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The Fontmell

3.5 star property
Inn in Shaftesbury with restaurant and bar/lounge
your current months are February, 2025 and March, 2025.
February 2025
March 2025

Photo gallery for The Fontmell

Interior
Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board
Bar (on property)
Exterior
Bar (on property)

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Room service
  • Housekeeping
  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
Crown Hill, Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, England, SP7 0PA
  • Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Gold Hill Museum
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.)
    ‪38 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Double Room (Papillon)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Papillon)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Deep-soaking bath
Hairdryer
Separate bath and shower
Coffee/tea maker
  • 278 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Luxury Double Room (Mallyshag)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Luxury Double Room (Mallyshag)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Deep-soaking bath
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
  • 371 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Babochka)

Double Room (Babochka)

Double Room (Babochka)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Free cots/infant beds
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
  • 278 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Kipepeo)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Kipepeo)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
Cable channels
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Double Room (Schmetterling)

Individually decorated, individually furnished, iron/ironing board

Double Room (Schmetterling)

Highlights

Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Flat-screen TV
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Coffee/tea maker
Free bottled water
Cable channels
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Similar properties

Front of property

The Lamb Hindon

Pet-friendly
Parking included
Free WiFi
Restaurant
4.6 out of 5, Wonderful, (154)
The price is NZ$157
for 1 room
includes taxes & fees
16 Feb - 17 Feb
The Lamb Hindon

About the area

Shaftesbury

At The Fontmell, you'll be 1.1 km (0.7 mi) from Fontmell and Melbury Downs and 4.8 km (3 mi) from Melbury Vale Winery. Highlights at this inn include a restaurant, free self-parking and a bar/lounge. .This pet-friendly inn offers free WiFi in public areas, a library and a garden. Added amenities include barbecues. There's also the convenience of free parking nearby. .Sights within a 10-minute drive of this 3.5-property class Shaftesbury inn include Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs and Gold Hill Museum.
View more Inns in ShaftesburyOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Gold Hill Museum - 8 min drive
  • Shaftesbury Abbey Museum and Garden - 8 min drive
  • Larmer Tree Gardens - 15 min drive
  • Wimborne Minster - 27 min drive
  • Longleat Safari and Adventure Park - 37 min drive

Getting around

  • Gillingham Dorset Station - 16 min drive
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.) - 38 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪San Tonino Restaurant - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪The Half Moon - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Shillingstone Railway Project - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪Amy's Fish & Chips - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Wild Garlic - ‬3 min drive

About this property

The Fontmell

Inn in Shaftesbury with restaurant and bar/lounge
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces. A library, barbecue grills, and a garden are also featured at The Fontmell. Self parking is free.

This 3.5-star Shaftesbury inn is smoke free.

  • 6 guestrooms or units
  • Library
  • Garden
  • BBQ grill(s)
  • Newspapers for purchase
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
The Fontmell offers 6 accommodations with complimentary bottles of water and coffee/tea makers. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Flat-screen televisions come with cable channels.

Bathrooms include complimentary toiletries and hairdryers. Guests can surf the web using complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is offered on a daily basis and an iron/ironing board can be requested.

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free offsite parking
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Library

Family friendly

  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Conveniences

  • Newspapers in lobby

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Garden

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Stair-free path to entrance
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service

More

  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board on request

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3 PM; check-in end time: 10 PM
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

There is no front desk at this property
Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours will receive an email with special check-in instructions and lockbox information; your host will greet you
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
If you are planning to arrive after 10 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Host will greet you, lockbox

Pets

  • Pets: GBP 15 per pet, per night
  • Only dogs are allowed
  • Maximum 2 pets
  • Certain rooms only
  • You can request a pet-friendly room by reaching out to the property at the number on the booking confirmation
    • Service animals are exempt from fees.

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 30 per night.

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Pet fee: GBP 15 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Rollaway bed fee: GBP 30 per night

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cots/infant beds and rollaway/extra beds
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards and cash
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve cots/infant beds and rollaway/extra beds. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit cards and cash.

We should mention

  • Pets are welcome in specific rooms only, which can be requested by contacting the property directly at the number on your booking confirmation (please see the Fees section for related charges).

Property is also known as

Fontmell Inn Dorset
Fontmell Inn
Fontmell Dorset
Fontmell
Fontmell Inn Shaftesbury
Fontmell Shaftesbury
The Fontmell Inn
The Fontmell Shaftesbury
The Fontmell Inn Shaftesbury

Frequently asked questions

What is the cancellation policy at The Fontmell?

The Fontmell offers free cancellation on select room rates. Check out the cancellation policy for more info.

Is parking available at The Fontmell?

Yep, The Fontmell has a free self car park.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Fontmell?

No, The Fontmell does not offer an airport shuttle service.

Is there a bar or restaurant at The Fontmell?

Yep, they've got a lounge bar and an onsite restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Fontmell?

Check-in begins at 3 PM. Check-out time is 11 AM.

The Fontmell Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 36 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 5 out of 62 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 62 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Dan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect little place in a perfect area.
A really nice place with extra little quirky rooms. Perfect for our stay for a wedding. Really loved the place.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Andrea

Stayed 1 night in May 2022

4/10 Poor

Justin

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
There is too much information to fit in this review so I have confined to bullet points: Complaints, based on facts which can all be evidenced with photographs; receipts; and audio files: - Room 4 was awful. Decoration and fittings in a very poor condition/ cleanliness / state of disrepair. We were moved to Room 5. Allot better but with cobwebs on bedside and main light shades. Lacked a curtain on upper window which allowed light to come in at unwanted times. Walls were paper thin as the music and noise from a party from the adjoining cottage could be heard in our room, as if it was in our room, to the extent that we couldn’t hear our TV over it and couldn’t sleep until after 2am! We complained but the hotel advised that they could not force them to turn the sound down but had asked to no avail. - At breakfast the milk was served in a dirty / stained jug, which looked like the remnants of gravy. A young and evidently inexperienced member of staff had filled the cafetière too full and as a result the hot coffee sprayed out when my wife depressed the filter mechanism. Luckily it did not scald her but stained her clothes and covered the table. We reported it and we’re move to another table. - After the calamity of things issues and the fact that we did not sleep, and my wife’s birthday weekend was spoilt as we were too tired to continue the next day, you would have thought that the Manager would at least be there to apologise the next morning and a good hotel would offer
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
It did not look like the photos. Breakfast, they brought out my hot food whilst I was still eating my cereal. You could tell the hot food had been sitting around a while, not freshly cooked. Room not worth the money, very expensive to drink, London prices £5 a pint of larger. Very disappointing.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

6/10 Okay

Manny

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Lovely quaint pub, good food and lovely staff. Issue with no hot water in the rooms in the evening and a dripping tap that kept us awake... but overall a nice weekend!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our room was quiet, pleasant, and clean with a comfy bed and the high ceiling the standout feature. The room had many unique features including a TV from a by-gone era (that's the only critisism but we come to watch TV).
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2020

2/10 Terrible

Dawn

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Ask for a fan!
It was so hot in the room (2), window open Made no difference, no fan, noise from heavy traffic. Booked a week in advance to have dinner, confirmed when we arrived, to find we were not allocated a table for dinner, but expected to sit on low armchairs with a coffee table to eat from. When food came it was nice though. Just hard to eat! When I asked, I was told I should have booked a table!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020

8/10 Good

paul

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020

8/10 Good

Stephanie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Overall very nice place for a wkend trip
Very attractive location and property. Friendly staff and good food - English breakfast was particularly delicious! Room 4 was quite snug but suitable for a short stay - however the bed was extremely hard and that sadly resulted in a really poor nights’ sleep.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique in having stream fed by Spring Head flowing through the building in feature glazed link to restaurant
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed in room 6 with the freestanding bath and a very comfortable bed. Lovely accommodation with good breakfast options in the morning.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

4/10 Poor

Ellie

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don’t visit
Couldn’t even get in. Horrible on the phone
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

C

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Chased in the car park at 7.15am for payment for meal which was not mine, might be good idea for guests to sign for orders made ! No breakfast available until 8am but uncovered and unappetising bowl of muesli given with unrefrigerated flask of milk Obviously not counting on return customers
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ron

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
STAY IN FONTMELL
One night staying in room 1. It was very noisy. On yelling reception I was informed that this was the extractor system from the kitchen. The room was above the kitchen. The noise would stop after service that evening. It did. Not a great issue as far as I was concerned. Had dinner in the hotel it was just excellent
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous 2 night stay with great service and outstanding food!. Definitely will be back!!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely place
Amazing. Welcoming. Clean. Beautiful
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Robin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Staff very helpful and friendly.The evening meal was delicious and breakfast was excellent. The internet was down the evening we stayed so the staff were under extreme stress because tills and card payments were impossible but they coped admirably.Well done and thankyou.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Weekend Break
Nice location, friendly staff, tasty breakfast! Would come again 😃
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Charlie

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect!!
This is one of the best places I have stayed in for ages! The staff were so attentive and helpful. There was nothing else they could have done to make the stay any nicer! The dinner we had was delicious and our room was stunning. I would definitely stay here again and would highly recommend The Fontmell to anyone looking to stay in the area.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019