Inside Dry January’s ultimate Staycation hotel – a booze-free Isle of Wight retreat loved by ‘dry trippers’, recovering alcoholics… and guests who want to avoid noisy venues

Is This the Ultimate Staycation Hotel in Dry January? Or the perfect spot for the new trend ‘dry tripping’, where margaritas are exchanged for mocktails?

With not a single drop of alcohol around, Somerton Lodge certainly makes it easier to resist the temptations of drinking and combat peer pressure.

Then there is the beautiful rural setting, close to the beach in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

The 18-room Somerton Lodge has been rated ‘excellent’ by Hotels.com and seems a good choice for the sober – or soberly curious – traveler.

Owner John Elford is in long-term recovery from alcohol addiction and has been sober for twenty years. He told MailOnline Travel that no alcohol is sold on site – and the scheme has proven to be a success with guests.

He described the lodge primarily as “a refuge for people recovering from addiction” that provides a “safe” and “temptation-free” vacation environment without “the pressure of people drinking and asking why you don’t.”

But as well as appealing to sober guests, Mr Elford was surprised to receive patrons who “have never had any problems with alcohol” but want a quiet location without drunkenness or conflict with other guests.

‘In general, guests like the tranquility, the feeling of security and the fact that they can completely relax,” he added.

The lodge’s facilities include a library, a garden (pictured), parking, a snack bar and a restaurant where a full breakfast is served every morning

Owner John Elford (above) is in long-term recovery from alcohol addiction and has been sober for twenty years

Mr Elford said that while most people are looking for an alcohol-free environment and are ‘great’ about it, there has been the odd guest who hasn’t read the hotel information and is ‘grumpy to find out we don’t serve booze’.

Mr Elford added: ‘But in that case there are plenty of lovely pubs in the local village.

“Every now and then, after the guests have left and we’re cleaning the room, we might find some bottles or cans in the trash. We are fine with this and we do not supervise people.

“If they are buying back booze to drink in one of the public areas then we should ask them to stop. But if they respect other guests, that’s not a problem.’

Recent reviews on Hotels.com describe Somerton Lodge as ‘a beautiful Victorian building’ with a ‘great breakfast, pleasant rooms, lovely communal lounge and friendly and helpful owners’.

A double room like the one above costs £58 per night in January, according to a recent search on Hotels.com

Guest reviews praise the “great breakfast” served in the hotel’s restaurant, as pictured

‘Joanne’ scored it an ‘exceptional’ 10/10 and wrote: ‘Our room was very clean and [the] beds [were] very clean and comfortable. Manager was very friendly.’

Former guest ‘Sue’ described her stay as ‘amazing’, adding that she had a ‘lovely single room’.

In another 10/10 review, ‘Alan’ praised the owner’s knowledge of the island and said they would ‘definitely go back’.

If guests fancy a drink, Shanklin (above) offers a variety of pubs and restaurants

The lodge is open to everyone, but Mr Elford said it is “a haven for people recovering from addiction”. In the photo: a view towards Shanklin

The 18-room guest house is ‘perfectly located’ near Shanklin Beach (pictured), according to a guest review on Hotels.com

Mr Elford is now launching a second project: a global community of travel agents offering ‘down-to-earth and safe destinations’.

The project, called the Association of International Recovery Tourism (AoIRT), is now open for participation and has already attracted members around the world – from the US to Mexico, Ghana and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Prices for a double room at Somerton Lodge in January from just £58 per night. The lodge’s facilities include a library, a garden, parking, a snack bar and a restaurant where an extensive breakfast is served every morning.