What makes a holiday in Dorset? Maybe it’s fish and chips at the seaside, or hiking to the highest point on England’s south coast before rewarding yourself with a pint of local beer. Or visits to nude hill figures or an iconic limestone arch might take your fancy. This jewel of the West Country has things to do in spades – eating, drinking, active or laidback – plus plenty of on-trend hotels in which to lay your head. If Dorset’s much-extolled salted sea air and bucolic tranquillity isn’t enough to bring you utter relaxation, you’re in luck. Among the county’s hills and on its rugged coast are hotels that have getting guests to unwind baked into their being. Think warmed underground pools, blissful treatments ranging from traditional through modern, and space to just… be. There’s more to Dorset than just apple cake and Thomas Hardy. If you want a UK getaway – and to give your wellbeing a holistic boost – these are the best spa hotels in Dorset to book. The best spa hotels in Dorset are: Best for style by the sea: The Nici Best for the traditional approach: Summer Lodge Country House Hotel Best for a hidden escape: The Eastbury Best for a foodie getaway: Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa Best for coastal cool: The Pig on the Beach Best for style by the sea: The Nici Location: Bournemouth The hotel that Bournemouth – overstocked with dowdy, dated seaside accommodation – has been crying out for. Inside, spaces are filled with art, tropical prints and a hint of Art Deco; outside, the star is a 30m heated pool, very much a nod to Miami’s South Beach, and the town’s long stetch of sand can be reached by a short zig-zag path. If you can wrench yourself from a cabana, The Nici’s swish spa beckons, all soft lighting and gentle music (a change from the pumping soundtrack poolside). Treatments incorporate products from British “nutri-cosmeceutical” beauty brand Oskia, as well as CBD pioneers OTO. The latter’s Nici signature massage is a joy, where CBD-infused oils soothing tired muscles and dislodge long-held knots; afterwards, curl up in the relaxation space and pop open a can of OTO’s CBD seltzer, before making use of the steam room, sauna and indoor pool (or the gym, if you feel suitably energised post-treatment). Best for the traditional approach: Summer Lodge Country House Hotel Location: Evershot Summer Lodge remains Dorset’s countryside grande dame (and the county’s only five-star hotel). The quintessential rural pad, it has beautifully restored rooms with high ceilings, watercolours, and chandeliers. The four-acre estate is set in Evershot, a village little changed since it featured in local author Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles (and while there, prop up the bar or sit beside the fire at the trad-yet-cool Acorn Inn). The spa is a major highlight of Summer Lodge, packed with Elemis treatments, from deep-cleansing facials through to rejuvenating wraps, plus a hefty list of massages and manicures. Bespoke spa packages can be arranged depending on the occasion, and if you’re on a family break there are special “junior” treatments for younger guests. Wellbeing extends to a gym, sauna and heated indoor pool, and there are quiet corners of the fragrant gardens in which to unwind in private. Best for a hidden escape: The Eastbury Location: Sherborne This is perhaps the prettiest little spa in the West Country, hidden at the bottom of The Eastbury’s walled garden and reminiscent of a Hobbit hole. Only the occasional ringing of bells from the abbey reminds you that you’re in the historic market town of Sherborne. There are two treatment rooms, where massage therapy mollifies any pesky aches, as well as a hydrotherapy tub, sauna and relaxation areas which you have all to yourself (you book the space by the hour). The hotel dates from the 18th century, built as gentleman’s townhouse, so expect plenty of traditional style as well as modern touches brought in during a 2018 refurb. Since the start of 2023, they no longer have a restaurant (a shame, as chef Matthew Street’s tasting menus were impressive) but instead offers breakfast, light lunches and afternoon tea. Best for a foodie getaway: Christchurch Harbour Hotel & Spa Location: Christchurch Christchurch’s natural harbour is wonderful sweep of the Dorset coast, and the best ways to soak up its views – over to Mudeford Spit and its expensive beach huts, and beyond to the Channel – is by staying at its namesake hotel. The 1930s property has a blended palette of muted and vibrant tones inside, and right on the water is its headline restaurant, The Jetty. It’s seafood-heavy menu comes from Alex Aitkin, who held a Michelin star at Le Poussin; for a reliable, fresh taste of local waters, plump for the catch of the day. The HarSpa is found below-ground – they describe it as “subterranean” – and is lit by coloured spotlights around a heated pool and whirlpool tub. While away a day on one of the sun loungers (indoor and outdoor), an activity you can break up with Espa beauty treatments or full-body massages. The spa menu also features offerings designed specifically for men and pregnant women. Best for coastal cool: The Pig on the Beach Location: Studland The litter of Pig hotels has one of its very finest locations in east Dorset, at the edge of land overlooking the Old Harry Rocks chalk formation. There’s whimsy in the turrets and sloping roofs that make up the 16th-century manor, and – in classic Pig aesthetic – there’s a surrealism in the luxe Victoriana-meets-countryside décor. The restaurant makes use of the county’s incredible larder, only sourcing produce within a 25-mile radius, and its menu favours unfussy, well-paired flavours. Don’t forget to visit the pigs and sheep in their pens, which you can hear as you knock back cocktails (try the rum-drenched Jungle Pig 2.0) on the lawn. Beyond the garden, which guests can discover down a path, are two adorable shepherd’s huts. These comprise the spa, simple and understated. They’re very Mr McGregor’s garden (of The Tale of Peter Rabbit fame) in style, in keeping with the kitchen garden ethos of the restaurant. The six treatments, each 60 minutes and costing £115, use products from the County Sligo seaweed brand VOYA. thepighotel.com Read more on the best Dorset hotels

Wrexham owners and Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are part of an investor group that has bought a 24 per cent in F1 team Alpine. Renault, the Formula One team’s parent company, confirmed that Reynolds and McElhenney had joined RedBird Capital Partners, the US investment firm who own Italian football club AC Milan and also have stakes in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, in the deal. The 24 per cent equity purchase of £171m values Alpine at around £706m and the team said they will hope to compete for the F1 championship following the increased investment. Alpine, who are based in Britain and were born after Renault rebranded its F1 outfit two years ago, finished fourth in the constructors championship behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes last season. Reynolds and McElhenney made their first steps into sports ownership when they announced a shock takeover of non-league side Wrexham in 2020. Under their ownership and alongside the popular documentary show Welcome to Wrexham, the Welsh side returned to the Football League with promotion last season following a memorable campaign. Hollywood actor and Creed star Michael B Jordan, who has a minority stake in Premier League team Bournemouth, and US-based Otro Capital are also among the new group of investors in Alpine, the team confirmed. Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said: "This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels." Read More Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney insist they will not get bored at Wrexham Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of

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Lando Norris’s agent held a meeting with a Red Bull chief at Silverstone over the weekend, adding to speculation that the British driver could be set to join the championship winning team in the future. A meeting between Norris’s manager Mark Berryman and Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, spotted by the Daily Telegraph at Silverstone over the weekend, has fuelled talk that the Brit may be being headhunted. The pair met a couple of hours before Sunday’s British Grand Prix. It seems unlikely that Red Bull would be pushing to split up their current driver setup, given how successful the partnership between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez has been in the last two of years, but things change quickly in Formula 1. Norris finished fourth in Austria which surprised many people before his second place at Silverstone took the Briton to another level. He raised eyebrows when passing Verstappen at the start of the race and held on to keep the championship leader at bay for five laps. Add to that the calm composure he displayed to hold off Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages, despite being on a set of cold hard tyres, and Norris is proving just how good a driver he was always believed to be. Marko himself insisted after Sunday’s race that there was no chance Perez would be released before his current contract expires at the end of 2024 saying: “In the last 10 laps he was the fastest driver in the field ... His position is not in danger at all.” Yet, Perez remains under scrutiny due to a down tick in his own form. He qualified 15th at Silverstone making it the fifth race in a row he failed to reach Q3, though time is on his side. Verstappen has a runaway lead and is nailed on for a third world championship which would also help Red Bull take the constructor’s title too leaving Perez ample opportunity to rediscover his form. Read More The moment Lando Norris came of age in British Grand Prix – and it wasn’t his super start Lando Norris ‘honoured’ to join Lewis Hamilton in battle for Formula One glory Max Verstappen storms to British Grand Prix victory with two Brits on the podium

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 20, 2023--

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UPDATE: May. 20, 2023, 5:00 a.m. EDT This list has been updated with the latest