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Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester

3.0 star property

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Photo gallery for Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester

Lounge
Front of property
Superior Double Room
Lounge
32-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels, TV

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Free WiFi
  • Business services

Explore the area

View in a map
32 High West Street, 32, Dorchester, England, DT1 1UP
  • Tutankhamun: The Exhibition
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Kingston Maurward Park and Gardens
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Maiden Castle
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.)
    ‪48 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Standard Double Room

Standard Double Room

Standard Double Room

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional
(9 reviews)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Single Room

Standard Single Room

Standard Single Room

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Large Twin Bed

View all photos for Superior Double Room

Superior Double Room

Superior Double Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About this property

Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester

Georgian hotel in Dorchester with a bar
Along with a bar/lounge, this smoke-free hotel has coffee/tea in a common area and conference space. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include self parking and a front-desk safe. Housekeeping is available on request.
Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester offers 27 accommodations with hair dryers and irons/ironing boards. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Pillowtop beds feature premium bedding. 32-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels. Bathrooms include bathtubs or showers and complimentary toiletries.

Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and phones. Additionally, rooms include portable fans and blackout drapes/curtains. Housekeeping is offered on request and hypo-allergenic bedding can be requested.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Our customers tell us they can't get enough of the helpful staff at Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester. During your stay, you're just a quick walk from Tutankhamun: The Exhibition. You'll find features like free WiFi in public areas, plus a bar and a meeting room.
  • Free WiFi
  • Enjoy drinks at the bar/lounge
  • Self parking available for a fee
  • Amenities include a front-desk safe, a meeting room, and conference space
  • Steps from Tutankhamun: The Exhibition and Borough Gardens
As a guest of Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester, you'll find coffee/tea in a common area and a front-desk safe. Event space at this hotel measures 818 square feet (76 square meters) and includes conference space. WiFi is free in public spaces. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Limited parking is available for a fee and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

This Georgian Dorchester hotel is smoke free.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site (GBP 15 per day)
  • Limited on-site parking

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Conveniences

  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (on request)

Business services

  • 818 square feet of conference space
  • Meeting room

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Handrails in stairways (80 centimetre high)
  • No lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk (180 centimetre high)

More

  • 1 building
  • 3 floors
  • Built in 1756
  • Georgian architecture
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding
  • Pillowtop mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 32-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

More

  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laptop workspace
  • Phone
  • Portable fan

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 11:00 PM
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Kids stay free! Children stay free when using existing bedding.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Self parking fee: GBP 15 per day

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
This property reserves the right to pre-authorize the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
Cashless transactions are available
The front desk at this property is open daily from 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM.
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property.
If you cancel your booking, you'll be subject to the host's cancellation policy. In accordance with EU regulations about consumer rights, property booking services are not subject to the right of withdrawal.

We should mention

  • Children stay free in the same room as the parent or guardian when using existing bedding.
  • Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.

National rating

This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitEngland, the National Tourist Board for England.

Property is also known as

Wessex Royale
Wessex Royale Dorchester
Sleeping Bear Dorchester
Wessex Royale Hotel Dorchester
Dorchester Minotel
Minotel Dorchester
Minotel Hotel Wessex Royale
Minotel Wessex Royale Hotel Dorchester
Wessex Royale Hotel Dorchester, Dorset
Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester Hotel
Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester Dorchester
Best Western Wessex Royale Hotel Dorchester
Wessex Royale Hotel
Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester Hotel Dorchester

Reviews

Sleeping Bear Hotel Dorchester Reviews

8.8

Excellent

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.6/10

Eco-friendliness
Rating 10 - Excellent. 295 out of 545 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 189 out of 545 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 38 out of 545 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 14 out of 545 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 9 out of 545 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fantastic stay.

We had a fantastic time the room was lovely and the staff we very helpfully.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Michael

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrew, Northampton

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff are very friendly and helpful. We were staying there for a live action role playing event and the staff were impressed with our costumes. Second time staying here in Dorchester, fully recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

2/10 Terrible

ERICA

Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

8/10 Good

Georgia

Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Harry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel, nicely set up and well located for everything in town.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

2/10 Terrible

Brenda

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I booked here because of the reviews, and I am starting to think these people writing the reviews are either friends of the hotel staff, or they stayed at a different hotel, and gave this one a good review in error. Out of all the hotels we stayed at in the UK, this was the absolute worst. We stayed at a top floor room, that was absolutely stifling, without AC, and had a small window that the fan couldn't even fit in. The bed felt like a cement slab and the foot of the bed was higher than the head of the bed. Most of the room had a slanted wall, which made it difficult to walk around. Parking was ok if you are lucky to get one of the few spots available. The ONLY saving grace of this place was the woman at the Reception Desk. She was WONDERFUL. I get the feeling she is under-appreciated because she was not only Checking people in, but she was also making drinks at the bar. Other than that, I would never stay here again, and the people leaving the good reviews, maybe have lower standards than I do, The price I paid for this place, I deserved better.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Elizabeth

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

No food available

I missed the point in the information where no meals were available in the hotel. ie no meals at all. `No breakfast or evening meal available.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Hanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Francoise

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Excellent séjour à Dorchester

Très bon hôtel, un peu bruyant sur la rue. Chambre très grande et très confortable. Accueil agréable.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

8/10 Good

Richard

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Convenient Stay

A convenient overnight stop for our trip to Cornwall. Hotel was in a great position, close to en excellent Italian restaurant. Our rom was large and the bed was super comfortable. The bathroom was also large with a bath and a separate walk in shower. I would comment that you have to book parking through JustPark, at £15 per night! This seems rather excessive in a small town. There is also NO restaurant as mentioned in the details although there are tea/coffee making facilities in the room and downstairs near the bar.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Vicky

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice stay
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Clean, well presented - central location

Very clean, comfortable room. Pretty quiet considering Main Street location. There’s no food available but space provided to eat your own if you want and plenty of tea and coffee in the lounge. Stayed on a Sunday so it was cheaper price - not sure if it’s worth top dollar but it’s a nicely done place.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The lady on reception was very helpful. I parked at the pay and park at the top of the road and this was only a short walk to the hotel.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Claire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A delightful place to stay in Dorchester

Having booked our parking through Just Park, we received excellent directions to the limited spaces at the rear of the hotel. (The satnav wanted to send us elsewhere!) We were welcomed, offered assistance with our baggage and directed to our room. We had selected a Superior Room as we were celebrating an anniversary and found ourselves (after a long and winding walk along a corridor whose floor was a little uneven in places - showing the history of the building) in a suite! Very nice (although the sofa is not particularly comfortable to sit on). The bedroom was large, with a very comfortable bed, a desk a chair and plenty of drawers to store your clothes. The ‘wardrobe’ is off the sitting area. 2 very large TVs and a lovely, large, well appointed bathroom. It suited us very well. No breakfast, but plenty of advice on options nearby. On checkout, I discovered that, although the message I had received from Hotels.com had stated (as per my selection on booking) that I would pay at the hotel, payment had been taken 2 days previously. It was explained that this was the policy of the hotel. I have no problem with this - but I do think that Hotels.com should reflect this in their booking confirmation. All in all, it suited us very well.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great location, Clean and great rooms

Loved the hotel, but do prebook parking behind the hotel, as only 10 spaces
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Terence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Excellent Room

Excellent Room. Very clean and comfortable. Not happy about price of parking in hotel car park, nor the fact that it is stated as £15 per night but when it comes to paying, another £1.49 is billed. This practice should be outlawed. The total fee should always be made clear before committing to payment!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Mike

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely stay

Lovely hotel - just a shame that breakfast is no longer provided.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Steve

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Good location

Very reasonable price for a hotel in such a central location. It’s clean, comfortable & the staff are very friendly helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Claudenicia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

gillian

Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Only problem was the big rubbish bin was wheeled past my room in the courtyard at 7.30am! Lisa the receptionist was wonderful xx
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025