Clifftops Hotel

Dorset

Atop jagged cliffs on the Isle of Portland, at Dorset’s southernmost tip, you’ll find five luxury lodges inspired by the surrounding landscape. Named Ope; Blue; Stone; Copper and Silva, each has unbounded views of the Jurassic Coast, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Polished and minimalistic, these lodges are carved from local Portland stone, naturally adorned with fossils, and complemented by oak panelling and copper fringing throughout. Part of the Pennsylvania Castle Estate, with a gothic fortress as the epicentre, the lodges sit above Church Ope Cove – the suggested location for the first recorded Viking landing in England in 789AD. While the sea-view apartments provide the perfect spot for a summer barbecue, nearby restaurants offer sea-to-plate cuisine. Try spiced whole crab at Crab House Café or head to Hall’s Kitchen on Weymouth Marina for an aromatic bouillabaisse. With an on-site wine cellar ensuring your glass remains full, you’ll be spoilt for choice of places to watch the sunset – choose apartment Ope for a hot tub overlooking the sea.

Apartments from £120pn. 01305 820918, thepennestate.co.uk

Words by Megan Dickson.

This review was taken from the May/June 2021 issue of Food and Travel.

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