£119—Dorset coast getaway to 'sensational' Studland Bay

Reception staff, when I telephoned on the morning of our visit, simply to book a dinner time, said they had no booking under my name. I had said that it was a TravelZoo booking but was told that nobody manned their central bookings office at weekends (this was a Sunday)! After repeatedly telling me there was no booking under my name, this staff member looked on the "Travelzoo portal" and found us. Rather spoiled our first impression but we were determined not to let it put us off. The restaurant and kitchen staff were lovely, front desk and bar - not quite so welcoming. The hotel is very dated but we knew that from other reviews. We didn't try the pools or spa but felt that for the price, the room and other facilities were perfectly reasonable and the location is wonderful. Food was very good

Yes it's dated but a perfectly nice short stay, thank you

Staff excellent. Room appeared to be part refurbished but awaiting completion. Very clean

Very good value for the price we paid. A relaxing break.

Although it is one of its attractions some may find it old fashioned.

Eccentric but I enjoyed that.

I think they should serve tea and coffee at breakfast and not have machines! I have been charged twice for extras but I am hoping to resolve this myself with the hotel.

Relaxing. Beautiful outdoor pool. Food good. Bed uncomfortable. Wonderful location with easy access to beach . Needs updating.

The food is amazing both for evening meals and breakfast, and gardens/grounds are lovely. The location is perfect for exploring the South coast with a lovely beach within walking distance. However the Hotel is just a little tired and in need of some TLC, but the rooms are a good size and beds are really comfy.

Wonderful position.

Good

Worth a visit, we will return

lovely two night break - the exterior of the buildings at the rear are very tired so first impressions were not that great but everything else was excellent . Fantastic location , excellent and well facilitated double modern bedroom and en-suite , comfortable beds , gorgeous Elemis toiletries and big towels . Lovely lounges and garden area with superb views . A wonderful spa area and outdoor swimming pool with free towels .( indoor pool v small ). We had a generous 27£ each towards dinner which we thought was lovely , limited choices but all the ones we chose were delicious and generously portioned . Breakfast buffet was great - loads of choice and fresh fruit . Staff were helpful and friendly . There are several lovely walks directly from hotel as well as easy access to local beach and middle and south beaches . We walked to Old Harry . The Breezer bus stop is outside the hotel with direct route from Swanage to poole and Bournemouth with regular buses . Mini golf course and tennis available too . Only comment was dogs being allowed in all lounges it would have been good to have one that’s no dogs . None are allowed in the dining areas .

Lovely Scots waitress and Polish bar lady .

Just one night - all good!

Stayed here 5 or 6 times usually booked through Travelzoo. Feel the value for money is getting less good each time we stay, some little things like the menu and what's included in the meal deal. And the indoor pool and spa seems to be closed long term. Saying this i don't think the room rate has increased whilst everything else in life has got more expensive so overall its still a good deal

Its a 'marmite' hotel but overall we love going there and we will book again. Its very dog friendly and despite being old school is very clean. And the location is one of the best.

The food was nice, breakfast very good but prices for dinner were too expensive for that condition of hotel

We are an elderly couple and probably fortunate to be allocated a family room which was on the flat. The weather was exceptional and the heated swimming pool was a good size and provided a very relaxing environment. Obviously the location is magnificent and many of the guests took advantage of being able to walk down to the beach. The evening meal was disappointing, trying to be a little pretentious and over priced, but for the price we paid £119.00 Bed breakfast and Evening Meal the whole experience was delightful and we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay.

We cannot comment on the standard of other rooms in the hotel and maybe some parts may looked tired, but the location, ambiance and views are terrific and difficult to put a price on, definitely worth seeing if you could get a Bed&Breakfast deal.

A very well positioned hotel - good for children also dog friendly. Just the evening meal lets it down.

A dated hotel, being one of the few Hotels still using single glazing Steel Crital Window frames. The hotel is best used in the summer. Lots of lounge areas, also a children's play area and a cinema room. The quality of the cooked breakakfast was superb, although a limited cold choice. The quality of the dinner, quite the reverse. The set menu is £27 two starters, main course, Roast Sirloin of Beef or Pasta, dessert, Ice Cream or Rice Pudding. The Sirloin served was Topside and tough. The Rice Pudding was cooked, a dente, inedible. Ice cream, Strawberry, Vanilla and Chocolate. The a la carte menu was £40 + which is a lot to pay for poor food. The room was good, like the hotel, clean.

after a difficult journey ( nobodies fault, car problems) it was a pleasure to meet such a friendly and welcoming staff. Everyone from reception, housekeeping and dining made us feel better about the whole experience. Lovely old hotel which is certainly maintaining the character and ambience you would expect with it's history

L

Wonderful location and views from the dining room and garden.

Really lovely break, great breakfast, would return.

Nice and cosy hotel - friendly staf

Location

It was a very tired, shabby and in need of refurbishment hotel

Staff very helpful and friendly. Location lovely. Pool was warm. Breakfast very good and food at dinner good but very small portions for the price.

Hotel and buildings are very run down and dirty in places. Did not expect to be in a chalet type room out of the hotel. It did smell of damp and was more like Butlins than a hotel. The derelict buildings were an eyesore. Food was overpriced. Spa was closed looks like for quite a while.

Nice hotel good food good breakfast good recreational facilities in beautiful setting good staff

Needs sprucing up and should be able to check into your room by 2pm not 4pm

Lovely old hotel with easy access to beach. Heated outdoor swimming pool. Great food.

Utterly charming hotel, it was like being transported back to pre war Britain. Fantastic warm outdoor pool , great room , Enid Blytons favourite apparently No 40. Few minutes walk from the national trust beach, safe, clean water and a very short tidal difference . Food was extraordinarily good , staff very nice. We will definitely be back.

Old fashioned decor, but good quality bedlinen, fluffy bath towels, CL clean and heated outside pool, excellent location near to a great beach

Excellent service from all staff. Only a slight problem with the bills as they charge 10% service charge on everything which we were unaware of.

The hotel was atmospheric and in need of some updating. However this did not put a negative on the stay. In a beautiful location the grounds and rooms were clean and tidy. Food was good and staff pleasant and helpful

The hotel charge a service charge on nearly every bar and restaurant interaction, which is discretionary but placed on your bill - personally I like to tip on service above and beyond.

Lovely weather helped but facilities were excellent especially the heated outdoor pool area where we spent much time. Food was also excellent. The pitch and putt course was a challenge but fun.

Pleasantly surprised as I'd read some negative reviews.... we thoroughly enjoyed our visit, the hotel was set in well kept grounds, our room was clean and comfortable, friendly welcoming staff, lovely evening meal and great facilities.

The first receptionist we saw was not friendly - we could not check in until the room was ready which was then delayed by an hour :(

Everything was first class. The staff are very attentive. The food at dinner and breakfast was excellent.

It is a fabulous location. You would not be able to beat the views from all different areas of the hotel.

A great stay at Knoll House again, definitely helped by the beautiful weather and surroundings. The outdoor pool is a lovely amenity.

Fabulous position for beach and walks in Purbecks.

Rooms a little tired but lovely atmosphere and good food for the price.

Great location. Hotel is very clean and gardens are amazing. Would benefit from some general updating

Hotel very tired and dated. But staff were great and we enjoyed the food. We paid extra for a sea view room which was worth it . Room very clean and comfortable just required a bit of updating and sone TLC.

What a first visit! Outstanding location from which to explore the delights of Studland. Loved the hotel ambience and its sympathetic decor to a bygone age. Enjoyed the displays, photographs, paintings and artefacts. Admirers of Enid Blyton’s work will be pleased with what’s on offer. Staff excellent- friendly, smart and very well trained. Food is of a very high standard, tasty and well presented. Our only little criticism would be around gluten free and vegetarian options. If you are a coeliac and also not a fish eater then the menu choice is quite limited beyond a two or three night stay. Also, vegetarian choices are limited. Facilities are excellent. Really loved the heated outdoor pool facility and it’s surrounds; we were there when the sun was shining and enjoyed many a dip in the pool. Another bonus for us were the two tennis hard courts, both in very good condition. Loved being so close to landmarks such as Old Harry Rocks, which we could see from our bedroom window. A short walk from the Hotel, through its gardens, less than 5 minutes, and we were on the beach- ideal. What views! Isle of Wight, Bournemouth, Sandbanks, Old Harry Rocks etc - a veritable feast for one’s eyes and a boost for one’s spirit. This is now firmly on our to stay at again hotels.

Characterful hotel, very charming. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Food very good and nicely presented.

Charming hotel, despite not ‘fancy’. Fabulous location and great views. More offers for there please.

Always a lovely cosy atmosphere in this traditional hotel.

We usually stay here in the winter with our dog, so this is the first time we have enjoyed the outdoor pool. It was wonderful, especially in this current hot weather!

Our fourth visit. Excellent value given situation

Disappointed with evening meal, lots Nat available

This hotel is in the most perfect location for the beautiful Studland bay, the beach and amazing Purbeck walks. Although tired and in need of a major overhaul, the rooms are spotlessly clean and generally well decorated and comfortable with nice bathrooms with Elemis products. The hotel is obviously somewhat understaffed, but, even so, they are always helpful and cheerful. The food is expensive but well cooked and tasty. The hake, the sea bass and veggie option of harissa aubergine were all delicious. Breakfasts are self serve but quality good. Note - if you would like porridge, just ask. Drinks are also very expensive. The weather while we were there was fantastic which meant we were happy to laze around the heated, outdoor pool. A lovely perk for this time of year. The only negative was that access was locked after 5pm. What a shame on a lovely summer evening - another 2 hours would have been wonderful and I wonder if this was because of lack of staff again. Overall, we had a great stay and will definitely return in a few months time.

Fab location great for kids. Food mediocre and overpriced. Reception slow most dining room staff attentive but a few very unhelpful. No joined up writing when requested an item left behind. Staff don’t seem to know each other

Yes, oldy worldy features such as original steel windows with single glazing 9 inch square panes. Nostalgic !! Very nice grounds and plenty of seats outside. Plenty of seating inside.

Very confusing billing system. No price shown on the Fixed Menu, so did not realize that £27 credit only covered 2 courses not 3. Bar drinks shown as restaurant drinks. First night only one £27 credit given on bill. 10% service charge on all drinks and food (on FULL price of food even though we had £27 credit against food). I think this is very sneaky and service charge should be at guests discretion, and only on what we actually paid for.

My wife and I returned to the Knoll House and enjoyed our stay immensely.

If I were to criticise the hotel in any way, I would say that the alcohol drinks are slightly too expensive.

Wonderful location, friendly staff. Hotel looks rather run down from the outside but is cosy and welcoming inside.

Excellent hotel in gorgeous setting.

Food wonderful

Return visit to this iconic hotel. Lovely sea view room over stunning Studland bay

Great location

Excellent location, lack of choice on menu especially if you are vegetarian or vegan.

Need more variety and choices on set menu. Need more menu options for vegetarians and vegans. Only one dessert option on set menu

Quirky hotel. Good food. Room was quite small and warm in the hot weather. Outdoor pool was marvellous

We had a wonderful, happy time.

Lovely hotel with lots of character in a stunning location . We will definitely return.

We enjoyed a one night stay with sea view. Food was excellent and staff worked very hard to keep everyone happy, even though they were shirt staffed in the dining room. Hotel is charming and quirky, with an interesting history. We had glorious sunshine and enjoyed a sundowner on the front lawn admiring the view. We have passed the hotel many, many ti.es and wondered what it was like. Now we know and we'd go back. Needs a bit of maintenance but everything else was great.

Our second visit unfortunately we were not in main house in a garden room, which turned out ok,apart from wi-fi was non existent in garden room,and radiator loud banging noise,which we reported three times and nothing done. We turned radiator off but otherwise noise would have continued so not happy.

Enjoyed the food and restaurant, looks a great place for families with small people lots of facilities.

Location

Whole hotel is extremely tired. Gone past quint very poor

We love the outdoor pool. Food excellent. Wonderful location and grounds

We had a good time but thought the evening menu was rather more expensive than our previous visit. A main course for £26/27 and vegetables extra seemed a lot. Also, a pudding that was, I think £9.50 and G@T £8.50! Appreciate a profit has to be made, but we were surprised at the prices.

Very pleasant, great location, but it feels a bit tired.

absolutely lovely stay- staff all friendly( though they did all keep on about being short staffed) LOCATION PERFECT WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK BUT CANT SEE THE OFFER AGAIN

Knoll house is tired needs update, but service food was lovely.

Our fault but evening meals not priced should have checked or staff should have made us aware of deals

We absolutely loved this hotel. It’s got an olde worlde charm and is in a brilliant location. The staff were plentiful and so helpful . There are lots of activities on site and the view is second to none. Would highly recommend.

Staff freindly and helpful and location excellent. Food good except for roast potatoes with the roast beef on Sunday evening. The beef was excellent but the potatoes had clearly been warmed over from lunch and the skins leathery and tough. Nice room overlooking the swimming pool. No room cleaning on the 3 night stay which was a bit of a nuisance as was lack of wifi in the room. The room was in a small courtyard away from the main building which wasn't a problem as the weather was fine but would be annoying in wet weather as no covered link to the main building for meals. Overall the hotel looked a bit tired .

A beautiful setting in a wonderful location. A hotel with plenty of character, nice room and good food. The weather was wonderful, which really made the weekend

Great place for a short break and to enjoys the superb views of the coast

Knoll House is in a stunning location. It celebrates its long history. The atmosphere was friendly with staff who welcomed us. The restaurant food was impressive for dinner, we were happy to pay a surcharge to choose from the a la carte menu. The breakfast was equally delicious with great quality and choice. We can’t wait to return.

The hotel has obviously had some renovation internally. Its long standing history is shown in a rather tired external appearance but it’s quite charming. The setting, grounds are beautiful. It is worth paying extra for a sea view room.

This was our fifth visit . the evening set menu was very poor one night the main course was a choice of just two different pastas!

Our hotel room was in the main hotel with a lovely view. Clean and comfortable with wi fi. We didn’t use daily maid service as only there for 3 nights and if we needed anything we only had to ask. The pools were warm. The food was very nice although there was a mix up with our bill which was rectified promptly.

After a mix our with our bill maybe you should ask guests to sign a copy receipt each evening showing exactly what you have ordered avoiding being billed for something you haven’t had.

we were seeking a place we could leave stress behind for a few days. Knoll house was perfect and had something for everyone and all we needed. Our dog was welcome and we could relax.

Comfortable The staff work very hard and were cheerful, helpful and pleasant.

overpriced wine list

We have visited this hotel many times - the location is womderful

Pool and location

Food was terrible on the Travelzoo deal

Friendly welcoming staff Great location

Rooms clean comfortable Sound proofing between rooms needs improving . However a happy stay

Meals and breakfast was good

Room was not as advertised, very hot and cramp

Excellent as always

A relaxed short break at this old style hotel with lots of character and facilities. Excellent food. Brilliant location opposite the beach

Fabuloulous location! Close to the beach. Loved the 1930's associations including Churchill and Enid Blyton. The decor is of that period and atmospheric. Lovely terrace with sea views.

If you have a disability make sure you speak to the hotel. I asked for an easy access room (not an accessible room). I managed ok but there was a step up into the bathroom/toilet.

Lovely hotel ,excellent position and superb outside heated swimming pool. Good breakfast but dinner choice and quality of food was very disappointing.

Fish stew was particularly bad,not even a stew!! Buffalo tortellini was equally poor.

Excellent location and great service from staff. Some of the amenities needed an update, but think that’s happening with time. The outdoor heated pool was such a treat.

The breakfasts were excellent, but we were not blown away by the lunch and dinners given the costs.

Excellent visit and welcoming staff. The meal allowance and discretional service charge makes the whole charging system overly complicated. Also the meal prices and drinks are on the high side although overall the staff and in particular Isabella were fantastic

HOTEL HAD QUAINT OLD FASHIONED CHARM BUT NEEDS A FACE LIFT AND SOME MODERNISATION. DEAL PRICE WAS VERY GOOD, AS WAS FOOD QUALITY AND CHOICE. BAR PRICES WERE HIGH. OUR ROOM WAS ADEQUATE BUT TIRED. NEEDED AN UPGRADE.

HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT BEING DOG FRIENDLY, AND ALL DOGS APPEARED WELL BEHAVED, BUT I DON'T THINK THE DOGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED ON THE FURNITURE.

Staff were nice

Indoor pool size - a paddling pool really for children not adults Menus - A La Carte was the same the whole time we were there (4 nights) Set Menu - two choices only and not varied enough meaning you had to choose A La Carte if you did not like what was on offer. Also on two occasions they had run out so down to one choice. Also no veg included so you always had to pay for vegetables

Friendly staff and easy check in. Beautifully positioned hotel. Although dated the facilities are good. Limited menu but tasty food and plentiful breakfast.

Had a lovely time staff fab food fantastic, menu could do with expanding but still lovey. Its a bit dated but adds to the charm. Very relaxed atmosphere, dont come here expecting a modern all singing hotel, its old fashioned but as long as like that you’ll love it, we do. They love dogs, loads for the kids, rooms adequate

Second visit and will probably go again. Helpful staff and nice surroundings. Plenty to do in the area.

Excellent service, food, room & surroundings!!

For what we payed was very good, hotel needs a bit of tlc but must have been lovely back in the day. Food very nice staff very good. In a lovely position I hope it gets the boost it needs. Get for family’s and dog owners.

Would go back on a deal but wouldn’t pay top price as to many children and dogs for our liking even though they were well behaved. But great hotel for people that have them.

Very enjoyable

Would suggest limiting the number of small children/babies in the pool

Lovely setting with beautiful views of the sea.

A lot of families with young children as it was half term. Made it feel like a cross between a holiday camp and a hotel.

A pleasant 2 nights stay. Nice spacious quiet room.

We did not expect to have a 10% service charge added to our bill. This was charged on our included £27 allowance towards an evening meal as well as the a la carte menu and drinks with the meals.

As described previously a quirky hotel. No dressing table in the bedroom, half a 4 poster bed ! Very expensive menu and bar drinks. Service charge a mystery, it says 10% on food and drink. When I queried my s/c which worked out at 20%, the receptionist immediately altered it to 10%. So be careful to scrutinise what you find on your bill !

Facilities are great and the location but whole place needs an upgrade.

OLD QUIRKY HOTEL BUT NICE,DINNER ALLOWANCE NOT SUFFICIENT.

OVER LOOKS THE SEA,BUS STOP IN FRONT OF HOTEL

Had a really enjoyable stay, room upgrade was worth it. food great but menu limited, victorian charm everywhere. plans are afoot to demolish it and build a modern hotel and so lose its charm. shame

Facilities excellent although a little tired. We didn’t particularly like the number of dogs ‘staying’ with their owners but obviously good for business and they weren’t allowed in the restaurant.

Dinner bookings on both evenings were not noted in dining room although telephone conversation prior to arrival and on arrival to confirm time!

Our first time to Knoll House, which we found charming. The restaurant was a good size and the sitting rooms were cosy. It was also lovely to sit outside in the garden.

Overall very pleased with our one night break, however we were disappointed with dinner. With our deal we could only have 2 courses (last time we could have 3 course menu) and there were only 2 items to chose from & we didn't enjoy the food we had. Alternatively we could chose from A la carte menu which was very overprice. Also drinks were very expensive.

We enjoyed walking through the woods & short walk to beach.

Location

Bathroom with wash hand basin in bedroom. Tired condition of hotel. Food quality and choice only average. Attempt to overcharge me by £23 at checkout with no apology.

Yes we enjoyed ourselves. Drinks and service charges were expensive. So we asked for service charges to be removed which they did.

Superb location overlooking the sea and a short walk to the nearest beach. We were in the main hotel building and pleasantly surprised to have been given a room with a sea view and balcony despite booking an inland room. Hotel could do with some tlc but staff were pleasant and helpful.

Our room (52) was above the dining room. A good size room with a wonderful position but noisy in the early morning.

Pleasant stay. Great location

Amazing hotel the tiredness of the hotel becomes irrelevant once you embrace the ambiance and facilities excellent staff and service

I will recommend to everybody I know and definitely will return

Pleasant room, comfy bed with crispy sheets. Roomy bathroom with plenty of Elemis toiletries. Shame that no WiFi reception in room.

I was surprised that they added a 10% service charge to the meal allowance, meaning that the true cost of the booking was therefore £124,50 rather than £119. Rather cheeky!

The whole experience was wonderful, the rooms and atmosphere was unique. The facilities have been well thought out. There is plenty to do and see. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

I would love to go back again. Before going we rang Yvonne to book, she said we would have a wonderful time and she was right. Thank you Yvonne x

We were allocated room (mini-suite) 77 - bedroom, bathroom and small sitting room - which had a lovely view of the sea in the near distance. There is a path to the beach across the road from the hotel; the walk is less than 10 minutes. The waiting staff in the restaurant were very friendly and efficient. The 10% service charge was less than we would have left as a tip in a restaurant, so was not a problem.

We read quite a few negative reviews which worried us a little, however we found the hotel charming. It is of it's time. The only thing that let the whole property down were the motel like rooms which are set apart from the main hotel, they look rather shabby and in need of refurbishment.

Comfortable bed.nice food.

Excellent location. Really handy to have the bus opposite. The pool was lovely and warm for an outside pool!

Excellent and historic hotel

Great staff and well organised

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit wish we could have stayed longer. Food was excellent and staff extremely helpful.

Lack of transparency regarding service charge. Having your room made up only happened if you ticked the box while checking in, this was not made clear at any time. Asked for more tea bags and clean cups, which was attended to very quickly, sadly the waste paper basket, nearly full was not emptied dispute being very close to the dirty cups.

Exceptional value for money. The staff were most helpful and efficient. The facilities were amazing in variety and condition. The food was tasty and sufficient and our room was spacious and well equipped. The situation of the Hotel was wonderful with easy access to the surrounding NT land and coast.

I had mistakenly made an option while booking through Travelzoo for a double + twin bedded room, but a late change was enabled by the agents and the hotel. We could not believe the dinner vouchers and included breakfast were supplied as well as the free facilities of spa, pools, cinema, and mini-golf. If I was asked for any criticism it would be the lack of sound insulation between rooms - we could hear clearly the conversation from the adjoining room, but this all added to the character of the hotel steeped in history.

Excellent

Many good points but a few poor points

Family room convenient for outside pool, but does not have WiFi

Great food,drinks over priced rooms very dated

Small of damp when you walk in

Great location and staff very obliging. Old fashioned Hotel - which we like. Very good breakfast buffet. Evening meal and wine of mediocre quality but top prices charged - needs improvement

NO

NOT INFORMED OF 10% SERVICE CHARGE ON FOOD AND DRINK FOOD ON FIRST NIGHT AVERAGE AND OVERPRICED PARTICULARLY THE WINE BECAUSE OF THIS DID NOT DINE ON SECOND NIGHT SO LOST OUT ON DISCOUNT ROOM WAS SMALL WITH A VIEW OF A FLOODED FLAT ROOF TELEVISION PICTURE UNWATCHABLE, HOTEL STAFF TRIED TO FIX BUT FAILED SHOWER TRAY NEARLY OVERFLOWED BECAUSE OF BLOCKED DRAIN OBVIOUSLY NOT CLEANED IN WEEKS - REQUEST TO CLEAN IT WAS ATTENDED TO I WOULD NOT GO BACK TO THIS HOTEL IF YOU PAID FOR ME. I BELIEVE ITS GOING THROUGH PLANNING TO REBUILD UPGRADE.

An old fashioned quirky hotel with plenty of charm in a fantastic location. The food and service excellent. Recommended!

we very much liked its idiosyncratic and pleasant atmosphere. It has a unique and interesting character

A lovely hotel. A little dated, but this just added to the charm. Great location. Staff friendly and helpful. A perfect 3 night break. We will definitely go back.

lovely room and food choice limited but what we had was good.

They really should NOT ADD a service charge to your bill without asking beforehand .you go for a deal booked thru Travel Zoo with an allowance of £26 each per night and then they add on a service charge to everything.we only stayed 2 nights and £19 was added to our bill !!!!!

Enjoyed every moment there especially as the weather was excellent which made a total difference

The rest of the stay was fine but it was disappointing as we just rated the one nite. I was going to book again but I can’t find the offer so it must have finished

The waiter was laying tables for the morning service whilst we were eating our main meal in the evening he was banging the cutlery around and literally throwing the dirty table cloths onto the next table he was clearing. I asked him to run some hot water on my glass for my red wine at £10 A glass and he brought me a cold glass of red wine which I had to get changed also the beautiful food was just warm. Such a shame as he just spoilt the evening

The food and service at dinner was disappointing - not up to usual standards but the rest of the stay was fine despite having to wait until 4.30 to gain access to the room (check in from 4pm!) Also not so happy with the fire alarm going off at 7am on Sunday morning- only lasted 4 minutes - no apology or explanation from the hotelhowever.

This was our second visit so we knew what to expect ! We upgraded to a sea view room this time which was an improvement on our previous visit. Room was clean , lovely fresh towels, bedding and towelling dressing gowns. Bathroom could have done with an upgrade. Think the whole place could really do with an uplift, as I said we knew what to expect, if you are expecting a glitzy upmarket accommodation Knoll House is not for you. We love the quirkiness of the place and the history , it’s great coming in to be welcomed by the roaring log fire and not to feel guilty about the muddy walking boots. Love the white starched table cloths and serviettes in the dining room, they were incredibly under staffed, so service was a little slow, however we enjoyed our meals and the staff were great, thought prices were a little high, so the £27 allowance helped with that. Drinks were also a little on the expensive side. Having said all of this we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and will hopefully be returning many more times. It does help knowing what to expect !!!!

Position is excellent with the close proximity to the beach and some lovely walks. Parking can be a little tricky but with everything so close there is no need to use the car again. Think it’s a little like marmite……you either love it or hate it…………we love it!!!!

Location excellent

On previous visits there was a dining area where you could take your dog. This has now been changed to a lounge area where you can dine with your dog but on coffee tables. Not a good dining experience.

Lovely break in beautiful surroundings. Only issue was that the dinner allowance was not explained properly on our first night. We understood it was £27 each for the a la carye menu, but when we were presented with the set menu of 3 courses (which contained no prices) we were not told that only 2 courses were covered by the allowance. We heard several guests complain that they had been charged for a third course that they expected to be included.

The location was very close to a beautiful beach.

Lacked atmosphere and every room was dog friendly. No rooms if you didn’t have a dog or didn’t want to stay in a room where a dog had been.

Spent two nights at Knoll House mid week, 18 of us on the first night and 12 on the second. We ( 4 couples) celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversaries , all happening this year, and an 80th birthday. We had Harry’s Bar for our party on the first night and were able to decorate it. The staff had set the table beautifully and we had our own waiter for the evening. He was superb, all the food for each course arrived together and he was adept at getting our wine etc. The food was delicious though choice for the main course on the set menu was limited.The hotel kindly gave us all a glass of Prosecco at the beginning of the evening to toast our celebrations. The next two days we were in the main dining room, again all on one table so that we could converse with each other. Again the staff in the restaurant, the bar and reception were attentive and friendly to us. My husband and I and many of our friends and family have used this hotel for many years. It is ideal, with the beach, tennis courts, golf, swimming pools and walks all so close. I hope it does not go out of our reach in the future, price wise, as it is being renovated . Yes, some of it is a little dated but the position and staff more than make up for this. We can thoroughly recommend it.

The breakfast was very good

The evening meal was meant to be served from 6-0pm to 8-30pm. We went down to dine at 8-05pm to be told that the kitchen had closed at 7-45pm. No where either at reception or the information booklet in the room did it make this clear. We dined on a bag of crisps each. Next day we cut short our holiday and went home a day early - we did complain when booking out and we were reimbursed for the £27 meal allowance. The price of the food is extortionate the house set menu - a very very poor selection was £39.. Our two night break was a disaster

Very pleasant one night stay. Warm comfortable room. Dinner very enjoyable but shocked at price of a glass of wine.

A lovely ‘old fashioned’ hotel with a very welcoming atmosphere and super staff. Fabulous position being able to walk to knoll beach.

Excellent food. Friendly staff. Rooms and the hotel in general need an update. Very narrow and uncomfortable single beds! Excellent location with stunning views.

I was very pleased that I was not made to feel awkward as a sole traveller. Everyone was very friendly and I enjoyed this brief stay. The evening meal was very good. I really appreciated the heated outdoor pool, too. I was pleased that it provided such a good base for many walks direct from the hotel.

Having visited the Knoll House previously we tried to repeat that experience. Rang several weeks in advance to secure a room in the hotel but "the computer says you are in a chalet room." The room was OK, everything worked but very small for a big man. Visiting for two nights signed to not have the room cleaned, didn't appreciate the beds would not be made up either. Breakfast is first class, plenty of choice, we'll prepared and presented. Dinner is confusing, food was tasty and well presented but a very limited choice if trying to exist on a £27.00 budget. A three course meal can double that price. It tries to be a la carte and charges accordingly.

For us, our visit included some real positives and some negatives. On this experience I would be wary to make a recommendation.

We read a number of negative reviews before our stay. Pleased to say our experience was positive. I think it’s important to realise this is an old quirky place however this is compensated for by charm and character.

Beware the service charge. (discretional)

My friend , who has ME, & I really enjoyed our stay - read comments below regarding the actual hotel. We visited the beautiful Knoll beach & cafe on the day we arrived, Then had a relaxing evening in the hotel lounge & dining room. The next day we visited Bournemouth, going over on the ferry to & from Sandbanks, then I enjoyed the hotel pool activities, whilst my friend rested in our room, enjoying the views & peace. After our evening meal we relaxed in front of the log fire with coffee - perfect! A wonderful hotel & experience. Despite the chilly, damp weather, we had a fabulous time.

The staff were wonderful - friendly and obliging. The hotel is beautifully situated with fabulous views, and access to the gorgeous, sandy beach. When entering the hotel it feels like stepping back into a bygone age, with wonderfully interesting photos & information on Enid Blyton & her connections to the hotel & surrounding area. The hotel is cosy, welcoming and very relaxing, with lots of sofas & seating areas to chill out, watch the blazing fire, or enjoy the fabulous views. Likewise, the bedroom was roomy, comfortable & had stunning views. I also thoroughly enjoyed the pool, jacuzzi , sauna & steam room - especially as it was raining outside. The food was lovely, although the cooked breakfast - though very tasty - could have been a lot warmer. Also, we were quite chilly in the dining room, both at breakfast & in the evening. The rest of the hotel was warm & cosy, especially our room.

The reduced Travel Zoo menue was very limited......problems with getting correct pricing for xtras on most occasions..........good accomodation and bedding...plenty of parking and clean.Stunning location with lovely local walks. Glad new owners have tried to retain the home from home feel. Love all the snuggly settees and mini pool and games room great for wet days.

Very enjoyable despite poor weather

The scenery outside the hotel.

Dilapidated and needs a multi million pound refurbish . Cracked sink in room. Sink wouldn’t empty. Only one plug in room I could go on …..

Great service, delicious dinner, fabulous location. Would be a good place for family get togethers or reunions etc.

I went with my daughter. Can’t fault it, lovely room, food was excellent and the staff courteous and helpful

Location excellent. Breakfast excellent. Historical features excellent. Nearby walks excellent.

The evening meal deal was very poor value and the bar and restaurant service was indifferent .

The prices of the food had increased substantially from last year, which was not in itself surprising, but it meant the allowance on the deal no longer related to the menu prices so we were forced to spend more than we had anticipated ( (slightly embarrassing as we were there with friends, having recommended this deal to them after loving it last year.) It also made the invoicing system complicated which meant we spent too much time thinking about and discussing the prices. The food was very good but the menu was a bit limited particularly as one of our party had dietary allergies.So we were disappointed that neither of the Specials were available at 7.15 on Sat and there was no Special offered on the Sunday. They did seem very short staffed; - our room was not serviced at all for the 3 nights, not even bin emptied or tea bags replenished.

We have loved this hotel for many years and we understand these are difficult times, so we will return. A better way to handle the need to increase prices would have been to increase the overall deal price by say 10% which everyone would understand and expect . It's the unexpected outlay that makes things awkward and the constant 'extra' £5 here and there is just annoying.. GF intolerance coiuld have been better catered for at breakfast. Good points... cosy fire , comfortable beds, nice shower and toiletries and of course that fabulous position. Beach , cliffs , good walking .

great staff, good food, expensive drinks,good ambience.....great walks/location.......love the decor though a lick of paint and new carpet in the entrance might help....room 50 big bed, sea view and balcony....eating with doggies only in low chairs/tables.....but still a super weekend, thank you...oh and loved brekkie

We love this place. It’s not glitzy or sophisticated but really comfortable and relaxing - as things should be when you are on holiday! And they love dogs!

Just love the position and the ambience

Excellent location and food.

Our only complaint would be the expensive bar drinks.

I took my daughter with me as there are so few offers open to single people it is always ‘for two’ I loved Knoll House, have been before and would definitely visit again. It is just lovely in the most beautiful location.

Of course We love the place , the character of the place, location and most of the lovely staff .

Having stayed at Knoll House at least 4 times before with no problems I booked up again with two other couples for a special two night break . The rooms were fine , and the hotel as always was fine . The problems we had were that the central heating was not working . The evening meal for the 6 of us was a disaster . With 2 different menus to decide from at very much increased prices it took 2 hours to get our meals . We were a 7-15 booking and never finished the 2 courses until 10-00 pm . Having been one of the first earlier bookings we were the last table to be served waiting about 2 hours . I was the one recommending Knoll House to my friends it was embarrassing. We were on 2 different deals with 2 booking direct with the hotel and 4 booking with Travelzoo . Sorting what we owed at the end of our meal took ages . It got so complicated .The second night was much easier and better . The breakfasts were a bit disappointing. No fruit available on both mornings , which was worse for those not having the cooked breakfast . I phoned and prebooked a table by the window at the front for the 6 of us us for all the 4 meals a week before we came .We only got this once during our stay , as others had taken our booked table .

Always lovely

It's like stepping back in time

What a beautiful hotel with outstanding views and staff.

Very good location for the beach. Decent breakfast.

Very limited choice on set menu for using dining credit. Main menu was over priced, even charging extra for vegetables! And service charge automatically applied with no way of declining it. Not all facilities available eg some games room activities not working. Inadequate changing facilities for indoor pool/spa, changing area could barely accommodate more than 2 or 3 people at the most and there was no secure storage so all clothes etc had to be taken poolside where again there was very little space to leave things.

Great location , friendly staff , great breakfast Dinner menu limited unless you paid extra for a La carte

The food was very good - but the deal menu was very limited therefore had to spend a lot more to get the meal choice required

rooms very dated - smelt of wet dog - shower room back mould, dirty and very dates - hotel decor very old and dated - needs lots of updating - don't believe Travelzoo had visited it - really disappointed location deserves a better standard hotel - we did get our room changed but frankly, I would rate it as 2 star

An enjoyable couple of days with friends.

Knoll house is beginning to look a little tired but the food was excellent. A complicated accounting system, putting £60 on a card when we arrived then refunding it then putting it on the bill. However the hotel retains it's unique character.

A surprisingly pleasant stay at this outstanding hotel. Quite quirky with very interesting history. Ideal place to relax. Would definitely recommend.

Staff were charming and helpful

Lovely hotel, spotlessly clean rooms and welcoming staff. Two suggestions for improvement: 1. Provide teapots at breakfast and move one of the drinks dispensers to the other end of the table so both can be more easily accessed. Possibly this would involve providing an extension lead to a power source but it would reduce the lengthy wait/queue for hot drinks. 2. The bottom two steps on the stairs leading up to rooms at the far end of the complex cannot be seen, as they merge into the carpet on the floor and look like camouflage. A white strip is needed there - it's really dangerous and especially for visually-impaired guests.

Hoping and praying that the plans for the new hotel take into account the beautiful setting. No eyesore buildings, please!

a lovely location to spend some quality time

Lovely location and very attentive staff. Very good facilities and walking if one wanted that experience.

Food choice not acceptable. Cost included up £27 for dinner. Choice on set menu was very poor and, in some cases difficult to understand so was 'uncertain' so had to mix and match with a la carte which made it expensive. Over £100 extra cost over the 3 days and generally having a main course only. Previous stay the food was excellent and I believe we only ate from the set menu so no extra cost involved. No housekeeping due to staff shortages so had to make our own bed and clean cups. Not a major problem but the duvet cover was too large and therefore we could not make the bed comfortably.

Enjoyed our stay room a little small but very clean. Drinks very expensive menus rather expensive

Just had a fabulous time. Room was great and the food was really good.

Quirky sea view room. Small bathroom with sink in main bedroom. Lovely view. Room in need of some tlc.

Breakfast excellent. Dinner menu limited and same for the 2 nights we were there, so ended up having same both nights. Dinner allowance not high enough to enjoy a 2 course meal without paying extra.

Enjoyed the peace and quiet

Would have been useful to know that dinner times are allocated without consultation.

Everyone was very friendly to my sister and I Food was excellent, very good value for money. First time we’d had had a sea view room.

Shame the ferry wasn’t running as that is our most direct route.

Lovely and warm, on cold winter days, with excellent staff and food, could do with some updating and a coat of paint.

Have been here many times..gradually things are changing and I'm not sure wether they are for the best.As a non meat eater the set menu is so limited ( 2 choices )pasta 2 nights running !....which forces you into into paying extra on the A La Carte !! But the setting is beautiful and the hotel although tired now is very relaxing.

I wish they could sort their compiling of the final bill...its never correct and never in our favour !

Knoll House is a pleasant hotel with lots to do and nice spaces to sit. The staff were all very approachable. The rooms and general areas are a little bit dated but this didn't detract from the overall experience. The food was very good, both breakfast and evening meal. The location is perfect, right on Studland Beach, with bus stops outside, and easily accessible to Bournemouth one way, and Swanage and the Jurassic coast the other way. A good trip!

Love it there, have been several times

As usual, we were looked after extremely well and it was a very enjoyable stay

One point - our bath was really quite dangerous. The first evening I stepped into it to have shower and immediately fell backwards, hitting the back of my head on the marble shelf. I suffered a few moments of unconsciousness, before being helped out by my wife. It is true that I had not put the plastic matt into the base of the bath. But I do feel that the bath was an accident, waiting to happen!!

We enjoyed our stay. Our room was quiet and comfortable but the towel rail in the bathroom was far too hot and we couldn't turn it off.

The food was fairly good although my liver was undercooked and there was a lot of confusion with our bill. Being on a Travelzoo deal we only had to pay for the wine we had but they tried to get us to pay for the meal and then put extra charges on our final bill until we persuaded them that we had already paid for our wine Perhaps the cashier was new to the job!

The hotel is in an ideal position for walking or exploring the area of Studland. It is very popular with owners of dogs and walkers. The hotel provides a warm welcome and the staff are helpful and pleasant. The food is very good and for the evening meal there is a good variety.

It’s quite a unique hotel full of traditions so has a lot of character. This particular room had paper thin walls and was over the restaurant delivery so we heard staff and early morning deliveries. Food was great and the staff were helpful. Rooms clean and comfortable. Heating via a radiator wasn’t always efficient so hubby had to bleed to remove air pockets which kept reoccurring. Hotel in a lovely place and has private access to the beach.

Great as always

Return visit - still as good - can't wait to come back

Excellent dinner

Fantastic.

Staff worked wonders and very hard. It’s our 4th stay there and enjoyed it immensely. You could hear people complaining which was unacceptable for what Knoll House is.

Perfect location.

The whole place needs refurbishment. It’s like an antique holiday camp. They were very short staffed. Food was very expensive.. There was a complete mess up with the bill. £54 was added to the account instead of being deducted.

Loved it - unusual and quirky, very unlike most hotels nowadays - a definite experience! Great food. Amazing furniture. Such an interesting place with fascinating history.

Some staff are a little indifferent/disinterested, although most are very polite and personal. Also, the spa facilities really need major TLC!

I have been ill and was unable to travel to the hotel, who informed me that the booking could not be moved to another date. Consequently I lost all my money. Illness can happen at any time, without warning. Your policy of no date changes regardless of circumstances is very unfair. I am sure the hotel would not want a viral infection being spread around guests had I decided to travel. Is there anything that can be done?

It’s a must visit for the location which is just incredible. The hotel is a rambling rather faded old house with amazing views of the sea. The rooms are comfortable and very clean. Food is beautifully cooked. There were only two dishes to choose from on the travel zoo menu (previously there had been greater choice) and unfortunately one had already sold out so we used our £27 credit to have a dish from the a la carte menu. Hake and the bass were again beautifully cooked. Breakfast was self service with plenty of choice. t This was our 4th visit to Knoll House and definitely won’t be our last.

Beware, drinks are very expensive.

Fantastic travelzoo value. Lovely location, staff, food.

Wonderful, peaceful stay

Great location and wonderful food

the breakfast was good. The evening meal good. The staff were friendly

the Travelzoo deal was good. However, the conditions surrounding which meals you could order on the evening menu was complicated.

Have stayed before and like the homely feel of the hotel

Only criticism is that we were booked in for our evening meal at 6.30pm, which was too early for us. The hotel said I would have been asked to phone to book a time but I don't recall seeing this on the information from travelzoo.

Wonderful location to explore Studland. Not easy to get to without transport. No local places to visit after dark, however, the hotel has a lot to offer for all ages. The staff were all excellent. For such a classy hotel I would have expected the rooms to be made up every day not just every other day. However, this did not worry us, it may other guests. We had £27 for the evening meal, this does not get you much! Beware of 2 menus one of which has DBB next to items which means you pay the price marked additionally. A side of veg cost £4. Breakfast is excellent and plenty of it for hungry diners. The hotel has a lot to offer, pools, tennis golf, own bar, lots of board games, own cinema, kids room with a daily activity to keep kids amused. It welcomes dogs which is nice if they are well-behaved. Lots of places to sit in and around the hotel. Wonderful walks all around.

This is our 3rd visit to Knoll House and we have always enjoyed our stay

Everything about Knoll House was excellent. The food, the room, the staff, the general atmosphere and the location. Could not have asked for a nice stay. So much to do around the hotel as well as in it. Try the Bankes Arms. Go to Swanage and walk on the beach/cliff tops.

We went in March. We'd like to go back in the summer because obviously things like sitting outside an swimming etc are not possible in March.

Over the years always wanted to stay in this Hotel . When your offer came up thought we would try it. Location great near to beaches, weather not with us but one v sunny day. .

Food very good though a bit limited menu. No complaints.

Dog friendly Quirky hotel

Love it. Not modern or swish but best hotel Great facilities

Very relaxed stay, excellent location, friendly and helpful staff

It's a great place to visit,full of character and history, ideal for exploring the coast, great food and friendly staff. The Travelzoo deal with meals makes it a great deal .

Out door and indoor pool, adventure play ground, easy walk to beach, make it good for family's.Open-top bus stop.

This represents very good value for money with the added dinner allowance. The quality of the food was excellent with good choices and the breakfasts were really hearty with a wide choice. Staff were friendly. The disappointment was the poor bathroom which was very tired and the shower screen grubby and the bath taps full of limescale. Bedroom was adequate but beds were not re made as we were staying two nights. The building itself is looking very tired . We have stayed here several times and the food is excellent but housekeeping now needs attention.

I booked this 1 night break as a Valentine's surprise for my husband. We were given a nice ground floor room (with distant sea-view!), which had a door to the lovely garden. We did enjoy both the evening meal and breakfast, although felt the wine prices (for a glass)were over-priced. The indoor pool area was rather disappointing as pool was small and dated, also very busy as Half Term. All in all, we liked this very quirky hotel and would consider returning, perhaps next year.

We felt the check-in time of 4pm was rather late (it's normally 3pm for most hotels), although appreciated being able to park our car there earlier, before checking in.

Comfortable stay in a very traditional hotel. The food was very good. Located a short walk from Studlands beach.

Lovely hotel and great location. Friendly staff and delicious food!

Hotel in general is a bit dated and bedroom very small but we would definitely go back!

This was our 3rd visit to Knoll House and we find it a fabulous location for a short stay. The rooms are spacious and well equipped although we thought our shower needed udating

A quirky place where you feel like you have stepped back in time. Beautiful surrounding area and beach. Great breakfast to set you up for the day.

My wife and I enjoyed our three night stay at the Knoll House immensely. We enjoyed the ambience, the friendly staff, the location and the good value for money. We would definitely return and would recommend others.

Great location. Nice food

Our third visit to this lovely hotel.

Service excellent and friendly. Food excellent. All in all, a lovely 3 night break.

All the staff are very friendly and professional.

Clean and comfortable although the property itself a little tired

Loved it. Food exceptional. Staff superb.

location location location

breakfast poor no tea coffee service just a machine no poached eggs cold plates very little fruit breakfast very poor cold plates cold food tea cofee from a macine little fruit 3 cereals washbasin in bedroom toiletacross landing with no washbasin no water to drink

Good location.

We had a problem with our room (noise keeping one of the party awake - only audible at night). It was reported at 1.30am and again in the morning. We were told it would be corrected. When we returned to the hotel, after a day out, we were assured the problem had been fixed. However, we returned to our room after dinner, about 11pm, and it clearly hadn’t. Therefore, at 11.30pm, we were moved to another room. This involved packing up, carrying all our belongings around the hotel, and unpacking again at midnight! The staff appeared to be sorry but I was the one who had to raise the issue again when we checked out, otherwise I think it would have been forgotten. The manager/deputy manger did compensate us but, as I already said, only when I raised the issue. Also, the detail/charges of the final invoice are extremely confusing, as they have supplements for various things. This makes checking one’s bill difficult.

Excellent location great facilities

We agree with the reviewer who suggested that this hotel was a cross between Crossroads Motel and Fawlty Towers! The staff were well-meaning and friendly, but mostly inexperienced. The restaurant was institutional, with tables arranged for efficient service, but not atmosphere. The a la carte menu was very good, while the set menu was adequate (with exception of pickled cockles in seafood linguine). Parking is competitive (but full marks for having a permeable surface).

Many guests appeared to be questioning their bill, or table reservation. We accepted our bill, which did not tally exactly with what we thought it should say, but we couldn't face the prospect of trying to sort it out.

We think the dinner allowance per person should cover 2 courses like it used to. Not be as it is now where the menu is very limited so it makes you spend more than the allowance.

Overall good but a bit disappointed with food

We stayed a couple of nights at knoll House, I think the menu for more nights would have been a little restricting especially as I'm not able to eat fish. What I did eat was good.

Beautifully positioned traditional hotel, where hospitality is at the fore. Lovely staff both at the reception and in the dining room.

Special mention of Rachel and a new employee, John in the restaurant, who were both stars!

Excellent food -we enjoyed all the dinners very much. Room was comfortable and with plenty of storage. Good towels. Room serviced only on alternate days. Travel zoo deal was very good value.

Although we were credited £27 towards each meal it wasn’t clear how it was split for the meal. We were charged extra for a side dish although we hadn’t used the full amount of credit. Also surprised at the service charge. The choice on the menu was limited and the portions very small. However this would not deter me from going again.

We had a lovely 2 night stay for our wedding anniversary.Ideal for exploring the Purbecks.

A very quaint hotel. Lots of history and character.

Lovely place in an amazing location

Our third stay at this delightful hotel our friends first. Yes, it's a little jaded but very clean and all part of the charm. Food was excellent and choice of wine was good, if a little pricey. We may well be back.

We like Knoll house having been there twice before and we enjoy walking which we can do from Knoll House

The price of drinks from the bar seem to be on the dear side which could be looked at

Pleasant hotel with exceptional facilities The dining experience was mixed. The evening meal was good but the arrangements for paying for the meal were haphazard. At the end of the meal we went to pay at the desk and were told that we didn't need to pay anything. Then during the night a statement was passed under our bedroom door with a balance of £79 I then went to reception to query it only to be given another printout showing a balance of over £100 When I asked where our credit of £27 per head was taken account of he showed where this amount had been added on rather than taken off! We then agreed to total up the meal costs, added on a 10% service charge rather than the 20% which had been added without my consent subtracted the £27 pound subsidies and I ended up owing £16.50 There is something badly wrong with their accounting systems

Beautiful location- it was like going back in time - very dated-interesting history. though. staff were lovely. needs an overhaul. Knoll beach/national trust and the views were beautiful.

We should have read the spec more carefully and didn't realise that there would be so many dogs- we are not doggy people- however they all seemed well behaved except some owners allowed their dogs to sit on the sofas without putting blankets down so it put you off sitting in certain areas.

The Service and food were wonderful but food was a bit overpriced. It was great to have an indoor pool as we went out of season. It was close to home and gave us a break form the normal. Well worth going.

Enjoyable

We love it’s traditional feel, the welcome for dogs, the location by the beautiful Knoll beach

Slightly reduced staff and breakfast choice ….. the muddle about the rebuild persisting means some staff reduction and change I guess. Still love it

Not as good as on previous visits

The location is great and the room was comfortable with a good view of the sea. Staff were generally polite and attentive, however on our second night the service at dinner was poor. The food was good but not exceptional and was generally overpriced, on the first night one of only two main courses on the set menu was already off at 7.30pm which was poor. The bedroom was fine but the bathroom could do with a deep clean, particularly to remove black mold between the tiles in the shower.

As I've said the food is pricey so the dinner allowance doesn't go far, drinks are also expensive. The biggest shock however was a substantial service charge applied to the extras which pushed up the final bill.

Staff were very helpful. Food excellent. Bit of a confusion with the final bill. Overcharged but it was rectified.

We love it here so close to Studland beach the only downside is the rooms they do need updating especially the one we were in this time ,the bathroom certainly needs updating, the shower over the bath was difficult to control temperature wise and the room rather small and crowded.

Knoll House is a charming hotel in a wonderful location overlooking the bay. Some of the decor may be tired but this adds to its charm. It is comfortable and clean. This was our eighth visit and we always feel totally relaxed at Knoll House. The staff are friendly and polite and go out of their way in order that you enjoy your stay. The chef is excellent producing a varied menu incorporating local produce. We particularly appreciate the waiter service, white tablecloths and napkins. Its good that Knoll House provides for all generations, including dogs. We shall look forward to our next visit.

The restaurant. The Open Table app was not working properly. It kept generating random bookings (8 per day for differing times and number of people). There was also a new fixed menu that was so complicated to use, that the staff were confused about what was on offer.

Food outstanding and great value with package.

Lovely hotel staff very short drive away from attractions...rooms good size..we had a sea view room. Breakfast and dinner had good menu choices. We loved our stay. The building seemed rather tired and dated but didn't put us off. Would recommend.

We were disappointed with the price of the food, having to buy vegetables as extra on top of £26 for main course of small bit of fish and spoonful of mash. We prefer a plate of food with one price! The staff were lovely and the position of the hotel was excellent.

We had a nice stay at Knoll House. The food and service were excellent.

Good food, comfortable bed, great location for coastal walks.

A greater selection of fruit at breakfast would be welcome.

We stayed for 2 nights and found the hotel over and above our expectations. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, the food was excellent and our bedroom was very spacious, clean and warm.

Excellent location. Room a little tired & in need of some updating. Food really good.

Location

Asked for sea view room we were given one off of the stair case very noisy with people up and down stairs, couldn’t eat in restaurant in evening as originally stated allergy to garlic they cooked everything with it and had very little alternative.or choice. Room was cold heating off. No house keeping for our three night stay. Room was into the eaves of roof kept banging head on ceiling getting in and out of bed if I forgot.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay - staff very welcoming, great facilities & fabulous food. We’ll definitely be returning.

We’ll be back!!

Wonderful location in a charming, unspoiled hotel.

Enjoyed everything about the place. So much so we booked another break direct with them whilst we were there.

Very central for exploring the Dorset coastline. Loved the ferry for easy access to Poole.

A quirky property. Warm and friendly staff. Loved seeing the dogs. The library had some good games.

Staff very friendly and helpful, but rooms are very tired, as are all the communal areas. The pool and spa area really were awfully run down. The food was lovely, but very expensive. Location, being right opposite a beach, was great.

So run down, everything was broken and dirty.

Delightful traditional hotel, very comfortable and a pleasure to stay in

Lovely location, extremely helpful staff, food was great if a little expensive on the a la carte menu. Although parts of the hotel are a little tired looking this is more than compensated for by the atmosphere of the place. Outdoor pool and spa facilities are good, although indoor pool not as clean and fresh looking as outdoor one. We appreciated being able to stay and use them after checkout.

Surprised to have balcony which was a bonus.

The hotel is in a superb location and has good facilities. The rooms we were allocated under the Travel Zoo deal were small and poor. One couple requested and got an upgrade at an extra cost. The room was much better.

The food was good but the set menu was very limited. On the first night they ran out of one of the two choices of main course although we booked our table for 6.45. The a la carte food was expensive and portions are generally quite small. The drinks were very expensive. The buffet breakfasts were good.

A time warped experience without the Hi de hi. Knoll House is an old building and is showing its age yet it has a charm in the way it is set up. Great food and service coupled with a really comfortable bed and very helpful and friendly staff in a setting of peace and harmony with loads to do or just watch the world go by.

The setting is priceless with the bay in front and the heather covered heath and forest behind. Just step outside and disappear. Or sit and read with a drink inside.

Superb location. Nice staff. Superb food.

Indoor pool very small.

Nice ambient feel to the hotel, friendly staff, comfortable room (upgrade helped), personal touches from proprietor (eg walks leaflet) all helped.

Very relaxing break in great surroundings. Hotel full of charm and lovely atmosphere.

A lovely overnight stay at Knoll House. Excellent location with a variety of walks to do. Staff were friendly and helpful. Room was clean and nicely furnished. We had a balcony and table and chairs with a Seaview, even though we had not booked this. The food was delicious, although expensive, as was the wine. Looking forward to going again.

We had a very enjoyable time at Knoll House. The room was clean and comfortable with a large balcony with views over the sea. The food was good and plentiful. We played tennis on the excellent courts and enjoyed the pitch and putt. The swimming pool and sauna were nice.

Great place to relax and use as a base for fabulous local walks.

It is a quirky hotel that appeals to us. We've been a few times. This time they were short staffed so altered how they catered at breakfast time to ease any problems arising. Always seem to employ lovely staff.

Generally good: didn't have to wait to check in, room was fine, dinner service was quick and food very good, Breakfast food was excellent and check out easy.

Potential improvements: 1 Keep internal pool open for longer. Closing at 5pm negates the opportunity for a swim after arriving after a longish drive 2 Rooms were too warm, making sleeping difficult. Would like the option of being able to turn the heating off. Next time I['ll bring my own thin blanket to replace the duvet. 3 Softer pillows please - those provided are fairly hefty and not that soft at all

We had a lovely stay at Knoll House, the room was lovely and very clean, the facilities were good and the evening meal, although slightly expensive, was excellent. We did some of recommended walks and walked into Swanage and back

All very good. No complaints. Value for money. Everybody was friendly.

Knoll house I'm sure in its hey day 1950s was luxury and fabulous, however it has aged and been unkept and is in need of alot of TLC. I love that it's an independent hotel and has exceptional location quality also their liking of dogs too. It's rather tired and dated and needs a few refinements but not to lose the era in which it was great. I love the photos in the corridor, the land, deer, walks, the games room and cinema room. Just a lick of paint, new carpets and a deep clean by a professional cleaning company and for the spa facilities to be opened until 7or9pm would be a luxury for guests not having to rush back from the beach to have a relaxing spa.

Helpful and friendly staff, excellent food and service.. Antiquated heating. Comfy beds. Fabulous views, and beaches. Hotel needs updating but still charming.

Comfortable homely and quirky - offers some great visions of the past with connections to Enid Blyton & Winston Churchill. Quite unique & not to be compared with modern souless hotels. Great location.

Cosy stay, plenty of charming touches and lots of quirky decor. The hotel has a very welcoming feel. It's a little shabby chic in some places and a little shabby in others - just some simple touches could improve it vastly. Staff were all very pleasant and down to earth but many are still learning the hospitality ropes and could do with a guiding hand. Shrugging and saying "alcohol is alcohol" when a guest asks you for a wine recommendation is a bit naive. That said, I have never worked in hospitality and I can only imagine how much there is to take on when you're new and suddenly expected to deal with lots of guests! I guess things will improve before the high season. The food was excellent - we ate dinner there on both nights of our stay and I was so impressed. Really great selection of meals and everything we tried was delicious. The dining room decor is a little dated which is a shame, as I don't think it sells the place well. The views across to the sea are simply lovely. The location is fantastic. Bus stop outside with services to Swanage and Corfe, or a 10 minute easy drive to either. Less than 5 minutes drive to the ferry which takes you to Sandbanks or Poole. Knoll Beach is opposite the hotel, and Old Harry Rocks is an easy coastal walk. Overall we loved our stay!!

Unfortunately the bedroom and bathroom was in need of some updating

We had a pleasant visit but in the future I would prefer to have a seaview room on the first floor rather than the ground floor -Room 4 does not have a radiator in the bathroom - just a hot air blower attached to the wall Other than that the room was pleasant

Reception staff are friendly and very efficient The evening meal was good but on previous visits it has been excellent We will be returning with family in March (already booked) and I am hoping to arrange a weekend with several work colleagues in May

Just a lovely old place to visit. Don't expect 5 star surroundings, but its a quaint lovely place in which to hang out

About the 6th time we have been so know what to expect

For those of you who havent been, look beyond the outer casing! Its tired, it looks like a holiday camp building, but once you get used to the surroundings, you will realise why people go back. Its like wearing a pair of old slippers that just fit and are so comfy

The hotel room was very comfy and warm apart from the toilet not flushing properly.

Felt food was very expensive for what we actually got and not very enjoyable. Waiter couldn’t wait to clear our table even though one of our party was still eating. Not made to feel very welcome when we arrived or told where any of the facilities were. (Swimming pool, games room etc). After we had left the key we heard the receptionist say ‘number 96 has left the building’.

Fabulous ambience but very poorly staffed although the staff are great, they are hugely overworked ! Food could be more basic instead of poncey fine dining. We were craving fish and chips or pie and mashed potato i instead we got parsnip purée and sweet pepper stews!! The developers who have bought it seem determined to run it into the ground!!

Please remember to request room cleaning when checking in as they have a ‘no cleaning room “ policy due to staff shortages.

It was a unique hotel in beautiful location and really excellent facilities. Good selection on menus, generous portions and well presented, we enjoyed it all.

It’s a very special place to stay, with its historic connections.

Hotel tired but lovely atmosphere (half term), clearly short staffed but everyone pulled through. Food good, drinks a bit pricey after the 10% service charge. Would be a shame to knock down and rebuild but being honest it's probably overdue as the location warrants the spend.....it would then probably be too expensive stay there though- so mixed feelings Beach beautiful as ever

Bathroom door didn't close (needed a bit shaving off it)- but didn't spoil our trip at all

We loved the walks around Knoll House especially the wood at the rear of the hotel.The deer were magnificent and the views from Agglestone Rock were the reward for a short easy walk.

Okay peeps…it’s the end of the season so let’s plan a little painting and decorating for the next mob.

Too many dogs and dog odour in all public areas.

Had a 1 night stay. Very comfortable room (excellent king size bed). Food good in the restaurant. Didn't appreciate the fact that dogs were in the public areas - including 3 dogs eating their food from a bowl on the sofa in the bar.

The hotel is in need of a lot of TLC: the exhibition outlining the hotel renovation plans was good to see.

Excellent large room and easy for me using my mobility scooter. Food very good and excellent choice. I did not find breakfast quite so good as just a fruit bowl and pears were very hard. No poached eggs available.

Lovely location, excellent food and service

Third time… always lovely. Great location. Staff great and food really good too.

Lovely weekend at Knoll House, steeped in history, a little dated but doesn’t affect your stay. Delicious food and attentive, friendly staff.

Loved the area. Good Travel offer. Room we had was not attached to the Hotel and so although great facilities etc inside it seemed more like part of a run of chalets from outside. Not quite what we were expecting. Staff worked hard. Dining room lacking ambience. Some refurbishment overall would be good!

Loved the range of facilities nearby eg NT Centre, beaches and a variety of walks. Bus stop nearby meant bus journeys to local places of interest like Swanage and Corfe very straightforward.

View was amazing

Only one meal for vegatarians no choice at all in effect I was told what to eat.also 10% sevice charge added to everything we ate or drank at the hotel even when we went to the bar for a drink!effectivley increasing the advertised prices definitely won’t stay again

Needs a little updating in some areas but you could say this is part of its charm

Dinner was disappointing as food we would have liked was not available which they should have advised when giving you the menu, not waiting until you had chosen your food to be told it was all taken by the first table before 7.00pm. No replacement for the feather steak either. Lots of fish but only one veggie meal and one chicken dish. Disappointing but what we had to choose from was delicious.

Friendly helpful welcome from staff and good service throughout our visit. A problem with our room was quickly resolved in a professional way.

Room was not as good as we have had previously but breakfast and evening meal were still excellent.

As pensioners it’s an excellent location for swan age,Bournemouth, and Poole with the buses stopping right outside.

It was our 3rd visit so that should say it all

We live close to this hotel and decided to book a night here before the new owners change it. It's famous locally for it's historical connections with, amongst others, Churchill and Enid Blyton. The decor hasn't changed much since the 1930s and many of the carpets, furniture, gutters etc have seen better days, but our room, a seaview double, was clean and comfortable with a modern bathroom and good toiletries and linen. The double was, unusually for today, a double bed, not king sized. The weather was good enough to use the outdoor pool, which was heated and a good size, with nice clean water. It is 1.4m deep at all points, so not ideal for non swimmers as there is no lifeguard. Our Travelzoo deal included breakfast (a good selection, included a good vegetarian full English) and an allowance towards dinner- the choices for waiter served dinner are limited and not cheap. Oddly the only potato accompaniment to an excellent pan fried seabass was roasties, which came with 'meat jus' unless you asked for the jus to be omitted. The food was hot and tasty. All the staff were pleasant, but overworked, especially in the dining room. We enjoyed our stay, but for us it was a one-off. Not a cheap place to stay but the location in Studland, Dorset, is exceptional.

Knoll House is in such a fantastic location for walks along the coastal path or along Knoll Beach. Friendly staff and good food in the restaurant. The place is a little tired but it is clean and the Travelzoo offer makes it very good value.

Another relaxing break at Knoll House in Studland. Great atmosphere, good dining, and beautiful scenery.

very good, plenty to walk around along sea and land in a very natural environment

As always a pleasant stay and great value with travel zoo voucher. The staff are very welcoming polite and professional. The restaurant service and menu choices very good. The food is good too. The hotel is needing some updating but that doesn't spoil your stay.

Very good as usual, unfortunately there was no hot water in the morning due to boiler malfunction

Sometimes there are too many dogs!

Very good

Have been to knoll house several times now and would definitely go back. Good value for money. Food is exceptional and so are the rooms and bedding .

It’s got a lovely friendly atmosphere and all the staff cannot do enough for you. Great location.

Easy check in. Mainly friendly and helpful staff - just one individual, that was reported to the duty manager at the time, who had a poor attitude towards customer service. Clean and spacious room. Plentiful buffet breakfast. Did not particularly like the evening meal menu, as nothing on there that I could or wanted to eat, so only ended up having a bowl of chips and a bread roll. Expensive drinks at the bar, but this is the same at all hotels. Cheap toilet roll. Cracked sink in family room 104. Dirty shower screen - really dirty at the hinge between the two screens. Good that you can take pets, but not good that the people in the room next to us went out and left their dogs, with the barking disturbing us over a couple of hours period. Would be nice to have a small fridge in the room.

Ladies in the restaurant were really good - shame about "Frank"

The food was exceptional. They could do with installing an electric charging point - I have an electric car.

Great location

Expensive, poor service at dinner, cold shower

Nice location, easy parking friendly staff, excellent food.

I love the character of the hotel. It is what makes it stand out from the bland same modern hotels. It is dog friendly and child friendly and that adds to the warm ambience. The staff are pleasant and efficient.

If the quirky character of the hotel is changed by new developments it will be a great pity and I would not be returning.

It's a quirky and quite unique property. Some of the public rooms need some tlc. An Original, spacious layout on the ground floor. Plenty of comfy, settees in Cosy settings. Our room was very spacious & light, inland view from window of big skies and trees (room 16). But the large king-size bed (although very comfy) squeaked! Alot.

There was the full range of breakfast choices. The meals we had for dinner ( without side dishes) were very flavoursome and filling. A glass of wine to compliment the meal was expensive @ £9. It would have been helpful and considerate to have a bottle of water in the room.

Beds clean and comfortable staff were very nice and friendly food was excellent

Lovely staff who try their best to make guests have a lovely stay. Good restaurant overall and warm comfortable room. Welcoming log fires and lots of comfortable sofas. Games room & board games are an added bonus.

My birthday treat

Dated but very likeable.

Relaxing and comfortable hotel with a good menu that was great value with the Travelzoo allowance.

The small pool and spa area are well worth a visit and the area is great for walking.

Although we paid extra for a sea view room, the one allocated gave us a tiny and far away sea view. However once this was pointed out they immediately refunded the extra paid. We didn't like the sink being in the bedroom and not in the bathroom but the room was large and spotlessly clean. Parts of the hotel needs a little tlc but the staff, breakfast and dinner were very good. Would stay again but not pay extra for a sea view.

There could be more signage - took ages to find the pool for example.

We have stayed lots of times; usually through Travelzoo, on an offer; with Dinner. We were in a Stable room on the Courtyard, which was fine ,but prefer to be in the Main house, to feel part of everything. Love the place, we can take our little Dog too. the Staff are good & work hard, so is the food. Drinks a tad higher, but a sign of the times

Lovely setting ,a walk to the Beach is a must even though a storm was raging. If you enjoy the 1940s Era, this is for you. A log fire & plenty of lounges to sit in . Lots of walks.

Evening meal menu very very limited for vegetarians. Only offered the same limited menu both nights we were there. The lveggie meal was fricassee of mushrooms, no good if you can't eat mushrooms. No vegetarian option on the specials menu.

Knoll House is quirky, but lovely. It is an old establishment and could do with some updating but this would spoil the overall ambience of the place. Updates would include electrical sockets to cope with all IT of nowadays but we coped. Location is exceptional, so close to Knoll beach National Trust car park and beach. You can walk along to Middle beach near The Pig hotel. Although we visited on an ‘offer’ the service was the same, staff were helpful even though they were busy. Food good and plentiful. Breakfast was buffet style which was fine you still get a full cooked English as well as toast etc. We had a voucher to spend on evening dinner which was adequate but had to add a little more money to have starter or/and pudding. Love visiting and will go back again.

Please please try to keep the wooden pirate ship if the plans for development gets the go ahead. We would like to thank Louise who worked in the restaurant she sorted out our delayed evening meal, she worked very hard as did all the other staff. Also a big thank you for allowing us to have the same room (no.35) it made our trip rememberable.

Enjoyable stay in twin room with an old friend We found the evening menu rather limited Smaller portions of main meals would be appreciated with smaller desserts too

Friendly, accomodating staff, nothing to much problem for them. I rang the hotel the week before to check up on some details. I was advised that even though check in was from 4 pm I could use all the facilities from 8 in the morning..a real benefit for those arriving early. The rooms my friend and I had, provided sufficient towels when l etc, and we were impressed that in booking a twin room, we also had an extra room with a double bed, we did use this as the bed was better for my back and also helped as my friend snores at night(as I'm sure I do! ) The staff were very friendly and professional with a smile, and were genuinely interested in their residents. The areas is beautiful and needs no introduction, with lots to do, and some local bars ) restaurants within 15 mins walking distance. The facilities included and inside pool, small, with jacuzzi, stream room and sauna spa with treatments not visited, and an outside pool, lovely with views..lots of grabbed etc for children and adults, with pitch and put across the road...but if a challenging course due to the ground . The hotel exuded a calm atmosphere and the restaurant food was lovely. Lots more to recommend, but didn't use all the facilities as we were only there two nights.. ..

The hotel is lovely, but in need of some upgrade to the shower facilities etc which were entrusted with limescale. The inside pool area looking a little tired as it's the stream room. I think the hotel were short staffed, but coped admirably despite this..

Loved the history and character of the hotel and the food was excellent.

Would have liked more hot water for a bath after walking.

I didn’t go due to family member being hospitalised. Tried to cancel booking before 72 hours. Hotel staff did not get back to me after leaving 2messages. Finally spoke to someone who said I had to cancel through travelzoo By that time it was to late and my £139 would not be refunded. Then the hotel phoned me at 8pm day of arrival to ask why I was not at the hotel☹️ Really not impressed

A very welcome short break in the beautiful Isle of Purbeck during Autumn. We always enjoy this Hotel & restaurant with its homely feel and unique location.

Excellent, accommodation was lovely, food excellent, drinks abit pricey, Spa was abit sad, jacuzzi lacked bubbles sauna didn’t work, great steam room, free golf, croquet, tennis, lots of little extras which we didn’t expect. All in all a great stay.

Location. Sports facilities

Very dated. Small bedrooms and bathroom

A nice overnight break with excellent dinner and breakfast. Room was clean and comfortable although walls very thin and we could hear people talking in the next room!

There were several dogs at the hotel, and should in our view be located in other part of the hotel away from other guests. One dog was shut in its room and barked a lot!

Great service. Dogs allowed but didn’t interrupt our visit.

Could do with a refurbishment. A little tired looking.

It's in a lovely part of Dorset

We enjoyed our stay.

The drinks were very pricey.

Wonderful location and friendly staff make up for dated rooms.

Limited dinner menu not changed during stay. Previously the £27 dinner allowance enabled two courses, but not current menu. Service charges extra.

Soaring above expectations

Great facilities and lots of lovely walks from the hotel.

We had a great time during our stay. It’s a great hotel for families and a great location. The staff were excellent so will definitely return

Has lost much of the original charm we previously experienced.

Drinks surprisingly expensive and unexpected service charge .

Lovely setting. Rooms were well appointed. There is a sense of history about this hotel. Food was excellent. Issues with service charge on the bill but apart from that great

beautiful old hotel in a fabulous location, staff very friendly and helpful, although they did seem to be short on staff as there have been some changes in the hotel.

Whilst the property is a little dated, it has a lovely ambience, & the staff are wonderful!!

Our 2nd stay at knoll house & both visits have been very enjoyable, lovely breakfast & a very evening meal enjoyed on both occasiond

Sauna and steam room were out of action

The hotel was a little tired in places, but the nostalgic atmosphere added to it's charm.

Lovely location with beautiful walks along the beach.

Staff helpful. Did have a problem with heated towel rail in bathroom not working and the light in the toilet fusing. We reported both but neither fixed by maintenance team before we left.

The house is “tired” but all staff we saw were helpful and friendly.

Very relaxing place with beautiful views and lovely food. Plenty of things to do with nearby walks, games and pool.

Lovely old fashioned hotel with great food and helpful staff. Perfect location very short walking distance of Knoll beach. We’ve stayed on numerous occasions and enjoyed our stay every time.

Knoll house is like going back in time, we love it , everyone is brilliant but they have cut a few corners which is in present times understandable, how ever people like to be treated special when going away for a break, be it one night or more, the queueing for a cup of coffee at morning breakfast is not an improvement, breakfast is rushed at the beat of time when you are working, a pot on the table is luxury. Please, please go back to how it used to be , spot of tea or coffee on the table is polite and right. I queue for coffee in a cheap cafe NOT Knoll house

We stayed at Knoll House between Christmas and New Year with our dog. The deal included breakfast and £27 per person towards dinner. Breakfast was good, the usual buffet, plenty of choice and our dinners were lovely. Drinks a bit expensive and £15 per dog per night also a bit steep! Having said that, we found the hotel to have a very relaxed atmosphere. We left our dog in the room at mealtimes then went and got her to sit with us in one of the many seating areas dotted around this sprawling building. There are baskets of blankets for humans and dogs to help yourselves to if feeling chilly. Our room was a good size, with sea view and really comfortable. A bit quirky that the basin was in the bedroom, not the bathroom but that didn't bother us. It's a short walk to the lovely beach, across a mini golf course that you can use, with golf clubs etc available in reception. All the staff we talked to were really friendly and efficient. We didn't have a chance to explore the area due to bad weather and time restraints but would definitely stay again. The chain link ferry from Sandbanks was unfortunately out of service when we went, which added 20 odd miles to our journey but we knew this before travelling, so will be good to use it next time.

Good value two night break with excellent access to sea walks. Our third visit.

Current dinner menu a little limited for our taste but excellent quality. Was easier when a dedicated travelzoo menu provided in the past.

We had an enjoyable few days at Knoll House. The hotel has lots of character and is set in a super location, with games rooms, golf and tennis and walks from the door. Rooms are rather basic but comfortable. Food is very good although expensive. Service was a bit hit and miss. They are obviously short of staff with experience and that shows. Did not detract from an enjoyable stay though.

Friendly staff and homely hotel.

Great experience as this hotel is so dog friendly

Although the hotel is feeling a little tired it is very characterful and in a fabulous location. The food (breakfasts and dinners) were good but the quality of service generally let’s the hotel down. It’s not the individual staff members, who do try, it is the fact that they haven’t be trained properly and there isn’t enough of them! This hotel has so much potential and despite its faults we still enjoyed our stay

A quirky old style feel about the hotel. Felt very homely to us.

Requested a twin room and initially was allocated a double instead . In fairness the Staff did rectify the situation and changed the room to a far more superior twin. I booked via Travelzoo with voucher for evening meal , however this no longer covers a starter and main or main / dessert as on previous visits . Veg or potatoes with main meal now is charged as extra . Positively the food is exceptional and given the rising costs I feel this is acceptable. Breakfast is now totally self service ( no longer table service) but there is plenty of choice and the coffee machine is surprisingly good. Overall this is a fabulous venue and it’s dated quirkiness is a huge positive for me . I would definitely return.

We had a great time at Knoll House as we have each time we have visited. We are always on the look out for your offers at this hotel.

We had a lovely one night stay . Pretty peaceful on the whole. Lots of facilities for adults & children . Dogs very welcome.

Very impressed with cleanliness of linens / towels. Staff really helpful. Buildings looking a bit tired , in need of a freshen up .

Good food and helpful staff

Good location with lots of beach and heath walks

Great room with sea view, disturbed somewhat by noisy neighbours. The menu was limited and had little variation between nights.

Lovely position in a beautiful part of the country. Much of the hotel seemed a bit 'tired' but was clean although you need to like dogs around.

Lovely hotel but very tired. We. Had a Garden Suite this time. Lovely comfy king size bed, but the bathroom sink was badly cracked, the heating didn’t work and the water pressure was poor at times. The dinner allowance of £27 each is now not. Enough to cover a two course meal. You also pay an extra 10% service charge on all food and drink. So again £27 less the 10% service charge gives you hardly enough to pay for a main course. They have increased. There prices a lot since our Feb visit. We would still go there again. It is such a lovely spot and the. Food and service are good.

Everything was fine except the cost if drinks which were rediculously high .

Although we would not have afforded a 2nd drink it was very bad that we were asked to take our drink into the lounge at 21.30 as they were closing the bar.

Room quite nice. Breakfast poor. Very poor choice. I would have liked eggs benedict. Fruit sellection poor. Didnt like the service charge for the restaurant and the bar. . We took our own drinks to our table, but hsd to pay a service charge. No vanity set in bedroom, allways find the little kit handy for make up removsl and nails. Funrniture in hotel badly in need of makeover. Very old and tired seating. In bar. No bottle water in room, so had to buy some. Would have liked a better fish selection at dinner rather than boring salmon or sea bass. Would have liked tea and coffee bought to table for breakfast rather than queing at a machine.

Could be great!

Very relaxing, love old world charm about the place. Only Criticism breakfast not as varied as it used to be and limited evening menu, no specials. Saying that we will definitely return as the location is superb

This was our 4th stay at the hotel. We used the travelzoo deal which included breakfast and £27 each towards dinner. We had a room in the main house which has been refurbished. It was bright and airy and very clean and comfortable. Dinner was pleasant and I really enjoyed my goats cheese starter and the bake well tart desert was the best I’ve ever had! The food is very overpriced but with our deal the bill wasn’t too bad. The wines were good. Our waiter (Portuguese) was excellent. Staff in the restaurant appeared far more engaged- I suspect they’ve had some excellent training - a great improvement in our last stay. The location of the hotel is its greatest asset. A perfect spot for wonderful views of Studland and great walks along the beach and hills. We will definitely be back soon.

Our third visit and won’t be our last. Yes it’s old fashioned and could do with a bit of decorating, but the hotel has a wonderful charm. I just love sitting on one of the big sofas by the fire with a pot of tea, reading a book. Dinner was excellent, tho I noticed that breakfast has now become more self service, and I don’t think you can now order poached eggs or kippers, though I may be wrong. All the cooked food was hot, and the croissants were fresh and crispy. Tea and coffee now from a machine so not so good. Our room was warm, quiet and clean with a comfy bed

Yes it's dated and needs some TLC but it was warm, staff friendly, good food and location fabulous!

It's a great location with great views and friendly staff

Knoll house is not modern it's quirky and interesting that's why we love it and there is lot's of interesting history which you can read about as it is on the walls all around the hotel and there is lot's of nice walks but if you want something a bit more livley then you can drive down to the road ferry and go across to poole or bournmouth

Really lovely individual 'old-style' hotel. Very good value for money.

Staff were very friendly & food was excellent. Bathroom could have been cleaner & shower head needed descaling or replacing.

Whilst I am aware that the hotel is dog friendly I do think that maybe guests with dogs should be allocated rooms in one area of hotel as we did having barking dogs in rooms next to us.

A birthday treat it exceeded all expectations great food and location, some areas are tired and in need of refurbishment such as the spa area and rooms but it’s very quaint and has a nice feel. Work is being done and we will definitely return

The food is great, expensive and the wine is overpriced. We were also charged a service fee on glasses of wine which made it very expensive per glass and it’s put on without a mention not the same price on the bar menu price list

Room good, Dinner very poor, service at dinner far too slow, and food overpriced

We have visited several times over the past few years. Love staying at Knoll House before Christmas. Always a relaxing weekend. Very good food and comfortable rooms. We love the character of Knoll House. This time our grown up sons came with us and they enjoyed their stay too.

Always great, staff are very helpful and friendly

It is perfect for us

Great location. Easy to find. An hotel with character but looks a little tired in some respects. Extremely good value overall.

Although a little dated I love the ambiance, atmosphere and location of this hotel it is lovely and very dog friendly.

Perfect situation for beach walks. Rooms are snug and windows badly need updating. 4 cracked panes and would not shut

Position was very good for other attractions.

Paid for a sea view room and did not receive one. When requesting a reduction was informed that this could only be affected through travelzoo? Perhaps this could be actioned as soon as possible? Hotel itself was tired and dated and needs bringing into the 21st century. Dinner was ok but breakfast choice was not good or comprehensive. Feel that hotel was living on past glories!

It’s always wonderful to go to Knoll House because it’s in such a great location, lovely staff and very dog friendly.

I booked 2 nights at this hotel for my daughter and I with 7 year old twins. we had a fabulous time, the twins particularly enjoyed the cinema room and playing board games in front of the fire. The indoor pool is on the small side however the children enjoyed it and it wasn't too crowded. Unfortunately, the sauna and steam room were only working on the first day. The staff were friendly and helpful, we all enjoyed the Bingo on the Wednesday night with my grandson winning twice, he did donate the second win to his sister. The location is perfect with a short walk to the beach, my daughter and twins braved the sea even though it was late October. There are areas of the hotel that need updating, however appreciate the difficulty with that in the challenging economic times at present. We would definitely like to stay there again.

Property needs refurbishment - very tired. Little engagement from staff

Very pleased to be upgraded to a sea view room at no extra cost. Beautiful view too.

Delightful grounds and staff very efficient and friendly

Fantastic hotel absolutely stunning location. So peaceful and quiet.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 night stay with views across Studland Bay. Lovely food and breakfasts very good. Our room was very comfortable and spacious.

On our final evening it was evident the Hotel were short staffed to cope with a very full restaurant. I had chosen the same delicious fish main course as the previous night but it was half the size and for £24 didn’t think I had received value for money! We ordered bottle of white wine but this was just placed on the table- not in an ice bucket as it had been the previous evening! Also waited a long time for waitress to come and collect our plates and provide dessert menu- in the end we left and went up to our room! Such a shame as we still had money to spend on our Travelzoo deal!!

Great location and great food.

Fully understand the 10% service charge on food but surely not on alcohol when it is not table service and expensive anyway without the added 10%. Also again fully understand dogs not allowed in the main restaurant but surely a couple of proper tables could be set up for guests like us who cannot leave our dog in the room. Excellent food almost ruined trying to eat in an armchair on a very small round table.

Dinner very disappointing, much more expensive and not nearly as good as all other times I’ve been there

Lovely location, excellent dinner and breakfast

Restaurant staff were amazingly helpful, foreign.lady on check-in very helpful too. Difficulty with tiger receptionist with phone enquiries, 3 very awkward unhelpful phonecalls prior to visit.

Receptionist doesn't communicate well on the phone, promised to call back twice, never did.

Very enjoyable

Knoll House is beautifully situated, some areas of the hotel are looking a bit ‘ tired’ …..but friendly service overtakes this ……

Very friendly staff. Delicious food. Relaxed atmosphere

We stayed with friends we were a party of 4 celebrating 2 birthdays. The ambiance throughout the hotel is well thought out, cosy and homely. We made use of the games room and played cards. Lovely log fire in reception. Food was first class with plenty of choice. We upgraded to a sea view room which was excellent and will do so the next time we stay.

Good Staff, good Food, clean but dated interior, brilliant location, very good value for money. We would return

The only reason I wouldn't return is because they say they cater for people with dogs however you have to eat all your meals on low coffee tables near their reception area. Not a pleasant dining experience on any level which is such a shame.

Location and attitude of staff

Rather expensive both for drinks and food. Also quality of food on Saturday not acceptable. Service levels in the restaurant left a lot to be desired.

The room was a sea view room -small and smelt of damp The bed was uncomfortable and the pillows were poor -I would recommend bringing your own The pool area is very small run down not clean The pool is very small like a plunge pool , No hot water in showers, jacuzzi cool

Please update the pool area Offer hot showers put in shampoo /conditioner/body wash Fix the steam room Please put in decent pillows The mark up on alcohol was shocking

Setting

Room tiny. Food not as described.

Enjoyable and like a time gone by

I think the outside of the building could do with a revamp lots of cobwebs and needs a coat of paint. The inside was clean and comfortable.Lots of space and lots of things to do and friendly service Food good

We had a lovely time but we feel that the number of dogs at any one time should be limited, also dogs should not be allowed on the furniture.

Currently the hotel is “quirky” - feels like one “steps back in time”. Really enjoyed our 2 day break

Excellent

The staff are amazing and excellent customer service the food is delicious too

Great with excellent food as always

We had a lovely time at Knoll House. It is in an excellent location. The food was very good and we had a nice room although strangely the sink was in the bedroom not the bathroom which is not ideal. The staff were very helpful and we were fortunate that the weather was good so we were able to sit out in the gardens and enjoy the fabulous views of Old Harry Rocks. We also enjoyed using the swimming pool and the other leisure facilities. I would definitely recommend it.

Knoll House is very quaint and quirky, it is quite eccentric in many ways and needs some investment, but we really enjoyed our stay and everything was lovely

We found their discretionary service charge annoying but it was removed when we challenged it.

Very nice location, good food, and staff very helpful. Possibly struggling to surface post-Covid as our room not cleaned during our three night stay. They are still short of staff.

Great location

No mirror in the room only one was in bathroom

Good. I had booked the two nights separately as had to change the booking. Hence we had been given two different rooms and had to move for night two. Breakfast not quite as good as previously with no fruit salad and no al la carte which used to have. Checking in took a while as only one person on reception.

Generally staff very helpful.

I used to live in the area, but ferry was being overhauled, then roads were closed so difficult to get there in the pouring rain!! Not too keen on the food. you could stand a spade up in the porridge. Nice room and lovely staff but tv was difficult to start.

We only stayed one night DBB with a deal with credit for dinner. We had a lovely ground floor room onto patio which we took advantage of as lovely weather. The breakfast had vast selection cold buffet/cont cooked. Tasty bacon and sausages. The eve meal had several choices on two menus. Nice food. There was outside pool and inside with jacuzzi but did not have time to use. Easy access to beach. I loved that it retained its old character and charm and was not spoilt by modern refurb. Well done!

Lovely food and brilliant friendly staff, so helpful.

A good time had by us all

We found the outside area’s need more lighting.once you leave the reception and go to the garden suites it’s very dark .

6 th visit - hotel does need updating but rooms are clean perfect location Staffing levels low- down side Food excellent - only problem we had was that the waiter lost our order and we had to wait 45 mins for first course but it was remedied straightaway and we were given money off and free wine !

Had another great stay at Knoll House. The room wasn't up to the standard of previous visits but was adequate. Would have preferred a bath to a shower as well. Food was excellent as was the service. Staff were friendly and efficient.

Next time will book earlier in the year to make use of outdoor pool.

We enjoyed our stay as usual. Bar a little expensive, probably why it was so quiet and closed by 9.30pm

Beautiful position. Very friendly helpful staff. Lovely walks from hotel.

The Knoll House Hotel is in a beautiful location overlooking the English Channel with views of Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Wight on the horizon. Our room had a sea view which was stunning. Our room was spacious and comfortable and we enjoyed some excellent nights’ sleep. On the whole the food was good, if expensive and breakfast was excellent, but only if a guest enjoyed a traditional English Breakfast. However it is often the little things that make all the difference. We booked the hotel, for bed, breakfast and evening meal, through an excellent deal offered through Travelzoo. A few days before our trip I received an answer phone message from either Travelzoo or the hotel. I could not work out who the message was from or most of the content because the accent was very strong and the speech was so fast that most of the message was lost. Nonetheless I discerned that the call was regarding our stay and may have related to booking mealtimes. I decided to send an e-mail using the address listed on the hotel’s website to avoid difficulties in communication. We arrived at the hotel following a somewhat difficult drive and discovered that the receptionist was surly and unwelcoming and she claimed to know nothing of my e-mail, though I think she did find it on the computer. She explained nothing about the hotel, like the location of the restaurant, spa etc. she did however explain how to find our room once she had given us the key. She also explained that if we wished to have our room serviced it would only be every other day. We never did find the Spa as signage was very much lacking around the hotel, however we did manage to find the restaurant. First impressions were that the hotel appears somewhat dark and dingy, the decor being somewhat tired and dated. The whole place seemed to be in desperate need of refurbishment. The website describes the rooms as full of comfort and charm. Comfort? on the whole, yes despite lacking an acceptable level of servicing. Charm? Not in 2022. The surliness of the staff wasn’t confined to reception. When we arrived for dinner the member of staff ticked us off his list and promptly turned his back on us and just left us standing with no explanation. When I ordered soup, I was told that they had run out. How can you run out of soup at 7:30pm? The couple on the next table appeared to have been forgotten by serving staff for well over an hour. When the error was realised, there was no apology. In general the staff were also glum and uncommunicative. Customer service training seemed to be in short supply, or did the staff have reason to be glum? There was a seasonal a la carte menus and a sheet of chef’s specials. Fish dishes dominated the menu, which was great as far as we were concerned as we love fish, but other guests may have found the menu limited. When my wife ordered the chicken dish, the chicken was stringy and almost inedible. My wife complained and the chef did unreservedly apologise. We think we had the cost of that dish deducted from our bill, but as the receptionist was as uncommunicative on checkout as she was on checkin we will never know.

Wonderful experience. So relaxing.

Very dog friendly. Perfect.

Wonderful as always.

Very dog friendly.

Lovely hotel in a stunning location. all of the staff without exception, were friendly and helpful. we had a lovely, relaxing stay here. Highly recommended.

Room 4 opens out onto a lovely patio area with fantastic sea views. Ideal for the less able visitor.

All went well.Food and Service very good. Room comfortable and well equipped. Nice hot shower.

Quite a nice laid back charm. Breakfast was good.

None of the spa facilities were working, and this was one of the reasons we chose the hotel. Steam room and sauna out of order, jacuzzi button didn't work so couldn't turn it on. Major disappointment. Booked a sea view room. Put on ground floor, so only a glimpse of the sea through the trees. The bill was laid out in such an obscure way, we were unable to decipher whether we had benefitted from our £27 pppn discount on food. Drinks were horrendously expensive.

We enjoyed our 1 night stay and had a room with a sea view which was good. Several walks to do in the area. The evening meal was good but would have been expensive if we hadn't had our discount.

Drinks are very expensive.

The staff were lovely and the food was good quality. The location is good (but prior warning that the ferry to Poole was shut would have helped)

The whole place has an air of ‘faded former glory’ . The ‘suite’ was shabby with mould in shower area

View from window good. Position of Hotel great. Wonderful surroundings. Hotel room clean.

Very "old fashioned. Specifically the electric plugs were 5amp round. Not used for 30 years. There was one extension lead with 13 amp but not in the right position. The beds were very small. No direction on Room numbering positions. Breakfast average. No charges to room. Each item paid for on card (not necessarily bad)

Just one night hotel was warm there was a problem with hot water but these things happen . Food was good although not as good as I last visit as they've obviously had a few cutbacks.

We had a lovely 3 night break very helpful staff and really delicious food. Would like to return with extended family in the future.

Very comfortable in a nice setting

Dated Hotel, similar layout to a motel. Hotel clean, room dated, a bathroom and WC in a small room, but the wash hand basin was in the bedroom!. The dining room, was very large and very dated, single glazed windows and cold until customers joined the dining room. The heating was on anti-frost! The outside temperature was about 12 degrees cent' and the hotel including the bedrooms was about 15-17 degrees. No lighting to the carpark and no street lighting. We purchased the offer without realising the hotel would not accept changes to the booking or cancellation, which is allowed with most Travelzoo bookings. Unfortunately, we booked the Hotel , without realising it clashed with the National MacMillan Tea Party, which is held to raise funds for cancer care in the home. Despite explaining this to the hotel and that we were heavily involved in this charity, the hotel was not willing to change the date. In consequence, we travelled to the hotel for the day, had dinner and went home without staying over-night. A good hotel in the summer, a cold Dickensian hotel on a wet cold day.

Good kitchen, polite staff, efficient service. I'm sure if we had visited he hotel in the summer, we would have reviewed it differently!

Cleanliness of room, long wait for dinner and they run out of food at breakfast

Decor tired and old. Bed very old and cheap. Room was small. Tv was tiny. Food extremely expensive, especially for what you get.

A very interesting hotel with many facilities. It’s in an excellent location by the sea in a very quiet place.

Hotel cold most of the time. Needs a refurb. Staff are very helpful and pleasant. food was good. Location was excellent for walkers and beach lovers.

As always, the location, but we shall not be returning.

10% service charge on all food and drinks. The £27 food credit is barely enough for a main course after the service charge has been deducted. Rude staff turning us out of the restaurant as soon as we had finished eating with the query 'What are you waiting on?' Breakfast is now wholly self service with a coffee automat and many fresh items such as fruit not available after 9am.

As always a beautiful location and lovel hotel

Food and service. Dinner not the standard we’ve had before. Poor menu choices for mains. Very disappointing to see it’s changed to self service breakfast. Expensive

Fantastic location and very good value for money. Food was excellent. Service a bit slow as it was busy. But the manager on duty was very organised and helpful

Pleasant stay as usual

Firstly Room 55 was brilliant as it had windows on two sides and very spacious.

As the cost of menu's are rising all the time suggest increase dinner allowance from £27 to £32

Delightful.

Lovely stay,excellent food and staff very polite and efficient.Rooms very warm and comfortable

This was a birthday treat. Which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

We will be happy to recommend you to many of our friends.

great location for walking, lovely beach. staff wonderful Star of the show was the food, really excellent, thank you

It was noticeable this time that the level of service had dropped, and meal prices risen considerably in the 6 months since our last visit. However, the staff are still wonderful, and the fabulous location makes Knoll House well worth visiting even though the 'value for money' aspect is not as strong as it was.

ROOM AND LOCATION

THE FOOD - GREASY BREAKFASTS, LIMITED DINNER CHOICE AND DISHES NOT VERY NICE

Everything except breakfast.

Have stayed many times and always had table service breakfast it as now changed to self service which is not for me.

Food excellent. Overall good.

We had room 12, a standard inland facing double bed room and at our request it had a shower and no bath. The room was on the 1st floor of the main building. Good standard of cleanliness together with supplied Elemis products hair dryer, tea/coffee making, Tassimo, shower was hot and powerful the room was warm, towels white & fluffy. Dinner choices were excellent with a comprehensive wine list but it was busy and it is advisable to book a dining time asap. Breakfast was sell derives and offered a very good range of options., Would stay again Service from all staff was excellent. We did not us the pool, tennis or pitch & put but saw lots of guests were., As described it’s a quirky old hotel with the feeling of being in a bit of a time warp. It’s very casual and a lot of guests had dogs — all extremely well behaved. Easy walk to the NationalTrust beach and Coastal path and we would have explored more had it not been for the weather.

Wonderful, relaxing break in a fabulous location with old world charm.

Beds were very comfortable.. Hotel location was very good and the grounds were lovely.

The Restaurant, quality of dinner service was very poor, It took nearly an hour before we were given our meals. The food was tasteless and veryexpensive for what was.

We really enjoyed our time at the hotel , staff very friendly and a lovely atmosphere , the evening meal was excellent though quite expensive expecialy the wine.

Our seventh visit to Knoll House. As soon as you walk through the door you relax. Very comfy, homely atmosphere with kind staff. Very good food. On this visit we brought some friends and they also enjoyed they stay and will return. Very nice, comfortable room this time and one I shall request again, No. 45. I always request a sea view room and on our previous visit we were given a ground floor room which didn't reward us with such a good view. Look forward to our next visit.

Now that the breakfasts are completely self-service its good to stagger the times due to drink machines and hot food becoming overwhelmed.

We love the location of the Knoll House Hotel. We also like its history and the homely feel of the building. It has wonderful coastal views and walks from the hotel and the frequent bus service is also a bonus. The meals are excellent and the staff polite, helpful and friendly. Its nice that it appeals to all generations as well as dogs. This was our sixth visit and we hope to have many more. We were very disappointed to see the new plans for the hotel. They are not at all in keeping with the surroundings. Its the sort of building that belongs in Poole or Bournemouth and reminded us of a business park. Some of the current building needs renovating and the additional buildings certainly need replacing but this should be done in such a way as to complement a building of this era. Not everyone wants to stay in a building devoid of character, with lots of glass. We do hope that the current plans will have to be changed and that we will be able to continue to visit at affordable prices.

Dislike the plans for the new development.

Overall very good but thought that the food choice was limited and very expensive.

2 day birthday break, excellent location for walking, good food, friendly staff and very dog friendly, will definitely return

Restaurant food prices at Knoll House have gone up significantly in the 3 years since we last came so the travelzoo allowance for evening meal should be increased as it no longer covers a two course meal

Quality family time

The new playground was a tremendous hit with our grandson

In desperate need of a refurbishment, Very tired and old hotel, saying that, the location is superb and for that reason only we would return. As my husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary I made a special request for a bottle of wine and chocolates in our room also requested a sea view room, we received none of these, neither was our requests addressed. Meals are very expensive and no where else local to eat out unless you want to drive a few miles down a dark road with no street lights. Not a very wide option on the menu for Vegans. No bath robes or slippers or ironing facilities in the rooms. The grounds of the hotel are very dark at night when walking from the main building to garden suites. There was no hotel information in the rooms i.e location of breakfast, on site information and fire safety info and assembly points, Hotel events.

The staff did their best but was obvious they were inexperienced and can’t help but feel the hotel is struggling and not well managed.

Very pleasant relaxing stay

Staff were very nice, especially Gonzo who served us in restaurant.

We have been coming to Knoll House for several years. Although it lacks the atmosphere it once had, when it was privately owned ,it is very good value for money. It’s location is beautiful and we know we will be returning again.

Wonderful

Excellent

Nice couple of days good food but the building needs some tlc.

Lovely stay again in this wonderful hotel, not such good value for money now as the evening meals are very overpriced £10 for a starter and pudding, £20 for a main. Breakfast is an excellent buffet. Lovely comfortable and clean room but gutters need cleaning as the heavy rain meant they were overflowing outside our window all night long.

I love this hotel and try and come here as often as I can. Fantastic location, lovely comfortable rooms. Friendly staff with an excellent breakfast.

Very nice visit

Always enjoy it - lovely old place, in a brilliant location

The standard of food made up for a character hotel which felt like it needed a lot of updating. Service staff could do with some training on customer interactions. On booking the person was very kurt and borderline rude. There was zero interaction from waiting staff. In a business that needs customers, The Knoll doesn't seem to appreciate people that much. Maintenance and housekeeping were friendly and would say hello. A charge of £15 per night for a dog is excessive when there was no room service during our stay and nothing was provided for your pet. Most hotels that charge this amount will provide bowls/bedding and sometimes dog treats. All the above said, this hotel is in a beautiful setting and has good facilities and access to some amazing walks. So, although I am being negative, for these things and the food, I would go back.

The food quality and choice was very good and left us feel more positive. I really like this hotel as it has so much potential, but does need to let go of elements of its dated past and look at modernising. The standard of food was incongruent with other aspects of the hotel. I hope they can adapt and survive.

One night with cycling day around studland bay

Great room, hotel slightly dated, but very nice room with a balcony and view. Great location, dinner and drinks a tad on the expensive side is the only down side.

Not as good as last time. Negatives: Spa closed at 5pm on Saturday (and apparently 4pm on Sunday). This is very poor, beating in mind that check-in isn't until 4pm AND that guests are not advised, at any point, of the spa hours. It should be open until at least 7pm every day in all seasons. Our bathroom was not as good this time - next to no water pressure which meant filling a bath took more than 20 minutes. We asked reception to send someone to look at it but nobody did. The lounge bar was often unmanned with no directions on how to buy drinks. Soft drinks were overpriced and a 10% tip imposed on top. Self-service breakfast was good but big queues for tea/coffee because machines were not working. Positives: Amazing weather. The outdoor pool was still open. Dinner was good. Staff welcoming and friendly. Hotel still has the magical bygone-era feel.

Not as good as last time. Negatives: Spa closed at 5pm on Saturday (and apparently 4pm on Sunday). This is very poor, beating in mind that check-in isn't until 4pm AND that guests are not advised, at any point, of the spa hours. It should be open until at least 7pm every day in all seasons. Our bathroom was not as good this time - next to no water pressure which meant filling a bath took more than 20 minutes. We asked reception to send someone to look at it but nobody did. The lounge bar was often unmanned with no directions on how to buy drinks. Soft drinks were overpriced and a 10% tip imposed on top. Self-service breakfast was good but big queues for tea/coffee because machines were not working. Positives: Amazing weather. The outdoor pool was still open. Dinner was good. Staff welcoming and friendly. Hotel still has the magical bygone-era feel.

The hotel is full of character with charming rooms and attentive staff

Overall a very nice experience. Super location. Excellent restaurant both for dinner and breakfast but see caveat later. Very spacious and airy room. Not altogether happy about the restricted ( non existent ? ) housekeeping of the room. Dont mind making the bed but expecting the guest to clean the bathroom is unreasonable. While food quality at dinner was excellent we were surprised and disappointed to find an identical menu on the second day. While this was acceptable for our 2 night stay it would be a negative influencer for a future, longer stay.

At dinner you should have, at the least, A and B menus, alternating from one day to the next. Having an identical menu every night ( except for Friday and Sunday specials ) falls short of expectations and is not in keeping with the overall quality ( and price ) of the hotel.

Amazing place, bit tired but enjoyed the period feel. Fabulous location, enjoy before it's redeveloped into somewhere unaffordable.

Dinner menu could be more varied, very limited for meat eaters.

Excellent dinner with very good service.Spacious room.

Interesting to see the display of planes for the redevelopment of the hotel

No

Staff, food. Did not even get a cup of tea with breakfast due to long. queue. Resented paying 10% “discretionary” gratuity pre-applied to our meal bill. Not warranted.

Excellent food but hidden extras this time which made it more expensive. The staff were friendly but the Hotel looks like it has a staff shortage.

We saw the new plans for the rebuild. The presentation for it showed two negative responses to a visit which we feel was out of context considering the hundreds of positive reviews you would see. Let’s hope the refurbishment doesn’t take away its character otherwise a lot of customers will not be coming back.

We love Knoll house- it has a fab position by Studland bay. It is old though- rooms are dated with few power points or little extras. Staff are great- Alex in the restaurant is brilliant and our waitress Isabella was so nice and helpful.

Don’t expect modern rooms with mod cons- no power near mirrors to do my hair in all three rooms I’ve stayed in. Food is lovely, but the menu never seems to change from one visit to the next. But it is a lovely place to stay. Very dog friendly with lots of nice walks nearby.

loved the facilities and the staff, and location. I hope when its updated it won't lose its charm

I love to take my dog with me

Excellent dog friendly hotel on a beautiful beach

Room good size, clean and comfortable, modern bath shower but hotel could do with an update. Lovely location, fantastic walks, excellent food.

Good location for walking and visiting local area.

Unfortunately our room was above the restaurant which has piped music. We had to listen to unwanted music for the entire breakfast and evening meal/bar period. It marred our stay. Location and service were otherwise excellent. They also take dogs, which was lovely.

Characterful hotel. Very homely. Excellent food as always and very obliging staff at all times.

Great to see an individual hotel surviving and offering something so very different to the usual big name chain hotels.

Wonderful time in a fantastic location!

The bathroom was a little grubby but the inland room was spacious and clean. Lovely with fire and hotel even though it looks tired on outside was lovely inside.

Really nice relaxing environment

Very helpful staff and beautiful location

We had a lovely time at Knoll House. Thoroughly recommend it! It is quite quirky and old school country house so you need to enjoy and absorb all the good points that go with that.

Very relaxed and comfortable

Fantastic location.

We were given no check out paperwork, told there was nothing to pay, and everything is dealt with through Travelzoo. We then had £105.84 taken from our account. We have been overcharged. I’m waiting to hear back from them.

We love the faded glamour and attentive staff who remember our names and take time to chat

Excellent staff nothing is too much trouble thank you again Alex and the team

Love the relaxing, laid back atmosphere, full of character and charm. Staff were very helpful and polite. A good indicator that they are enjoying their job. Everywhere was clean and tidy. Hotel and grounds had been improved since last year. Food was excellent and plenty of it. Brought friends with us this year and will continue to recommend to others. Hope to be back again next year.

Its situation

Our room had a long picture window looking out onto other rooms all of which had net curtains. Ours did not so to change for supper we had to pull the room curtains and then found the room lighting was not bright enough to read a newspaper without problems. Our only mirror was above the bathroom wash basin which we used to strip wash as the side of the bath (also containing the shower) had been removed and laid back at an angle against it. The absence of lighting was confirmed later when trying to read in bed with the light on the RHS of the bed too far away to be used successfully (which explained why that shade had a very secondhand look, not improved when I also tried to get it to shine in the right direction). Standing up after using the loo (situated in a small alcove) one was at risk of banging one's head as the rest of the ceiling sloped to that side.

Very good value for money. Nice scenery and local to many historic sights.Hotel very dated but lots of character. Food portions far too big, single portions are enough for two people. Menu is virtually the same every day with the exception of the chef's special. Hardly any vegetables or potato varieties included on any of the choices. A lot of elderly people book at this hotel although not really suited for elderly people with lots of stairs and low wide sofas to sit on. Nice warm fires.

Great for families with children, indoor pool, games room and pitch and putt. Lots of parking.

We stayed one night with evening meal and breakfast included. The food was good and the staff were attentive. The wine is expensive.

Our room was tired and an old fashioned bathroom which needs updating. Initially the room and corridor was cold but we found a heater in the wardrobe and it soon made it much more comfortable. Comfy bed with tea/ coffee and biscuits in the room plus a good tv. All in all a good stay and we know that there are renovations in progress so we are sure it will. He really good when it is all done. There is a swimming pool and spa apparently but it closed late afternoon and we can not comment on this aspect There is a lovely children’s play area outside and the gardens and views will be great in the summertime.

Friends recommended this hotel and it did not disappoint.The location is fantastic for walkers.

We stayed four nights so would have appreciated if our room was cleaned just once.But we do appreciate the problem of getting staff.

The first room we were given had a shared door with next door , hence being privy to every word from the couple next door We told the staff who moved us to another room, larger and with no connecting door It was a lovely room with an excellent bathroom.No problems at all Very clean the small pool and Jacuzzi were super

The staff were all friendly, efficient , helpful and cheerful Very nice atmosphere throughout with plenty of different spaces to sit inside and out

Quirky old hotel in a lovely spot.

Dog friendly. Excellent breakfasts and lots of choice for evening meals.

Our price included dinner which was good value for money. We booked a seaview room and that is what we had at the front of the hotel. Our room was warm and comfortable and very clean. The bed was comfortable .Plenty of free parking on site and when we checked out we were able to leave the car there for a few hours whilst we had a walk . Great walking from the door and a leaflet of routes is available from the hotel. Breakfast was good with a large buffet style choice . We would return .We understand that the hotel will be subject to major refurbishment and development in the near future.