Lodge 12

A furnished private balcony with a hot tub is the main outdoor feature of Lodge 12, on the edge of the village of Corfe Castle. Inside are three bedrooms for six guests, and the rooms are arranged in reverse: sleeping mostly downstairs, living upstairs.

Two ground-floor twin rooms, one with zip/link beds that can be made up as a king-size on request, share access to a Jack-and-Jill bathroom with a bath and shower over it. On the first floor, the king-size bedroom has an en-suite walk-in shower, and the open-plan living area has a kitchen with an electric oven, hob, fridge and dishwasher, a dining table and a corner sofa in front of the woodburning stove. Bed linen, towels, fuel, power and a starter pack for the stove are all in the rent.

Guests can add the sauna and cold plunge facilities for an additional fee, and private sessions are offered subject to availability. The lodge has off-road parking, a flat-screen TV and WiFi. Disposable barbecues are the only kind the barbecue stand takes, and they can be brought or bought at the on-site shop. A shop and a pub are 2.8 miles away.

Smoking is not allowed and neither are pets. Infants are included in the party total, and cots and highchairs are charged per stay. Phone ahead about keys if you will arrive after 6pm. Lodge 12 is best for a family of six, or friends sharing, who want the hot tub and the sauna option to be part of the stay.