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Accommodation Hotels

The Grand Hotel

Victorian clifftop hotel overlooking Swanage Bay within walking distance to the beach

A Victorian clifftop hotel overlooking Swanage Bay, the Grand boasts traditional charm, sweeping sea views and friendly service from its attentive staff.

Recently partially renovated to bring out its many original Victorian features, this 3 star hotel has a sense of the past whilst providing you with all the mod cons of today, including a gym with plunge pool and Jacuzzi, along with contemporary dining in its Coast Restaurant.

The Grand Hotel is ideally situated for exploring the Purbeck Hills and highlights of the Jurassic Coast such as Old Harry Rocks, or for a simple stroll along the sandy beach, which is easily accessed via a short flight of steps from its garden overlooking the sea.

Swanage town centre is around a ten-minute walk along the promenade, or you can catch a bus from nearby to the hotel. It’s a short drive, bus ride or taxi journey to the nearby Purbeck villages of Corfe Castle and Studland, with its famously long, sandy beaches.

The Grand welcomes locals as well as staying guests for food and the use of its Burlington Health Club and Spa, which opens onto its sunny garden.

A room with a view

Dine, sleep or even work out in the gym with either a sea or garden view.

The lounge, bar, dining and garden areas all look out from the Grand’s expansive windows across the sea to Swanage’s beach and town, so you can soak up the sun while you eat, or watch the waves roll in from the comfort of the conservatory on a cooler day. On a clear day you can see across to Peveril Point and the Isle of Wight.

Rooms & rates

There are 30 rooms at the Grand, many of which have sea views. Some of the most recently refurbished premium rooms have nice, modern touches, such as an automatic de-mister on the mirror of the en-suite wet room.

All rooms are equipped with tea and coffee-making facilities, flatscreen TVs and free Wifi.

Accommodation caters for a variety of travellers, and comprises doubles, twins, family and single rooms, all of which are en suite and can be accessed by a lift.

Treat yourself or your travelling companion to a welcome bottle of bubbly, or even fresh flowers and handmade chocolate, on arrival – just ask the team to arrange it beforehand.

Tariffs & booking

Bouquet of flowers at the receptions area of the Grand Hotel, Swanage
A welcome of flowers at Reception

Prices at the Grand vary seasonally, and all include breakfast as well as free access to the Burlington Health & Fitness Club facilities (spa treatments are extra).

For the latest room rates, availability and booking information visit the Grand’s website.

Note that the hotel accepts service animals only.

Dining

Have an afternoon tea under a parasol in the garden or dinner in the conservatory as you watch the sun set over the bay, or the moon across the sea at night.

Relax in the lounge with an after-dinner drink or stroll down to the beach after breakfast – the section directly below the Grand is marked as private, for the use of hotel guests only. You can also have breakfast on the beach itself, at The Cabin café, which you’ll find right at the foot of The Grand.

The hotel’s Coast Restaurant serves delicate starters, followed by traditional mains with a modern twist, and exquisitely-presented desserts. All meals use local ingredients where possible and are served by attentive staff.

If you’re local, the conservatory is an especially nice spot for a morning coffee or afternoon tea with friends.

Health club and spa

The Burlington Health, Spa and Fitness Club is situated on the ground floor of the hotel, overlooking the hotel’s gardens, and is open to Swanage and Purbeck residents as well as guests of the hotel.

Set across three rooms, there are 20 cardiovascular machines, as well as resistance machines and a dedicated weights area. You can also book a personal trainer to help you achieve your fitness goals or get you started with a new exercise and nutrition routine.

A range of massage and beauty treatments are also available, as well as the use of a small, heated plunge pool, Jacuzzi and sauna.

All gym facilities, including the pool and Jacuzzi are free to guests to use.

Locals can join as members, or pay a daily rate for occasional use. The more intimate size and setting of the plunge pool is a popular choice for mums and dads with new babies experiencing the water for the first time.

Both guests and gym members must pay separately for individual beauty therapy treatments, however non-guests who book a treatment may also then use the pool for free.

Health Club membership

You can join the Club for the year, or tailor your subscription per week or month to your personal needs.

Burlington Club, Swanage, plunge pool
The pool

Discounts are available for joint membership and senior citizens.

If you’d prefer to use the gym occasionally, daily rates are also available for both the gym and the pool & Jacuzzi, with discounted prices for senior citizens and children under 12.

Members of the Burlington Fitness Club receive a 10% discount on food at the hotel’s restaurant.

Opening times

The Burlington Health & Fitness Club is open every day, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day as follows:

  • Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 9pm
  • Friday & Saturday  10.15am – 7pm
  • Sundays & Bank Holidays 10.15am – 6pm

Spa Treatment

A range of massage therapy and beauty treatments are available on request and must be booked in advance.

Therapy room in the Burlington Health Club at the Gran, Swanage
Therapy room

Why not try a head, neck and back or full body massage before a session in the sauna or a dip in the pool?

Treatments include Swedish full body massage, hot stone, Indian head, and aromatherapy massages.

Beauty treatments include a variety of facials, waxing, tanning, manicure & pedicure treatments, as well as eyelash waxing, extensions, lifts and tinting.

For gym and spa pricing, visit the Burlington Health Spa & Fitness Club’s page.

Parking

Entranceway and lobby of the Swanage Grand Hotel
Lobby area and main entrance

There is a limited amount of parking at the front of the hotel, however note that these spaces are non-reservable.

There are no parking restrictions on the surrounding residential roads, however, and you’re likely to find a spot here. If not, there is a large, long-stay car park under a five-minute walk away.

North Beach Car Park – Located off Bonfields Avenue, postcode: BH19 1NL. It’s a short walk to the hotel from here via Seaward Road and Burlington Road.

There are further useful car parks across Swanage and Purbeck to help you make the most of your days out exploring the area.

Special occasions

The Grand Hotel is a unique venue in Swanage to celebrate life’s special moments, with its clifftop location and beautiful surrounding scenery.

For all enquiries and to help make sure your day runs smoothly, contact Lindsay Bish on 01929 423353.

Weddings

Ceremony pavilion in the garden of the Grand Hotel in Swanage
Ceremony and celebration pavilion

If you’re looking for a venue in Swanage for your big day with romantic views, beautifully presented catering and somewhere comfortable to stay, The Grand offers special occasion packages.

Wedding packages include great memory-making options, such as a special bridal shower of an afternoon high tea, and a champagne reception on board a yacht in the bay.

Ensure your day run smoothly with the help of the wedding team at The Grand, who will discuss your requirements and create that special touch.

Celebration of Life

Peveril Point across Swanage Bay from the Grand
View across the sea toward Peveril Point from The Grand

The Grand also offers a special buffet or afternoon tea catering service, coupled with a sensitive approach for families wishing to celebrate their loved one’s life. The team aims to help make planning the day as easy as possible, alleviating the inevitable strains that can come with organising a difficult event, such as this.

The funeral reception can be held at the hotel, with accommodation for family members travelling from further afield, and with the peaceful backdrop of Swanage Bay allowing you time to remember the good times in a relaxing setting.

There is no venue hire charge for Celebration of Life occasions.

Meeting rooms

Whether you need a room for a meeting or your company would like to have exclusive use of the whole hotel, there are options available at the Grand.

Note that WiFi covers all areas of the hotel, including the garden.

Rates are available on request.

Events

The Grand hosts a number of events throughout the year. Check their Events page for what’s on when you’re visiting Swanage: grandhotelswanage.co.uk/events/ 

In 2021, they’ll be taking part in the Swanage Blues Festival, which runs across the weekend of 30 September to 3 October.

You can also book tickets for your Christmas party night, with pre-dinner drinks, a festive carvery, and a disco to dance the night away, or book a table for The Grand’s special New Year’s Eve menu.

Call the hotel on 01929 423353 or book by emailing: reservations@grandhotelswanage.co.uk

Contact details

Entrance to the Grand Hotel
Front entrance to The Grand

Check room availability on the hotel’s website or give the friendly team a call.

Note that The Grand can be extremely popular during peak times and the summer season due to its fantastic location and enviable sea views, so booking in advance – especially if you want a room overlooking Swanage Bay – is advised.

  • 📞 01929 423353
  • 📥 reservations@grandhotelswanage.co.uk
  • ℹ️ https://grandhotelswanage.co.uk
  • 📍Burlington Road, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LU

Location & nearby things to do

The Grand is located in a quieter position at the northern end of Swanage, meaning that you can step back from the hustle and bustle of the town and the busier stretch of Swanage Beach. The beach directly below the hotel is marked as for the private use of hotel guests, however note that this is part of the main beach so people will be coming by.

Within a couple of minutes’ walk you’ll find nearby pub The Crow’s Nest and two beach-side cafés, The Cabin and Down the Beach. A short walk along the beach toward town will bring you to seasonal kayak-hire company Ocean Bay Watersports.

The Cabin café below the Grand Hotel in Swanage
The Cabin

For wildlife enthusiasts, Durlston Country Park is a must. Whilst you can walk to Durlston from the Grand Hotel, it’s probably easier to make the five-minute drive through town as you’ll want to save your energies for exploring the park.

First hole of Beach Gardens' pitch and putt in Swanage
Beach Gardens pitch and putt

Within walking distance (around 15 minutes) you’ll also find pitch & putt and tennis courts at Beach Gardens, as well as both indoor and outdoor children’s activities, entertainment and a playground at the start of the main part of town. There you’ll find various food and drink options, and beach-side theatre and cinema The Mowlem. There’s an hourly bus service and various taxi services that will bring you back to the hotel after your evening out.

Explore another Victorian aspect of the town by having a stroll along the restored pier. You’ll get a great view of the Grand from here across the bay. Venture up into the Purbeck Hills from your door and visit another Victorian relic, the obelisk – the Purbeck Ridgeway stretches from here, right across Purbeck. Take the popular walk from Ballard Down to the historic village of Corfe Castle and visit its castle ruin. You have the option of getting a bus or steam train back to Swanage if you don’t fancy the walk back.

Sunset with Swanage Beach groyne and Ballard Down
Sun setting on Ballard Down

A short drive away you’ll find Studland, with its glorious, sandy bay, and various towns and villages such as Corfe Castle, Wareham and Lulworth. Jurassic Coast highlights include Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, which are both around a 30 minute drive.

For a more active visit, the Grand is also ideally located for the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club, which is just a five-minute drive away. Nearby outdoor adventure companies run kayak tours, bushcraft skills and coasteering sessions, and there are two nearby horse riding stables – Studland Trekking Centre (10-minute drive) and Lulworth Equestrian Centre (around half an hour).