The Pines Hotel

I’ve visited The Pines many times and have always enjoyed the stunning views and peaceful location—it’s a real highlight of Swanage. However, my recent visit for a family dinner for fourteen was disappointing. The menu was limited, which made it difficult for a group with varied tastes to find suitable options. While most of the meals were acceptable, four of us ordered the vegetable lasagne, and only one person could eat it. It didn’t resemble lasagne in taste or texture, and we genuinely couldn’t tell what it was meant to be. Three others had the salmon and crab starter, but the crab was either missing or overpowered by what tasted more like mackerel. On the positive side, the service was good—friendly, attentive, and quick to respond. The staff handled our concerns professionally and refunded two of the lasagnes without hesitation, which we appreciated. That said, the combination of a limited menu and inconsistent food quality made for a disappointing evening.

The pines is a lovely hotel with stunning views across the bay. All the staff were so kind & friendly, they make a great team & really want to make sure you have a wonderful holiday. Our room was beautiful, spotlessly clean, with fluffy white bath towels & lovely bedding. Top quality furniture, comfortable bed, tasteful design & fittings. Everything we could have needed was provided. There are steps leading down to the beach & an access to walk out onto the coastal path towards Ballard down. There was a great choice at breakfast & it was well organised. As the hotel was fully booked they made sure to ask what time we would be coming down for breakfast so that they could cope with service. Which was done to a very high standard. They also went to great trouble & planning to ensure we were able to get back into the carpark on such a busy carnival weekend. The lunch and dinner menus looked really nice but we had already booked to eat in local restaurants so missed out dining on this occasion. The bar was very well stocked, nice local beers, ciders & gins available, with a comfortable beautifully designed lounge area to sit & chat with other visitors. The garden is a lovely place to sit with a coffee or drinks while chatting with other guests, many of whom are regular visitors, which speaks volumes for the high standards set at the pines. I have always wanted to stay here after dining here in the past. We have already booked for next year.

Bed was not that comfy, staff came and turned the mattress over and put a topper on for us. small improvement. Noisy dogs barking in the house next door every morning around 4.30am. Spoke to reception on the 1st morning who said there is nothing they can do about it and mentioned that others have complained before and even gone and spoke with the owner to no avail.

We couldn’t fault this hotel! We booked very last minute ( the night before) as we were intending to complete the South West Coast Path. The room was very reasonably priced and included breakfast. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly and the room was comfortable with tea/ coffee facilities and some very welcome biscuits! We then got drinks from the bar and could sit outside where there was a beautiful sea view and nice garden area. We booked a table for dinner and were so pleased we did. The food was delicious. Service was friendly and we had a table by the large windows overlooking the bay. The bed was comfortable and breakfast the next morning was very good. I had granola , fruit and yoghurt followed by a cooked breakfast buffet style. All staff were friendly and welcoming.

Nice Hotel but don’t have an accident there…. They just don’t want to know and nothing gets put into an accident book! Gentleman on the front desk found it difficult to even be bothered to listen to what I had done, even though my arm was swollen and bleeding. Said he would inform the manager but probably didn’t as I heard nothing

This is a really excellent hotel for anyone wishing to explore the adjacent coastline including Old Harry’s Rocks in particular. The sea-facing bedrooms have amazing views as do the main public rooms. We had a most enjoyable and comfortable stay with good quality food served at both breakfast and dinner by very helpful staff. Our room was good with the bathroom fitted to a high standard. For those not wishing to use their cars, the local bus service has stops a short walk from the hotel and has hourly services into Swanage or Bournemouth in the other direction (which is also for Studland/The Rocks).