If you are looking to stay in a great family friendly hotel by the sea or you would like to dine somewhere that serves amazing food then you need to know about the Knoll House Hotel in Studland.

During half term we visited this little gem to find out what makes them so family friendly and we were all pleasantly surprised with what we found.

We started our day in the Spa and were shown around by a lovely gentlemen before heading for the changing rooms.  They have an indoor pool, hot jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and mini gym.  I really tried getting out of the jacuzzi a few times but it was just too nice so I stayed there while my husband dipped in and out of the pool with the kids.  Just outside, there a huge hot tub which was bubbling away but we spent so long indoors that we didn’t have time to try it.  Other guests we spoke to had though and thoroughly recommended it.  For the better weather they even have an outdoor pool with plenty of space for sun loungers and the most wonderful views.  



Once we were dressed we headed into the hotel and found the Bistro which has been recently refurbished to a high standard.  There’s big solid wooden tables and chairs, cool vintage lamp shades and faux driftwood flooring.  If like us you can grab a table by the window then you’ll have views of Old Harry Rocks.



The menu is extensive with something to please everyone.  I’m always keen to look at the children’s menu and was delighted to see there was much more than the bog standard 3 choices of beige food with chips.  Myself and my husband fancied a burger so I had the New Yorker with bacon and cheese and Mr had the Smoked burger which was served with onion rings and Applewood cheese.  Both of us were very impressed with the quality and there wasn’t a morsel left at the end.  Our son chose sausage and mash which he devoured and our daughter who won’t do a whole meal justice had a little bit of everything.



For pudding the kids had a fresh fruit salad which was very poshly served in a martini glass plus a warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream.  Both were scoffed in seconds!



Other dishes on the menu included sandwiches, salads, light bites, curry, pizza, seasonal dishes and homemade cakes.   The afternoon tea which was served to another table while we were getting ready to leave looked divine and that’s definitely going to be on my list of to do's.  (Please note a Dorsetmums offer which is detailed further down).



Not only was the food great but the Bistro also has a side play room for the kiddies which I love.  Once we discovered it was there the kids were off and they had a whale of a time playing with the toys and books.  Daddy even had his first tea party much to his daughters delight.  For the older ones there a huge sofa and tv for them to kick back and relax while the grown ups enjoy themselves in the restaurant.



After our meal we had a good wander around the hotel and found a games room, several lounge areas, a bar and large restaurant.  Luckily for us the rain had stopped so we got the kids thick snow suits on and went out to the pirate themed play park where they used up their last little bit of energy before getting in the car to go home.

Good to know………… 

The Bistro and play area are open to non residents making it a perfect place to go for a child friendly meal. 

The Knoll House Hotel offer day passes for the Spa however they are currently running a ‘Dip and Dine’ deal which is valid from Monday to Friday up until the 30th March 2018.  The offer includes up to 2 hours swim time followed by afternoon tea in the Bistro.  The cost is £15.50 and bookings must be made directly with the hotel on 01929 450450 quoting 'Dorsetmums'.

The hotel has a good number of family rooms with a very reasonable room rate.  During holiday periods staying guests can enjoy a number of activities which are laid on.  The area is stunning and guests have a private access path down to the beach, the ferry over to Poole and Bournemouth close by and the seaside town of Swanage not far in the other direction.  

If you would like more information on the Knoll House Hotel please visit the Website or call 01929 450450.  

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Please note - Dorsetmums was invited to the Knoll House Hotel for the purpose of a review however all thoughts are my own.

At the weekend we attended a special event at the Dorset County Museum to meet Dorset’s latest celebrity Dippy the Diplodocus.

Dippy has been housed at the London Natural History Museum since 1905 so it was about time he got out and about.  I vaguely remember seeing him as a child on a school trip but having him arrive in Dorset on the first leg of his tour is something that excited me and my Dinosaur loving son greatly.



Dippy has been carefully assembled in the iconic Victorian Hall at the Museum in Dorchester.   The skeleton cast has a whopping 292 bones, measures 21.3 metres in length and over 4 metres in both width and height.  If he was any bigger he’d never have got in!  Dippy was a herbivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic period, living around 150 million years ago.  At that time the Jurassic Coast was actually underwater!

My son Sam has known about his visit for a while now so he was pretty much dragging us through the door and then he just stood there and stared.  He had a gazillion questions for us and luckily the plaques and signs which are dotted around provided answers.  Of course there’s no way an impatient 5 year old can stay still for long so we dashed around while my husband read more facts about Dippy.

We had been told that there were some craft activities for the children so we set off to explore and Sam happily played for ages which meant one of us could sit and relax while the other had a look around this great Museum.

While you are there you have to take a look at the 3D Dippy skull which you can put on your head and you must make sure you go up to the balcony to get the best view.



The Museum exhibitions are well worth a visit while you are there.  We spent the majority of our time in the Jurassic Coast Gallery looking at fossils and the scary Weymouth Bay Pliosaur skull but there is plenty more to see in other rooms including 2 skeletons which fascinated Sam and Daddy.



Your journey doesn’t have to start or end here as you’ll find a trail of footprints leading from Brewery Square to the Dorset County Museum.  Kids will love finding the fun footprints which have Dinosaur facts on.

Tickets to see Dippy are free but must be pre booked via the Dorset County Museum Website.  Entrance to the other exhibitions in the Museum can be purchased at the door.

Dippy will leave the Dorset County Museum on the 7th of May 2018 and then he’ll head up north to Birmingham to wow another group of Dinosaur lovers after.

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