2nd Time coming here, it was even better from the 1st! The view is incredible, the staff are lovely…read moreand the food, although its a tad expensive, is delicious. The garden at the back of the hotel is kept in pristine condition and it is full of civilised people reading newspapers. It feels straight out of a film from the 60's. The hotel has a lovely calm, quiet and zen feel to it. It is near the sea if you enjoy the beach. Overall I think this is the best hotel/restaurant in the area. I have come here before and I would come here again. Pros: * Lovely garden * Sea view * Bar * Incredible Restaurant * Cozy Cons: * Expensive * Car park is a bit on the small side

Popped in here after a walk round the town and booked up a Dorset Cream Tea for 3 People for just…read moreunder 20 pounds. We sat outside on the deck area overlooking the gardens and cobb, an amazing viewpoint. The tea arrived with three large warm scones, three large scoops of clotted cream and a large dish of Strawberry Jam, a pot of tea, a pot of hot water, rough brown and white sugar chunks. The quality and choice of location to consume your dorset cream tea at the Alexandra Hotel is excellent and second to none. Worth a visit

We decided to try the Mariners at the top of silver street in Lyme Regis and were pleasantly…read moresurprised and impressed by the warm service and great food. Also a custom request for an adult portion of Scampi and Chips was handled without a worry. There was a fabulous 8 Oz Rump Steak cooked to prefection with field mushroom and chips and a Seafood Platter of Three Filets of Fish (Bream, Sea Bass, Hake (I think!)) with lovely fresh large mussels and Prawns. The decor was quite modern and the service impeccable, with local knowledge, pride and laughs. Also the garden out the back looks stunning from the photos however we didn't have a chance to check it. Visit The Mariners if in Lyme

I've stayed here twice and have had a wonderful time twice. Though definitely not the cheapest…read moreplace in town, it has the best location and amenities...and breakfast! The beds are very comfortable, especially the pillows - a prerequisite for a restful break. We've stayed in the family room on the top floor and a large twin on the first and both had great beds and bedding. The bar is a bit dismal and doesn't have any outstanding beers (for those you have to go to Rock Point and drink Doom Bar). Hence only four stars. The pool is great for adults and kids alike if the weather will not permit sea swimming. Off street parking though not secure is a boom in such a cramped old town centre and is worth paying extra for. But the piece de resistance is the cooked breakfast. All locally sourced products and you can customize to your heart's content, all for £13! Non-guests welcome. Highly recommend. They even do good coffee which is highly unusual for a traditional English hotel.

This review is based on the food served in the pub underneath the hotel. I can't really comment on…read morethe standard of the hotel but could only find his place on the hotel category, when in fact it's also a pub. It looks like a perfectly decent place for a drink but in terms of the food I can only say disappointing! The menu looked promising and it was packed out, with many eating. Fish & chips should be easy for a place like this so close to the harbour, but ours looked like it had come straight out the freezer. In fact, I doubt whether any of the produce on our plates was local. The chips were bland, McCain-like creations. On the plus side, the service was fine, and ale was good.

For the price (£24 a head) this is an excellent, comfortable, high quality yet value for money…read morerestaurant. It was friendly, with very good service and a warm welcome, after being invited to sit in the comfy sofas in a room where Catherine of Aragon stabled her horses, or something like that, we moved into the dining room, which still had aspects of the 1500s to it (though not the cuisine or the service). The food was very good, and the lack of a la carted was not a problem as the five or six dishes for each course offered a very good variety of high quality, freshly prepared dishes. Starter, Main and Pudding were £28 and £24 was offered for two courses. The food was contemporary, with a traditional twist! The portions were generous without being excessive, the quality very good and the service attentive and friendly. Very impressed, will go there again.

We paid over £800 for two nights at an apartment in West Bay at the end of September with Lyme Bay…read moreHolidays. There was a temperature control problem with both showers, one too hot and one two cold. I knew the showers couldn't be fixed and the retiling done during our stay so contacted them afterwards. They said no compensation was payable because I hadn't rung them during our stay. There is nothing in their terms and conditions to support this. And now they've refused to communicate with me about it. Shocking customer service! Don't stay with them.

I have just completed the rental of my third cottage with Lyme Bay Holidays in the past four years…read more After reading a mixture of reviews and having recently written to the company, I would like to share my experiences. Lyme Bay Holidays offer a very good range of attractive properties which are reasonably priced, especially if booked out of season. The first two properties, at which I stayed (August 2008 and April 2010) were attractive, spotlessly clean and immaculately presented. At A4469, the cottage is situated in the grounds of the owners' house and is lovingly cared for - even including little touches such as flowers from the garden in a vase upon arrival. A4655, having recently been refurbished, was also outstandingly presented, and situated right on the beach front. This year (May 2011) I stayed at B4399 - a popular lower budget cottage with outstanding views. The overall standard of cleanliness and presentation however was barely satisfactory. Part of the problem is probably because due to its popularity, the cottage is constantly used. However, a dirty dust covered, ill fitting and torn mattress cover, stained pillows and cushions and a heavily stained sofa were not appealing. The garden was a pretty place, but rusting dirty equipment, used cigarette butts in the brick barbecue, overgrown vegetation and filthy window ledges did not add to its allure. In addition, there was a serious damp problem. The double glazing in the bedroom was faulty, water droplets obscuring the view (According to the guest book there had been a fault for at least two years). There was also heavy mildew staining in one of the kitchen cupboards and on the bedroom blinds. If this cottage had been properly maintained and inspected it would be a joy to stay there. When I wrote to Lyme Bay Holidays, I received a courteous reply thanking me for my constructive comments, also informing me however that they would forward these to the owner and housekeeper. In other words, this was not something that they dealt with directly. So.... it would appear that where there is responsible, owner care, the properties are well maintained and clean. Having initially rated properties when they first come onto their books, Lyme Bay Holidays do not appear to have a process in place whereby cottages are regularly inspected to ensure that high standards are maintained. It is all very well for the company to claim that they are only responsible for taking the bookings and that it's up to the owners to maintain their properties. If they wish to promote a five star ethos of customer care, encouraging their customers to return in the future, they need to offer assurances that what is offered on their well presented web site and attractive, glossy brochure is actually what the customer will receive when they arrive for their hard earned holiday!