An award winning Dorset hotel steeped in centuries of history is marking a major milestone this year as it celebrates 50 years as a family run business.
The Priory in Wareham, which first opened its doors as a hotel in June 1976, has welcomed generations of guests for relaxed stays, long lunches and special celebrations beside the River Frome.
The courtyard of The Priory, near Wareham Quay, feels special from the moment you first enter
Arrived at auction to buy furniture
Now, half a century on, the family is preparing to honour its past while looking firmly to the future, and will throw a garden party on Saturday 6th June 2026 to celebrate, with afternoon tea, music, garden games, a grill and drinks.
Other promotions are being run throughout the anniversary year, which have so far included a raffle, and an opportunity to book rooms and meals for £50 a time – which unsurprisingly were very quickly snapped up.
Since a religious house was founded on the site, most likely by Saint Aldhelm around 700 AD, the building has been a priory, a nunnery, a monastery, a private home and apartments, before it was bought in 1975 by two brothers with a vision.
They had arrived at an auction to buy furniture, but when they saw The Priory up for sale – at that time it was the private residence of John Greenwood, the vice chairman of Boots the Chemist – they knew they had to have it.
With history going back more to around 700 AD, The Priory has been a hotel for the past 50 years
“Full of character and charm”
Katie Hart, marketing director and part of the third generation now involved in running the hotel, said:
“My grandfather was an accountant by trade and he and his brother had gone to the auction to look at furniture, but when he saw the house he had to have it.
“It was around the time when people were buying old properties to turn into hotels so he and his brother bought it and opened it a year later with five rooms.
“Grandma and my grandfather lived on site and ran the hotel together, then my father Jeremy Merchant, now the managing partner, got involved in the late 1990s and eventually took over the business.
“My brother and I have got involved in the last three or four years, I look after marketing and Ben is learning the ropes from a general management perspective.
“The Priory has been in the same family for 50 years which is quite special in itself these days. It’s full of character and charm and even when full of people, it still has this peace and tranquility about it – we are just 100 yards from a high street, but you feel like you are in a bubble here.”
A garden party on the lawns in front of the River Frome will be held in June to mark 50 years since the hotel opened
“This is a really special spot”
Katie added:
“The Priory has always been about people – our guests, our team, and the family values that have shaped the way we do things. I’ve always seen how much care has gone into the hotel, it’s a lifestyle as much as a business.
“The reason that the hotel has stood the test of time is the integrity of what it’s about and keeping the values of the hotel consistent – the personal and attentive service that guests get here will never change.
“Our guests know that if there’s a particular wine vintage they want or something special on the menu, or bed linen instead of a duvet, then we will make sure it happens, we always go over and above to build trust with our guests, which is really important.
“We do a lovely Saturday morning yoga class, outside if it’s warm, and all you can hear is birdsong and the river and it is absolutely beautiful.
“People visit and sometimes they really don’t do very much at all, just have a long breakfast, sit down by the river, read a book next to the fire and take life really slowly.
“We are pretty analogue here and appreciate a real book or a real newspaper to read, so if you want to sit and watch the river go by, why not? This is a really special spot.”
The Garden Restaurant has an outstanding reputation for service and food, and a wonderful view
A string of accolades
The commitment to quality and authenticity has not gone unnoticed – in 2025, the hotel enjoyed a string of accolades, including Hotel of the Year in the Food Lifestyle Awards and being named as the Good Hotel Guide’s most romantic hotel and its best hotel in the South West.
More recently, in the inaugural Wareham Business Awards, announced at the end of January 2026, The Priory was named hospitality business of the year, independent business of the year and overall business of the year.
The Garden Room, a glass fronted restaurant overlooking the river, is accredited as one of Dorset’s best dining destinations by the Trencherman’s and Good Hotel Guide, and has played a large part in the hotel’s success – but things could have been very different.
During the early years, it had been planned to add an extension to the front of the hotel, overlooking the river, but permission was repeatedly denied.
The Garden Room restaurant champions local produce to help create a special dining experience
“Trying to create a special experience”
Katie Hart said:
“That’s actually worked out really well for us, as it means we still have a gorgeous sun trap on the terrace and the restaurant, which was added in 2017, still benefits from a wonderful view and doesn’t interfere with our beautiful frontage.
“The idea was that the restaurant would be temporary and act as a juxtaposition to the historic property, to complement it.
“We wanted it to add a different, special dining experience, something that would work well for lunches but could also be really intimate for dinners, with an ambience and atmosphere to it.
“We have kept the tradition of having your aperitif and canapes in the drawing room or terrace, then being guided through to the restaurant.
“We are trying to create a special experience, where people can celebrate big occasions, with a special menu where much of the produce is sourced locally.”
Aperitifs and canapes are served in the Cloisters Bar before guests are taken through to the dining room
Lobster from Kimmeridge Bay
Katie added:
“Stephan Guinebault, our chef, has been with us since 2006 and is absolutely amazing, he likes to celebrate really good local produce, like the Kimmeridge Bay lobster and Dorset chateaubriand which are on our treat yourself menu, classics which have stood the test of time.
“Stephan spends a lot of time with local butchers and producers and has built up amazing relationships with them over the years he has been here.
“He grew up in the Loire Valley with experience in Michelin starred restaurants and combines classical French training with Dorset produced food, like Purbeck venison or trout.
“If we cannot get lobster from Kimmeridge Bay, it won’t be on the menu, we will not fly it in from Canada – predominantly all of our meat comes from Dorset farmers, though occasionally we might stray as far as Devon.
“As for the future, there are always ideas, whether that’s adding new rooms or enhancing what we already offer. But anything we do has to be in line with our values – personal service, attention to detail and a deep respect for The Priory’s history.”
A riverside location means that guests can arrive at the hotel by boat
The drawing room is a perfect place to read the morning’s newspapers
One of the bedrooms at the award winning hotel
JJ’s Speakeasy is The Priory’s speakeasy bar in its undercroft
Breakfast on the terrace gets a lazy day off to a perfect start
Further information
- Take a tour of The Priory Hotel on its website
