The Sydney Arms

Hotels
•
Marston's Inns
7.5 (400 reviews)
11 Bridport Road , Dorchester , GB

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Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Non-smoking rooms
Heating
Garden
Luggage storage
Bar
Golf course
Games room
Darts
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Accommodating staff
Good location
Value for Money
Clean rooms
Friendly atmosphere
Cons:
Issues with cleanliness in bathrooms
Noise from the bar
Internet connectivity problems
Temperature control issues in rooms

Categories

Cleanliness
6.64
Multiple reviews mention cleanliness concerns, including mold and unpleasant odors.
Service
8.61
Staff received high praise for being accommodating, friendly, and helpful.
Location
8.15
Positive remarks about the location being convenient to downtown and local amenities.
Room Quality
7.1
Rooms are described as generally clean and comfortable, with some issues noted.
Amenities
6.63
Certain amenities like WiFi and TV faced issues during peak times, affecting guest experience.
Value for Money
7.59
Reviews indicate the hotel's price is reasonable for the quality received.
Food and Beverage
8.14
The food quality received positive feedback, especially the carvery.
Overall Experience
7.11
Reviews reflect a mix of experiences but highlight more positives than negatives.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-16 00:47

Property Description

Charming Accommodation in Dorchester
Delightful Dining Experience
Convenient Location and Amenities

Set in the heart of Hardy County, The Sydney Arms offers 5 high-standard letting rooms in a traditional English pub setting. Indulge in fine dining, a selection of great wines, and real ales while catching up on sports with Sky Sports. Just minutes away from picturesque countryside, this charming property also provides easy access to the nearby hospital. Each en suite room is equipped with a flat-screen TV featuring built-in Freeview. Experience the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and entertainment at The Sydney Arms. Book your stay now for a memorable getaway.

Important information:

Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: SOU

Location

Guest Reviews

7.5
Based on 400 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.64
Service: 8.61
Location: 8.15
Room Quality: 7.1
Amenities: 6.63
Value for Money: 7.59
Food and Beverage: 8.14
Overall Experience: 7.11
S
Stephen • couple • gb
1
Short - that's it - perhaps 10 minutes!
Pros:

Nothing

Cons:

There was a mix up with the booking - the accomodation was full - but no room for us. The staff member on duty told us that we would get a full refund - to date - we have not.

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
P
Peter • solo_traveller • gb
1
Bed bugs
Pros:

Friendly & helpful staff

Cons:

I woke up to large bed bugs crawling on me. I then had a look & instantly saw 10 of them. Which I had ro kill. I spent the next few hours stripping the bed, finding more. Between the bed board & in the sheets, which I killing. I contemplated not sleeping. As it was so stressful
The whole room was just poorly kept & obviously the worst thing was the bed bugs.

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
N
Nick • couple • gb
4
Wouldn’t make the same choice again
Pros:

Was relatively cheap for Dorchester

Cons:

The bathroom wasn’t clean, hardly any toilet roll

2026-09-13 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • gb
7
2026-09-07 • via Nuitee
R
Rudolf • solo_traveller • de
10
One of the best I ever had.
Pros:

Danni, I think that was her name, was absolutely amazing! She truly loves her guests.
Many greetings to you, Rudi

2026-09-02 • via Nuitee
V
Vikki • couple • gb
6
Ok for a one stay but couldn’t be more than that
Pros:

Room was ok

Cons:

WiFi didn’t work & black mould in the bathroom , mattress on bed you could feel the springs through it

2026-08-28 • via Nuitee
A
Ana • couple • mx
10
Pros:

Accomodating staff, nice room, and great location.

2026-08-23 • via Nuitee
E
Elena • solo_traveller • it
9
Pros:

Staff gentilissimo e solare. Camera bella

Cons:

Materasso abolito, abbiamo dormito praticamente sulle molle. Terribile

2026-08-19 • via Nuitee
D
Darren • couple • gb
10
2026-08-14 • via Nuitee
L
Laughlin • family_with_children • gb
8
Was as expected. No noise from pub downstairs. Kids would have liked more TV channels.
Pros:

Did not have breakfast. Room was spacious and clean.

Cons:

Matress could have been better

2026-08-11 • via Nuitee
J
Jeff • solo_traveller • gb
4
Rooms are over the noisy bar. No sleep if you need an early night.
Pros:

Central location

Cons:

No on-site parking

2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
N
Noriega • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
C
Clare • solo_traveller • gb
2
Not a good experience. Won't be booking again.
Pros:

Room OK but faced the main road, so noisy till late at night.

Cons:

I was in bedroom called RITZ. Mattress not fit for purpose. Needs to be replaced immediately. Too wide for bed frame. Very uncomfortable. Springs nearly sticking through the material and could be felt even when lying on the duvet. This has been commented on previously. Why has nothing been done about it. On departure instructions given were for key to be left in reception. There was no reception, just a bar that was locked. So had to leave key on floor inside side door and then email and phone (with no response, so left a voice message) where it had been placed.

2026-08-02 • via Nuitee
S
Stephen • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-07-22 • via Nuitee
J
John Beer • couple • nl
7
Pros:

eigen parkeerplaats

Cons:

Buiten overdag 30 grC. In de slaapkamer kan 1 raam beetje open. Groot raam in badkamer kan niet worden geopend. Kon in de nacht dus niet afkoelen. Extra nadeel: dekbed is alleen geschikt voor winter.

2026-07-21 • via Nuitee
P
Patrick James • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Lovely one-bed room, good facilities, very helpful staff. Great location at Top O'the Town.

2026-07-21 • via Nuitee
J
Jackie • couple • gb
8
Nice place nice decor but let down by bed
Pros:

The location was fine although a car park would have been nice but it is on a main road so I understand that. The bedroom decor was very nice but the room was very hot but then so is everywhere at the moment.

Cons:

The tv didn’t work! Couldn’t watch second half of England match had to watch on our phone. Worse thing was the mattress! It was so lumpy felt springs / not a good night sleep at all.

2026-07-19 • via Nuitee
L
Lizzie • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

They do not do breakfasts.

2026-07-18 • via Nuitee
A
Annalise • couple • gb
6
Comfortable room, but too loud.
Pros:

Staff were friendly. Room was aesthetic and fairly spacious. Had all the essentials we needed – shampoo, shower gel, hair dryer, tea and coffee. Nice breakfast table too, and had a TV.

Cons:

There was a party in the pub whilst we were staying there. The music travelled into our room and was incredibly loud. We could even feel the vibrations because of how loud it was, akin to being in a nightclub. We'd been travelling in the car all day, but it was still more relaxing for us to go out for the evening until 11:30pm when the party would hopefully be over. I understand it's a pub, but would have appreciated a heads-up or a reduced rate because of it. There was also no parking except from 8pm-8am, so we had to park quite far away.

2026-07-06 • via Nuitee
E
Elena • solo_traveller • it
4
Poorly
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-06 • via Nuitee