly for older clients. Should make it clear in the hotel info that as it is a very old hotel there is no lift - and there are rooms on the third floor....

Review 70：Generally it was all very satisfactory - my rating was below 8 because I felt that at £139 per room per night it was a high price to pay - location was excellent but only about 8 car spaces which was an inconvenience.

Review 71：The family room faced the street, there is no double glazing and the road and street noise during the night, notably, Saturday, kept us awake.

Review 72：The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. The quality of the food. The comfort of the room.

Review 73：Limited parking space for car. We requested a quiet room and were assigned one facing on to the High Street. Very noisy early a.m. Small range of breakfast cereals - All Bran, Cocopops, & similar. No wonder Kelloggs gave the hotel an award! Another occasion there was a wide choice of Dorset cereals but this must have been a mistake by the management! Very good food otherwise. Good cooked breakfast (so my wife says.)

Review 74：Central location. Comfortable room and bed. 4-poster bed excellent as it was also at the rear of the hotel and quiet! Other than cereals at breakfast, food is generally excellent. Very pleasant and helpful staff.

Review 75：Parking around the back is very limited and there are double yellow outlines at the front, so we had to offload quickly and then take the car to a nearby long-stay carpark and walk back.

Review 76：Staff were very welcoming and helpful. We arrived around 8 p.m. and they produced a very good light meal very quickly.

Review 77：Parking is limited and cramped

Review 78：Excellent breakfast and food generally good. Comfortable room but bathroom a bit small and access to taps to fill the bath difficult because of the shower door arrangement.

Review 79：Noisy on both nights but especially Saturday due to wedding party. Seagulls decided to dive bomb our car so I asked for something to clean it off before we left. Soapy water provided but it would've been nice if someone had cleaned it for me.

Review 80：Breakfast

Review 81：The breakfast room / resteraunt gets quite warm could do with AC or fans.

Review 82：Staff were excellent, helpful polite went out of their way to assist. The building is old with creaky floorboards but the maintaince is up to date well decorated, public areas are comfortable and pleasent to spend time in.

Review 83：Bed a little to hard for us. Bath sheets instead of bath towels are always nice.

Review 84：Friendly and helpful staff, lovely fresh cooked breakfast and excellent hotel restaurant.

Review 85：not much parking and the plumbing had its faults,but these are old buildings not designed for modern needs and this is a very good 3 star hotel

Review 86：helpful staff,good service,good breakfast, very pleasant all through the hotel from reception through to housekeeping we were made very welcome

Review 87：The hotel was quite old which showed all quite dirty, especially bathroom. The bed was not comfortable at all neither the pillows.

Review 88：Breakfast was good. However, availability of continental cheese would be appreciated.

Review 89：The steeply sloping floor in our room (111) - however one has to expect a certain amount of this with listed buildings but it would be good if something could maybe be placed underneath the carpet to make the slope less pronounced. I placed a bottle of water on the bedside table and it slid right across to the other side and fell off!

Review 90：The standards thoroughout the hotel are generally very high. Breakfast was very good indeed. All the staff we met were exceptionally friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend and hope to return again..

Review 91：Water pressure is low in the hotel which has a knock on effect with the shower in my room (105).

Review 92：The food is of a very good quality with polite and courteous staff.

Review 93：Only bad point is no lift

Review 94：What a lovely hotel, everywhere clean & tidy, nothing was to much trouble, friendly staff, food was excellent and reasonably priced. The chef is 1st class, there is an excellent choice on the wine list catering for all budgets. I will have no hesitation in staying there again.

Review 95：Nothing

Review 96：i stayed in this hotel the evening prior to Tank Fest. The staff was friendly, offered a pound for parking because I only had Euros, the facility was quaint, well kept, and clean. WiFi was fast and the room was Hotel was close to many attractions

Review 97：Parking can be tricky but again the staff were very helpful.

Review 98：The hotel was clean and the staff were extremely friendly and accomodating. The decor was in line with a 3 star hotel.

Review 99：Restricted parking -27 rooms, only 10 spaces. Bedroom at front of hotel above the main road through the town. Weekday traffic starts at 5.00 a.m. Don't be put off by this ask for a room at the rear and be prepared to climb the stairs as there is no lift.

Review 100：Excellent staff, good restaurant & lounge. Centrally located in an area with a good choice of restaurants.

Review 101：Our twin beds were comfortable, but one of them creaked with every movement.

Review 102：Friendly staff, good sized room. The hotel is in excellent decorative order. Our evening meal was very enjoyable and the breakfast was also very good.

Review 103：Very creaky floorboards above our room could hear every movement the first night was extremely noisy in the early hours First travel cot was filthy and the second couldn't be set up by the staff but eventually was sorted by ourselves No lift which was a problem for my 84 year old Dad but understandable considering the age of the property

Review 104：Pleasant staff Great breakfast Surprisingly nice evening meal Complimentary round of drinks for the travel cot incident

Review 105：Hand-held shower could not be moved from its fixed holder; spray head sprayed water out of the side of the head as well as through the intended apertures. Poor range of cereals for those not taking full-English breakfast. Very limited parking available.

Review 106：Central location; obliging staff; appropriate facilities for is type. Good range of drink and biscuits in the room including 2 types of bottled water. Good range of shower and bath supplies.

Review 107：We have in the past used a hotel not too far from The Wessex Royale but we were so badly treated there on our last stay that we decided to try somewhere different. The WR was a brilliant choice, poles apart from the other place, especially the helpful, friendly and polite staff. We will be returning without doubt.

Review 108：we ate in the restaurant..we were the only diners...the meal was not good and we were not charged for dinner. it spoil the evening. our room overlooked the main street through dorchester and was noisy.

Review 109：Limited car parking. We were fortunate to find a space but the thought of having to leave our car overnight in an inconvenient public car park did not appeal. Limited dinner menu selection. Plenty of main menu fish dishes otherwise somewhat disappointing breadth of selection. Superb pizzas! Room (110) brochure description and photo were better than the experience, although latter OK. Bath shower could not be released from its mount to be used hand held.

Review 110：Obliging staff. Good food (although somewhat limited menu) and beverages. Excellent location from which to tour vicinity. The included room provisions (beverages, snacks, toiletry) much appreciated.

Review 111：All the staff we're very friendly and helpful, the room we had booked had not been made up by the housekeeper so we were immediately given a free upgrade and shown to a beautiful large room with a huge bed, fantastic.

Review 112：I would always advise any issues on departure as they can be one off things that can be easily solved and not fair to keep on record. Nothing bad about this hotel that would prevent me from coming back...and who knows one day they might hVe turned it into a Hotel du Vin..!!!

Review 113：Great cookies in the room.! Actually the room comfort was fine...the hotel is just a bit dated and creaky and generally a bit overpriced for what is is, but having said that most mid range UK hotels are, Staff were friendly, breakfast selection was good, parking at hotel was available albeit a bit tight.

Review 114：Not enough staff on duty for a busy bank holiday weekend, especially for Sunday breakfast demand.

Review 115：Welcoming staff. Central location, easy walking distances to Dorchester's historical venues and museums. Great breakfast. Good service

Review 116：Our room overlooked the High Street and there was quite a lot of traffic noise. Also there is a street light right outside making the room very bright even with curtains drawn.

Review 117：Friendliness of staff. Excellent quality food.

Review 118：There was nothing to grumble about at all

Review 119：The staff were absolutely superb, nothing was too much trouble, the room was lovely and well equipped, the food in the restaurant was good and very inexpensive.

Review 120：Nothing bad to say

Review 121：Friendly polite staff. Quick check in. Let us choose our room. Nice dining room and good food also very good breakfast. Always get a free newspaper by door in AM

Review 122：Just not as comfy as some other places nearby but fine. Double beds fine if you're on your own but they're on the small side. Room 107 has a fire escape right outside ..ok if you're nervous about fires but not great if you want to open the window a bit while you sleep!

Review 123：Perfectly pleasant. Room very clean. Staff very helpful

Review 124：I paid more than my friends room rate on you website higher than the rate I got elsewhere bill incorrect on checkout extra items which I had not used was taken off upon query

Review 125：very promp and friendly check in

Review 126：This is a unique hotel with its own quirks; an old coaching inn with wonky floors and small car park which are all part of its particular pride and charm. The staff were friendly and very helpful and offered tips about where to visit whilst exploring Dorchester. We were treated with the same respect as a celebrity who was also staying and nothing was too much trouble. Our needs as guests were fully catered for. We will definitely use this hotel again if visiting Dorset.

Review 127：Rude awakening from a fitness class above my room and booming music at around 6:30am!

Review 128：Lovely hotel, perfect after a long day on the road - and great breakfast in the morning

Review 129：My waste bin was broken. Not really an issue

Review 130：Elderly disabled father had room on the 3rd floor and no lift. That was no problem for the helpful staff who put him in a twin room on the ground floor for no extra charge. He had a nasty fall that day and again the staff couldn't have been more helpful

Review 131：We were in the newer rooms at the back with a very noisy extractor fan. Though this did stop at 10pm and start again around 6.30am it was not restful. There was a very dangerous step at the end of the corridor by the door which one of us slipped off and which needs attention. The hotel is old fashioned in a dull and depressing way. It ought to be better but it wasn't. Poor shower.

Review 132：Dorchester is a charming town with beautiful water meadows. The hotel is well located and breakfast was good.

Review 133：No parking available had to pay to leave in long stay car park a short walk away, shower not great.

Review 134：Staff were very helpful, room large, very comfortable bed and the food was gorgeous. Staff should promote restaurant when checking in as was a real hidden gem.

Review 135：Welcoming staff, wonderful four poster bed, great location for exploring Dorset. Bar and restaurant had a good choice of food and drink. Food in restaurant of very high standard.

The Fine Print

No elevator available.Guests should note that, and free public parking is available, spaces are very limited and cannot be reserved in advance.Please note, group bookings of more than 6 rooms will be subject to a 7 day cancellation policy - if canceled later than 7 days before the day of arrival the first night's stay will be charged.