Bella Vista (Book direct for Best Prices) - Swanage

John G.

My wife and I plus bertie our collie stayed at the Bella Vista Hotel from 14th April until 16th 2024. We were very warmly welcomed by Naomi and William Duffield.
The ethos of the hotel is very nice and relaxed for a bed and breakfast.
The room was very comfortable and the view was outstanding looking across to the Isle of Wight.
The breakfast was absolutely fantastic. Sausages to die for smoked backed bacon. Home made bread and toasted.
The walk down to the beach is a little bit steep but it's not far.
I would like to thank naomi and William for there kind hospitality.

Sian S.

We had a lovely 3 night stay at Bella Vista. We travelled with our 3 month old baby and our dog and were made to feel very welcome by Naomi and William. There was a great selection at breakfast and it was all very tasty. We stayed in Room 2 which was really spacious and had a decent sized on-suite with shower. Both the room and the en-suite were very clean - something I am very particular about, but it met my high standards. Great location and only a short walk into Swanage. We will definitely come and stay here again.

Arko

This is a superb bead and breakfast with lovely and helping hosts William and Naomi. The sea view scene from the garden and some rooms is just amazing. They kindly moved us to the garden for breakfast and I can say it was one the most memorable breakfasts of my life( apart from the view, the breakfast itself was great!).
Totally recommend staying here!

Andy W.

We spent last weekend at the Bella Vista for our Ruby wedding anniversary. From the welcome we received, and the lovely reception & stairway up to our room, until sadly it was time to say goodbye, Naomi & William were excellent hosts indeed. Fantastic sea views too, and great to see the sunrise on the 1st morning we were there. Breakfast, i could say a lot... but 10/10 for sure, and also lovely to have it outside on a couple mornings, accompanied by the friendly dog Rooty. Perfect location, we love Swanage - also not that far from home - so not the 1st time we'd been ! Great location for walking into town & the amenities.

Andy S.

Stayed for 2 nights during really hot weather in August 2022. Our room (4) has stunning views over the sea and the Needles in the distance. The short steep path to the sea is right next door and the sandy beach is great as is the small cafe right there. A lovely walk into Swanage along the beach starts here.
Breakfast was fantastic and we ate on the decking area overlooking the sea.
The Isle of Purbeck and Dorset coast are fabulous areas to explore - the Isle of Purbeck golf course is amazing as well.
All in all a lovely trip and totally recommended.

Andy W.

Had a very enjoyable weekend at the Bella Vista for our Ruby wedding anniversary. Lovely place and welcome from our hosts Naomi and William. Excellent sea views from our room, breakfast was 10/10. Shame it had to end, but plenty to do while we were there.

Genghis K.

What a fantastic place to be. Nicely situated outside the busy center of Swanage on a more quiet area with a beautiful view of the sea from the backyard. We had a wonderful weekend and the hosts, Naomi and William, are lovely people. They will explain everything you need to know about the area. And, on top of that, the breakfast was truly fantastic, 10 out of 10, prepared with love and with top quality local products, what a treat. We visited during storm Dennis weekend but didn't care about it at all thanks to such a nice stay. Thank you Naomi and William, this was our first outing since we live in the UK and you set the standards quite high for our next destinations. Regards, Ann & Alex.

Kate A.

Lovely, relaxing stay (early August, 2022) at this comfortable and welcoming B&B, at the north end of Swanage Bay.

Upon arrival, Naomi introduced us to Rutti, the chocolate lab. Sweet, gentle and well-mannered. (Even if - like me - you're not particularly a 'dog person', it was a pleasure to make her acquaintance, and to see her again at various points throughout our stay.)

We stayed in the sea-facing family room 7. A beautiful, tranquil prospect, with the sunrise over the sparkling water, and the gently breaking waves a soothing soundtrack to drift off to sleep to, each night. The room was light, bright, spacious and comfortable, with plenty of storage. Great shower.

(Suggestion: the window-seat cushion was very slippy-slidey; one of those rubber/silicone grip mats between it and the wooden seat base might help to hold it in place when in use.)

The breakfasts were quite simply the best of any of the many B&Bs we have stayed at. Great choice, and extremely generous. Particular highlights were: the toast, made from William's divine homemade bread (spelt flour milled in Lyme Regis, I believe he said); the generous and varied fresh fruit salad; the perfect, creamy scrambled eggs, garnished with paprika; the luscious black-pepper-crusted grilled tomatoes.

Upon arrival, we were told that the rooms were not serviced each day - but that, as we were staying a full 7 days, our bedding would be changed halfway through the week. If we needed fresh towels, or to have the bin emptied, we should put them outside the room. This came as a genuine surprise; we have never before stayed in a B&B where there has not been daily housekeeping of the room: beds made, and a light clean/tidy. (Is this a post-Covid thing...?) On the first occasion that we left a full bin outside the door, it was still there when we returned from our day out. The next day, we left it (and a couple of towels) a little further from the door, on the main landing (room 7 is tucked away, around a corner). This time, the bin was emptied, and the towels replaced. Our bedding was not changed mid-stay.

Bella Vista is right next to the path down to the North Beach (a privately owned beach, but fully accessible). From here, central Swanage is a pleasant, 10-minute beach-side stroll.

We were guaranteed a parking space - something very important to me, and often not the case with many B&Bs/hotels. On one occasion when the small guest car park was full, William kindly moved his car from their private spot, which I really appreciated.

Another very helpful and welcome touch was the big fridge-freezer available for guest use, in Reception.

All in all, a fab B&B, in a great location. Would be very happy to stay here again.