All the reasons to love Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant

Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant is a proud part of the the family-owned and run Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Led by General Managers Alex and Jack Mackenzie, the team at Summer Lodge is a family of warm and passionate people, deeply committed to giving the very best guest experience through impeccable service and expertise

Our beautiful hotel is located within Hardy’s enchanting village of Evershot, West Dorset, and is surrounded by beautiful countryside, providing guests with ample opportunity for walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing and golf. We are also a 25 minutes’ drive from the Jurassic coast. Summer Lodge is the perfect wedding destination - intimate and special.

Set within 4 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, the hotel also offers a heated indoor pool, spa and beauty treatments, a fully equipped gymnasium, bicycles, a croquet lawn, and an all-weather tennis court. There are plenty of private spaces within the hotel gardens, to simply unwind, practise yoga, or relax on one of the garden swings or sun-loungers, with a refreshing cool drink.

Sit back and indulge in a truly quintessential English tradition. Our delicious Dorset Cream Tea includes a scrumptious selection of warmly baked plain and fruit scones. With a wide selection of speciality teas, and Champagne by the glass - Afternoon Tea can be enjoyed al fresco in summer or fireside in the cosy Drawing Room.

Inspired by an abundance of superb local ingredients, including Dorset Vinny Blue Cheese and Dorset Beef, and produce grown in the hotel gardens and polytunnels, our Restaurant showcases a timeless menu that combines both innovative cuisine and classic signature dishes. Our impressive wine collection also ensures that you can pair your meal with the perfect wine, including hand-crafted wines from our award-winning, sister South African vineyard, Bouchard Finlayson.

The warm and cosy setting of The Bar is the perfect place to enjoy sampling a vast array of expertly created cocktails, from well-known favourites to creatively inspired choices. Whisky lovers will enjoy relaxing in the traditional Whisky Lounge, with an impressive choice of the finest whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, USA, South Africa and further across the globe.

All of our 25 guest rooms and suites are different, each with a warm and inviting country house style of its own. Rich fabrics and elegant furnishings, crisp Belgian linens warmed with hot water bottles, soft and enveloping bathrobes, luxury amenities, fresh fruit and homemade shortbread are just some of the thoughtful touches. There are also private cottages for extra privacy, some with their own hot tub.

Named in honour of our beloved President and Founder Beatrice Tollman, Bea’s Cottage is an enchanting four-bedroom home independent from Summer Lodge. From the private, sheltered rockery and garden to the charming working fireplace and wood-panelled private dining room, Bea’s Cottage makes for a quintessential pastoral escape to refresh, rejuvenate and feed the soul, surrounded by the bucolic English countryside.

We offer guests a host of country house experiences to enhance their stay, from falconry and mindfulness workshops to flower arranging and private garden tours. Guests are also invited to explore food and drink through local wine estate tours, specially hosted Wine Dinners and Whiskey Tasting experiences, ranging from an introduction for whisky novices to a mind-blowing selection of rare and unique whiskies for the connoisseur.

Summer Lodge is the perfect family destination, with a host of outdoor activities to enjoy including a children’s playhouse, family picnics and curated treasure hunts to explore the hotel gardens. The hotel offers private cottages which are perfect for family groups, the restaurant also has a delicious and healthy children’s menu. Pets are made to feel welcome too, with bespoke in-room pet menus, beds, bowls and suggested walks.

We are committed to our community and to supporting local charities such as Longmead Community Farm and Julia’s House Hospice. We grow many of our own vegetables, fruits, and herbs in our kitchen gardens and polytunnels and our hotel bees create delicious honey for our guests. We take food waste to a bio-digester to be converted into electricity and also have two electric car charge ports on site. We work closely with local charities to reuse amenities such as, soaps, which are recycled into paints for children at the Bootmakers Workshop, and we are continuing to remove single-use plastics and reduce food waste with Winnow Solutions.