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The Fontmell

3.5 star property
Inn in Shaftesbury with restaurant and bar/lounge

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Travelers find peaceful respite at The Fontmell, with a serene garden for a perfect countryside escape. The cozy bar welcomes visitors all day, and the restaurant serves meals from breakfast to dinner. Guests appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and in-room WiFi.

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Room service
  • Housekeeping
  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 5 of 5 rooms

View all photos for Double Room (Schmetterling)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Schmetterling)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
Cable channels
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Kipepeo)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Kipepeo)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
Cable channels
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Papillon)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Papillon)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Deep-soaking bath
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 278 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Babochka)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Babochka)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Free cots/infant beds
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
  • 278 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Luxury Double Room (Mallyshag)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Luxury Double Room (Mallyshag)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Deep-soaking bath
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
  • 371 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed
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About the area

Map
Crown Hill, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, England, SP7 0PA

Getting around

  • Gillingham Dorset Station - 16 min drive
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.) - 38 min drive

About this property

The Fontmell

Inn in a rural location
At The Fontmell, you can look forward to a garden, a library and a bar. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi.
You'll also enjoy perks such as:
  • Free self-parking
  • Barbecues, newspapers in the reception and smoke-free property
Room features
All guestrooms are individually furnished, and boast comforts such as free WiFi and free bottled water.
More amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with free toiletries and hairdryers
  • Flat-screen TVs with cable channels
  • Coffee/tea makers and daily housekeeping

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includes taxes & fees
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Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

  • Free offsite parking
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Library

Family friendly

  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Conveniences

  • Newspapers in lobby

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service

More

  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board on request

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; check-in end time: 10 PM
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours will receive an email with special check-in instructions and lockbox information; your host will greet you
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 10 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Host will greet you, lockbox

Pets

Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 15 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
2 total pets
Specific rooms only; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property on the number on the booking confirmation

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 30 per night.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Optional extras

  • Pet fee: GBP 15 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Rollaway bed fee: GBP 30 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

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
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cots/infant beds and rollaway/extra beds
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash

We should mention

This property does not have any lifts

Property is also known as

Fontmell Inn Dorset
Fontmell Inn
Fontmell Dorset
Fontmell
Fontmell Inn Shaftesbury
Fontmell Shaftesbury
The Fontmell Inn
The Fontmell Shaftesbury
The Fontmell Inn Shaftesbury

Frequently asked questions

Is The Fontmell pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total). There's a fee of GBP 15 per pet, per night. Service animals are exempt from fees.

How much is parking at The Fontmell?

Self-parking is free at this property; nearby parking is also free.

What time is check-in at The Fontmell?

Check-in start time: 3 PM; check-in end time: 10 PM.

What time is check-out at The Fontmell?

Checkout is at 11 AM.

Where is The Fontmell located?

Situated in a rural location, this inn is 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from Fontmell and Melbury Downs and within 6 miles (10 km) of Melbury Vale Winery and The Art Stable. Gold Hill Museum and Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs are also within 6 miles (10 km).

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The Fontmell Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 36 out of 62 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 62 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 62 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 62 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 62 reviews

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Dan

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

Perfect little place in a perfect area.

A really nice place with extra little quirky rooms. Perfect for our stay for a wedding. Really loved the place.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

4/10 Poor

Justin

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
There is too much information to fit in this review so I have confined to bullet points: Complaints, based on facts which can all be evidenced with photographs; receipts; and audio files: - Room 4 was awful. Decoration and fittings in a very poor condition/ cleanliness / state of disrepair. We were moved to Room 5. Allot better but with cobwebs on bedside and main light shades. Lacked a curtain on upper window which allowed light to come in at unwanted times. Walls were paper thin as the music and noise from a party from the adjoining cottage could be heard in our room, as if it was in our room, to the extent that we couldn’t hear our TV over it and couldn’t sleep until after 2am! We complained but the hotel advised that they could not force them to turn the sound down but had asked to no avail. - At breakfast the milk was served in a dirty / stained jug, which looked like the remnants of gravy. A young and evidently inexperienced member of staff had filled the cafetière too full and as a result the hot coffee sprayed out when my wife depressed the filter mechanism. Luckily it did not scald her but stained her clothes and covered the table. We reported it and we’re move to another table. - After the calamity of things issues and the fact that we did not sleep, and my wife’s birthday weekend was spoilt as we were too tired to continue the next day, you would have thought that the Manager would at least be there to apologise the next morning and a good hotel would offer
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
It did not look like the photos. Breakfast, they brought out my hot food whilst I was still eating my cereal. You could tell the hot food had been sitting around a while, not freshly cooked. Room not worth the money, very expensive to drink, London prices £5 a pint of larger. Very disappointing.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

6/10 Okay

Manny

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Lovely quaint pub, good food and lovely staff. Issue with no hot water in the rooms in the evening and a dripping tap that kept us awake... but overall a nice weekend!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our room was quiet, pleasant, and clean with a comfy bed and the high ceiling the standout feature. The room had many unique features including a TV from a by-gone era (that's the only critisism but we come to watch TV).
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

2/10 Terrible

Dawn

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort

Ask for a fan!

It was so hot in the room (2), window open Made no difference, no fan, noise from heavy traffic. Booked a week in advance to have dinner, confirmed when we arrived, to find we were not allocated a table for dinner, but expected to sit on low armchairs with a coffee table to eat from. When food came it was nice though. Just hard to eat! When I asked, I was told I should have booked a table!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020

8/10 Good

Stephanie

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

Overall very nice place for a wkend trip

Very attractive location and property. Friendly staff and good food - English breakfast was particularly delicious! Room 4 was quite snug but suitable for a short stay - however the bed was extremely hard and that sadly resulted in a really poor nights’ sleep.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique in having stream fed by Spring Head flowing through the building in feature glazed link to restaurant
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed in room 6 with the freestanding bath and a very comfortable bed. Lovely accommodation with good breakfast options in the morning.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

Ellie

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

Don’t visit

Couldn’t even get in. Horrible on the phone
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

C

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Chased in the car park at 7.15am for payment for meal which was not mine, might be good idea for guests to sign for orders made ! No breakfast available until 8am but uncovered and unappetising bowl of muesli given with unrefrigerated flask of milk Obviously not counting on return customers
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ron

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

STAY IN FONTMELL

One night staying in room 1. It was very noisy. On yelling reception I was informed that this was the extractor system from the kitchen. The room was above the kitchen. The noise would stop after service that evening. It did. Not a great issue as far as I was concerned. Had dinner in the hotel it was just excellent
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous 2 night stay with great service and outstanding food!. Definitely will be back!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

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

Lovely place

Amazing. Welcoming. Clean. Beautiful
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff very helpful and friendly.The evening meal was delicious and breakfast was excellent. The internet was down the evening we stayed so the staff were under extreme stress because tills and card payments were impossible but they coped admirably.Well done and thankyou.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

James

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

Weekend Break

Nice location, friendly staff, tasty breakfast! Would come again 😃
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Charlie

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

Perfect!!

This is one of the best places I have stayed in for ages! The staff were so attentive and helpful. There was nothing else they could have done to make the stay any nicer! The dinner we had was delicious and our room was stunning. I would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend The Fontmell to anyone looking to stay in the area.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Fontwell is very quaint and cosy with a warm atmosphere both within the hotel and restaurant areas ......... an excellent nights stay, thank you.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Inga

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

Excellent hotel

We had last minute BH weekend away and I delighted to find this unique dog friendly hotel. All staff is very helpful and friendly. Breakfast was absolutely delicious and very well presented. Compliments to the chef! We would come back again one day.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Dorian

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

Exceptional!

Stayed for one night on a business trip, staff were very friendly and accommodating. Room was very clean, super comfortable bed, very powerful shower. The staff even gave me a flask of fresh milk to make hot drinks Had the full English at breakfast and it was delicious Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely character room. Frying smalls late at night. Coffee in room was horrible. Would stay again but room rate overpriced
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

6/10 Okay

JOSE-LUIS

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort

Room 1 is very noisy

Good service. Food is ok, nothing special. Nice nearby area. Very kind personnel. Cleanliness in the room was medium, but in some parts of the hotel is poor. Big spiders in the room.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ian

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

Lovely inn worth diverting for

A lovely country inn on the backroads of Dorset in a quiet village. I arrived early but was well taken care of by Sophie. My room wasn’t ready, but she could see I’d come across the Atlantic that morning so she put me in a smaller vacant room so I could rest. 5* service. I woke up around lunchtime and had a bite in the pub downstairs and loved the homemade pork pie and a nice pot of team. Again great service from the bar staff. Highly recommend a stop here.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Steven

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

Watch your head!

We were greeted and checked in with ease. We were given room #6 which a converted attic area. This room is not for handicap or elderly people. You have to carry your luggage up two flights of stairs. I think there was 24 total steps. I am 6'2" tall and had to walk around the room bent over all the time, because the ceiling and beams were so low. That being said the room was furnished nicely and had a comfortable king size bed. plenty of room, just watch your head. We slept with windows open and the fan going all night. The breakfast in the morning was made to order and was tasty. Overall a good stay. I would stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Christine

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

A very comforatable stay

We stayed one night whilst travelling to Torquay. Very friendly staff. Our room was tastefully decorated and the bed very comfortable, the ensuite shower was brilliant. We stayed in Room No.1. The breakfast was very good. We also had dinner, which was delicious, especially the crab soup. The only thing that could be improved in our room was the TV, it had a very small screen.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019