Summer Lodge Hotel, Dorset

Hotel. The idyllic 5-star setting of the Summer Lodge Hotel in the United Kingdom’s Dorset Countryside is hard to resist. With every luxury at your fingertips there is no need to stray far from this cozy safe haven. All 20 individually designed rooms are English country traditional and they greet their guests with a candlelit bath and pot of hot tea (complimentary upon arrival). Enjoy the luscious gardens and indoor heated swimming pool during the day, while at night you can recharge your body and mind with a hearty meal and smooth glass of wine.

Wine. Dorset may not be known for its fine wines, but cellar master Eric Zwiebel has managed to bring the fine wines to the Summer Lodge Hotel. Commended by Wine Spectator for developing one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world, Zwiebel has used his knack for oenological knowledge to build this hotel’s superb cellar with both famous and lesser-known labels. The partnership between Zwiebel and the hotel’s chef, Steven Titman, has not only resulted in remarkable gastronomy at the restaurant, but also a Wine Dinners program. Once a month the chef and sommelier join forces to create a 4-course menu designed to compliment one specific variety of wine. These amazing events fill the diners with information about the wine as well as good food.

Dining. Executive Chef Steven Titman led the Summer Lodge Hotel to international acclaim with his elegant twist on modern European cuisine. Titman became famous after crafting a menu at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine, one of America’s best hotel restaurants, and he has come to Dorset with the same intent. Taking local produce, including ingredients from the hotel garden, Titman and his team use creativity and passion to whet the palate of the restaurant’s patrons.