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

After a largely disappointing spring, the bank holiday weekend is set to bring with it the warmest weather of the year so far. Temperatures are predicted to go as high as 24C on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Met Office, with dry and sunny weather expected to last into next week. Many of us will be heading out to enjoy the sunshine – but as ever, it’s important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. When it comes to tanning and sunburn, there are a variety of misconceptions that still abound, and the consequences of not following sun protection advice can be severe – especially as skin cancer rates across the UK have been rising, charities have warned. Here are five sunburn myths that could be putting your health at risk… 1. The UK and Irish sun isn’t strong enough for sunburn We might grumble about the gloomy weather in our part of the world, but the risk of sunburn remains for a large part of the year. “The sun can be strong enough in the UK between mid-March and mid-October to burn you,” says Karis Betts, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, which is working in partnership with Nivea Sun to educate consumers on how to be sun safe. “You’re most likely to get burnt in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its highest point, not necessarily its hottest.” UV rays are generally strongest between 11am and 3pm, she says: “It’s wise to take a break in the shade or indoors during these hours. And remember, you can burn through clouds.” 2. You have to go red before you go brown Our complexion can turn darker in the sun due to the release of melanin as the skin attempts to protect itself, but that doesn’t mean you need to turn lobster-red first in order to try and get a tan. “This is one of the biggest myths in sun protection, and it contributes to skin damage and skin cancer cases,” says Abi Cleeve, MD of Ultrasun UK. “The fact is that as soon as the skin reddens, it’s in trauma. A ‘trauma tan’ occurs from inadequate protection where the skin appears to tan more quickly, but hasn’t – it has burned. This only ensures that the skin peels, leaving the skin tan-less in days.” To avoid this pattern, Cleeve recommends gradually building up your time in the sun, and using higher SPF sunblock: “Use high UVA and UVB filter SPF – a minimum of SPF30 with a UVA filter over 90% will protect the skin and still tan, just more slowly [and] minimising long-term damage and peeling.” 3. The odd sunburn doesn’t make a difference It’s easy to get caught out by a sudden blast of sunshine, but don’t be fooled into thinking that one instance of sunburn here and there doesn’t matter. “This is something I hear a lot but unfortunately, it’s just not true,” says Betts. “Damage to our skin from the sun is the number one cause of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, and skin damage from the sun builds up over time – it doesn’t go away after the burn fades.” That’s why wearing sunblock is crucial – even more so for children. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation: “Even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life”. 4. People with darker skin don’t get sunburnt “Anyone can get sunburnt – including people with darker skin – but your risk of getting sunburnt and how sunburn feels will depend on your skin type,” says Beth Vincent, health information manager at Cancer Research UK. “For people with lighter skin tones, sunburned skin is usually red, sore, and swollen. In people with darker skin tones, sunburned skin might not change colour but will often feel irritated, itchy, tender and sore.” While people with lighter skin tones are generally at higher risk of sunburn and skin cancer, you should still use sunblock if you’ve got darker skin or a tan. In terms of sunscreen for darker skin tones, Betts recommends: “At least SPF15 and four or five stars [for UVA protection]. Make sure to reapply it regularly and generously, especially after swimming, sweating or towelling.” 5. All body parts are created equal when it comes to sunscreen “Burning – overexposure to UVB rays – tends to happen where the skin is closer to the bone structure, and especially where the part of the body faces directly the sun’s rays,” says Cleeve. “Tops of feet, shoulders, décolleté, top of the scalp and the nose – take extra care in these areas.” Other easy-to-miss areas include the scalp or parting, ears, areas around swimwear such as straps, and shorts that might move or rise up through the day. Cleeves top tip for all-over protection? “Do your sun cream naked! Then any movement in straps, shorts won’t suddenly bare unprotected skin to the sun’s rays.” 6. Aftersun products repair the damage done by sunburn “No, they don’t,” says Vincent. “While aftersun products may soothe the unpleasant symptoms of sunburn, they won’t fix any damage that was done to the DNA inside your cells.” If you do start to notice signs of burning, cover up or get out of the sun as soon as possible, she warns: “Don’t spend more time in the sun that day – even with sunscreen. And don’t rely on aftersun to fix the damage, because it can’t.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Dame Esther Rantzen faces stage four lung cancer: key facts about the disease Camilla receives ‘beautiful’ compliment after meeting children at historic library 7 foods that could help you get better sleep

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A brand of over-the-counter hay fever tablets are likely to be popular this summer after they were hailed a “miracle cure” by social media users. Several videos made by TikTok creators have recently gone viral after they discovered that Allevia, an antihistamine that retails for as little as £4, could relieve them of hay fever’s symptoms, which include sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes or throat and more. The tablets, which claim to provide relief from symptoms for 24 hours, were previously only available on prescription but were re-classified to general sales status by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in December 2021. They are now available in most supermarkets and pharmacies. How is fexofenadine hydrochloride used? The active ingredient in the tablets is fexofenadine hydrochloride, which works by blocking the effects of histamine in the body, subsequently reducing symptoms such as itching and sneezing. Is Allevia any good? One TikTok user who was previously struggling with hay fever said all of her symptoms were “completely gone” after taking the tablet. Another shared an in-depth review of the effects of the tablets after a full day. After five hours of taking the medication, she said she hadn’t sneezed once. “This actually works. I’m impressed. My eyes are not bulging because they are itching. I feel good, I can enjoy the sun,” she said. She gave another update eight hours after taking the tablet, telling viewers that she had been out all day “around nature and plants” and still showed no symptoms. @tianarene1 it worked for me, but lmk your experience! Always read the leaflet to be safe! #allevia #alleviareview #hayfevertablets #hayfeversymtoms #hayfever ♬ original sound - Tiana René One Twitter user said: “Allevia has changed my life, what a drug.” “I have gone from having the worst hay fever you will ever see anyone have in your whole life, to feeling like I’ve never had it. Allevia, you have cured me,” a third person said. The popular tablets are stocked in most of the UK’s popular supermarkets, including Asda, Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s. They are also available in Boots and Superdrug. Side effects of Allevia include headaches, dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. Read More Triathlete proudly shares ‘beautiful’ racing photo where she bled through swimsuit while on her period A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis Parents defend Nick the Fairy Godmother’s apprentice at Disneyland after viral video Schoolboy almost dies from swallowing magnets for TikTok challenge Woman shares honest review of New York City apartment TikTok mom slammed after making 5-year-old son run in 104 degree heat

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