Parking in Weymouth

I apologise for the domestic nature of my question.

I am staying for a few days in Weymouth at the Royal Hotel at the end of the month.

Where is the best, easiest place to park? Is the parking on the Esplanade metered?

Hotel says - on street chargeable parking.

^^ This. Nice walk back through the harbour too.

Indeed. All the council car parks seem to charge the same £15 a day rate, with no cheap long term option for visitors.

It doesn't help that they seem to have given up on the big park and ride site built for the Olympics which no longer has a 'ride' element, and you have to walk to the nearest road and catch a normal town bus. But I believe it is free to park (but limited to 72hrs).

The issue with street parking is that all the areas around the town centre are densely populated, roads like St Leonards mentioned above always seem jam parked with residents' cars.

If it were me (although I just walk into town from my parents' house when visiting) I'd look to park up by the hospital, nice wide suburbs road with plenty of spaces, and then a nice stroll along the seafront back to the hotel.

I've just looked on Google Maps to remind myself where the Royal is, and it appears that the nearest carpark is in the street behind it, what used to be the cinema car park in my youth. Looks like that is only 6 a day so might be worth checking first.