Lodges with hot tubs near Bournemouth
Bournemouth's beach runs seven miles, lined with hotels and flats almost the whole way. The lodges and cottages with hot tubs near Bournemouth sit back from it, ringing the resort through Wimborne, Ferndown and the lanes towards Christchurch. Each has a private hot tub and a garden, not a balcony over the front.
Set back from the sand
Hot tub cottages and houses near Bournemouth
Sleeps
Features
The Happy Hut
Sopley
Stag Cottage
Lytchett Matravers
Deer Lodge
Wimborne Minster
Pheasant Lodge
Wimborne Minster
The Barn
Lytchett Matravers
The Retreat
Ferndown
Northern Byre
Sopley
Birchcroft Hideaway
Ferndown
Woodlands House
Ringwood
No lodges match those filters.
The setting
The sand, the harbour and the heath
Bournemouth is the green end of a busy coast. Its sand stretches almost unbroken from Sandbanks round to Hengistbury Head, cut at intervals by the chines, the wooded ravines that drop through the cliffs to the shore. The Victorians planted it thick with pines, and the gardens still run from the centre down to the pier. That is why a town this size feels leafier and calmer than its reputation.
What makes this stretch such a good base for a hot tub break is what lies behind the front. To the west, Poole Harbour opens out, one of the largest natural harbours in the world, with Brownsea Island moored in the middle and the Purbeck hills rising beyond. To the east and north, the streets give way to heath and ancient woodland where the New Forest begins.
A stay here is rarely about the beach alone. A major resort, a working harbour and a national park are within half an hour or so of one another, and the countryside that rings the town keeps all three in reach.
A market town, a forest or a harbour at the door
None of these stays is in Bournemouth itself. They sit out in the countryside instead, each leaning towards the harbour, the market town or the forest. A beach is never far, so the better question is what else you want on the doorstep.
Wimborne and Ferndown
North of the conurbation, the market town of Wimborne and the wooded belt around Ferndown make the most central base. Wimborne has a Saxon minster, a weekly market and the National Trust's Kingston Lacy just outside, an Italianate mansion with formal gardens and a celebrated collection of paintings.
This is the easy all-rounder, much the same distance from the beach, the harbour and the forest. The self-catering cottages here tend to be the most practical for a first visit. It suits couples and families who want somewhere quiet but well connected rather than remote.
Christchurch and the forest edge
East towards Christchurch, the lanes around Sopley and the Avon valley lie between the sea and the New Forest. Christchurch itself is a handsome harbour town, with an eleventh-century priory and a quay for paddleboarding and crabbing. Hengistbury Head and its nature reserve are a short drive, and the open heath starts just inland, good for cycling and for spotting the wild ponies.
This side suits walkers, families and anyone bringing the dog, with dog-friendly cottages set in the countryside but still close to the water. The same forest edge runs north to Ringwood, with room there for a bigger group.
The Poole and Purbeck side
West of the conurbation, around Lytchett Matravers and the edge of Poole, you trade a few more minutes to the Bournemouth sands for the pick of the harbour and the Purbecks. Poole Quay, the chain ferry at Sandbanks and the boats out to Brownsea Island are all close. These are the bases for a group that wants water and walking, with the larger luxury cottages here sleeping up to ten for a family or a celebration.
Gardens, private hot tubs and room to spread out
Whichever side you choose, the stays share one thing the seafront cannot offer: space. These are cottages, barns and houses, each with a private hot tub and a garden or patio of its own. Most are enclosed, several with a fire pit, a pizza oven or a summer house for the evenings.
A handful are dog-friendly cottages, most with a garden secure enough to let the dog out last thing without a lead. By and large, this is luxury self-catering accommodation, with the sort of kitchens and bathrooms that earn their keep. Several are owner-managed, the hot tubs well looked after.
Beaches, islands and a ruined castle
These days out have little in common. One is a beach and the chines, the next a boat across Poole Harbour. A third is a castle and a steam train in the Purbecks, or a drive into the New Forest.
Bournemouth beach and the chines
The seven miles of sand are the obvious draw, but the chines are the local trick. These wooded ravines, among them Alum, Durley and Boscombe, drop to quieter beaches than the central seafront. Each has parking nearby, so come early on a hot day before the spaces fill.
Hengistbury Head and Mudeford
A low headland closes the eastern end of the bay, with gentle walking, wide views to the Isle of Wight and a land train in summer. From Mudeford Quay a passenger ferry crosses to the sandspit and its row of beach huts, among the most expensive in the country. An easy half-day with a dog, if you follow the reserve signs.
Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island
A vast natural harbour, busy with yachts and paddleboards. Boats sail from Poole Quay and Sandbanks to Brownsea Island, a National Trust reserve where red squirrels still hold out and the Scout movement began. Book the boat ahead in peak season, and allow half a day for the island.
Sandbanks and the Studland ferry
The chain ferry from Sandbanks across the harbour mouth is the short way onto the Isle of Purbeck. On the far side are Studland's miles of dune-backed sand and the cliff walk out to Old Harry Rocks, the chalk stacks that mark the Jurassic Coast's eastern end. Expect a queue for the ferry on summer weekends.
Corfe Castle and the Swanage Railway
The ruined castle stands over its village like a stage set. From nearby Norden the steam trains of the Swanage Railway head down to the coast at Swanage, a proper Victorian seaside town with a sandy bay. A good day out, and the railway runs whatever the weather.
Christchurch and the road north
Christchurch sits where the Avon and the Stour meet, a town worth an afternoon in its own right. North of it the New Forest opens up, with Burley and Brockenhurst the villages to make for, on lanes better for cycling than for driving.
Questions worth asking first
Which side suits a couple, and which a group?
For two, the quietest options are the shepherd's hut near Christchurch and the small adults-only lodges up at Wimborne. Bigger groups have two bases to choose from. The largest stay on the Poole and Purbeck side takes ten, close to the harbour and the Jurassic Coast. The biggest house of all, out towards Ringwood, sleeps twelve.
How far are the stays from the beach?
It depends which side you choose. The northern and eastern bases are closest to Bournemouth and Christchurch beaches, while the western ones are nearer Poole's beaches and the chain ferry to Studland. None is so far that a morning on the beach and an afternoon back at the hot tub is a stretch.
Where is best for a trip with the dog?
The forest edge is the easiest with a dog. The dog-friendly stays sit east and north of Bournemouth: Sopley puts you near Christchurch and the coast, Ringwood opens the New Forest, and Ferndown makes a quieter inland base. The heath, the woods and Hengistbury Head give miles of dog walking, with leads needed on the open heath in nesting season. Several nearby beaches allow dogs year-round, away from the central resort stretch.
What is there to do if the weather turns?
More than enough without the sun. The Oceanarium on Bournemouth seafront and the Tank Museum at Bovington are indoor days out, and the Swanage Railway and Kingston Lacy near Wimborne both keep going in the rain.
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