The Canford

Style

Beach-hutted bon vivant

Setting

Steps from Sandbanks

Deep in Famous Five territory on the Dorset coast, the Canford is a family-friendly pub stay that packs buckets of seaside charm. Kids and canines are welcome, and with a sandy beach only a stroll away, Blyton-esque larks are on the cards. Back at base, boutique rooms have been individually designed in day-brightening hues and the kitchen pimps classic pub fare with fine West Country produce and an impressive wine list.

Facilities

Rooms

11.

Checkout

11am. Check-in is 3pm, but both are flexible, for an extra fee and subject to availability.

More Details

Rates usually include breakfast. If you're staying on a room-only rate, Continental and à la carte options are available for an extra charge.

Also

One ground-floor room is wheelchair accessible.

Free Internet Access

Pet Friendly

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

At the Hotel

Pub garden, beach-hut booths and tiki huts, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, snack basket, minibar and Bramley bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

They’re cockles-warmers, the lot of them, but the Feature Boutique rooms have a few extra flourishes – four-poster beds, fluffy robes and freestanding bath tubs.

Packing Tips

Binoculars are the must-have accessory at Brownsea Island, the red squirrel haven a short hop across the water.

Also

If you’re getting the gang together for a knees-up, ask about booking one of the three tiki huts in the garden.

Children

All ages are welcome. There are several family-friendly rooms, with cots, foldaway beds or sofa-beds available on request for £15 a night, and the pub has a dedicated children’s menu. Over-17s are charged as adults.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

The conservatory makes a leafy, sunlit spot for lunch. On summer evenings, book a beach hut in the garden – they each have a heater, so bring on the British weather.

Dress Code

Fresh from the coast path, flick the sand from your shoes and come as you are.

Hotel Restaurant

Head chef Sam gives classic pub and seaside grub a glow-up, using inventive flavours and seasonal ingredients sourced straight from local farmers and fishers. The day’s catch is dashed straight to the kitchen, pan-fried and plated with sea vegetables smothered in lemon and caper butter, but you’ll also find the full-works fish and chips here – cider batter, mushy peas, curry and tartar sauce. West Country sausages and mash shares menu space with delicate fennel risotto. And if you stay in for Sunday lunch, there are a couple of double-egg Yorkshires with your name on them.

Hotel Bar

The Canford strikes a balance between bougie watering hole and well-loved local. Traditionalists can prop up the bar with a post-walk pint and a bowl of pork crackling, but there are also plenty of cosy corners to retreat to with some seaweed-salted popcorn and a bottle from the hand-picked wine list. When the sun’s out, it’s all eyes on the spritzes – the Hugo, a sunny concoction of Plymouth gin, elderflower, prosecco and soda, is a house speciality. And the Boat Shack, an alfresco bar serving seafood and craft cocktails, throws open its shutters in summer.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served daily from 8am to 11am, lunch from noon to 5pm. Dinner runs from 5pm to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday, until 9pm on Sunday. The bar pours till 11pm Monday to Saturday, 10.30pm on Sunday.

Room Service

Order up to your room between 8am to 9pm, via reception or the restaurant’s app.

Planes

It’s a 20-minute drive from Bournemouth Airport, and an hour from Southampton Airport. Your nearest major hubs are London Heathrow, an hour and a half away, and London Gatwick, which is two hours away.

Trains

Breeze into Branksome or Parkstone stations from London Waterloo in less than two-and-a-half hours. From either station, it’s under 10 minutes by taxi to the hotel.

Automobiles

A car will be key for exploring Dorset’s picture-book-pretty coastline and countryside. London is less than three hours away. There’s a free private car park at the hotel, as well as free on-street parking nearby.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Your local bucket-and-spade spot is Canford Cliffs beach, a sandy stretch just a three-minute stroll from the Canford. Carry on along the coast path and you’ll come to Branksome Dene, where dogs are welcome year-round. In the other direction, Sandbanks is within reach, where pastimes include paddleboarding, kitesurfing and idly speculating about property prices.

Budding Attenboroughs will be in clover at Brownsea Island – keep your eyes peeled on the wildlife walk for lagoon birds, lizards and elusive red squirrels. A turn about the ornamental gardens at Compton Acres culminates, as all walks should, with a tea-room pit stop. And at Moors Valley Country Park, keep your pulse rate down by skipping the ziplines and embarking on a mindfulness audio trail instead.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .