5 West Quay Road, Southampton, United Kingdom | (888) 399-9863
Close to the Port of Southampton
Contemporary rooms with kettles, hairdryers, and irons
Ten large meeting rooms
On-site gym with personal trainers
Spa with indoor pool and whirlpool hot tub
Two restaurants with a bar, afternoon tea, and 24-hour room service
Long-term parking available for cruise ship passengers (for a fee)
Free Wi-Fi throughout
24-hour room service
Exercise equipment in the gym is a bit older
No mattress protectors on the beds
No minibars (except in suites)
Located near the Port of Southampton, the Grand Harbour Hotel is an upscale business property with multiple meeting rooms that attracts both cruise ship passengers and corporate travelers. The hotel completed a major renovation in 2014, and rooms are contemporary if generic, and lack minibars; some get noise from the road. Features include two restaurants, a hotel spa with an indoor pool, and an older gym with personal trainers available. It's an adequate four-pearl option overall; those looking to save can also consider the more basic Holiday Inn across the street, while those willing to pay a bit more might try the charming, quintessentially English Pig in the Wall nearby.
Scene
Upscale nautical decor in a hotel popular with cruisers and business travelers
Popular with business travelers and cruise ship passengers alike, the Grand Harbour hotel looks deceivingly industrial at first glance. Yet while the driveway-facing side of the beige-and-grey Grand Harbour Hotel resembles a factory, the decor of the octagonal lobby is more welcoming and has an upscale nautical look. It's decorated in a pleasing color palette of blue, cream, and brown and features wooden walls and wainscoting, speckled stone floors, and five brass clocks displaying the current time of five cities around the world. The other side of the hotel has an atrium with a large triangular wall of plate-glass windows, which lets natural light into the restaurant area and gives diners a table-side view of the city's medieval walls. The hotel elevators go high enough to offer a panorama of the harbor and its cruise terminals.
Location
Close to cruise terminals and the city center
The main draw of this hotel is its location near the docks of many cruise lines at the Port of Southampton, a two-minute drive away (or a nine-minute walk) away. The hotel is located on a busy road right outside of the city center, and there are several restaurants within a 10-minute walk. There's also a large shopping mall located only six minutes away by foot. The long-distance bus terminal is a 10-minute walk from the hotel while getting to the railway station takes around 15 minutes.
Rooms
Generic, contemporary rooms with flat-screen TVs and 24-hour room service
The rooms of the Grand Harbour Hotel were remodeled in 2014, and are corporate and contemporary, with busy patterned carpets, and a navy and gold color scheme accented by touches of light and dark wood. The beds do not have mattress protectors, which means that stains from past guests are sometimes evident if the sheets are pulled up. Flat-screen TVs, electric kettles, and irons are offered in every room, but there are no microwaves or minibars. Black-and-white tile bathrooms have shower/tub combos and bidets. Suites come with small balconies. Room service is available 24 hours a day, and Wi-Fi is free and unlimited.
Features
Two restaurants, a gym, and an spa with an indoor pool
The hotel has two restaurants in the atrium area: the slightly fancier Boardwalk Restaurant and the more casual Hamtun Atrium Bar & Bistro, which offers afternoon tea with champagne. There are also 10 meeting rooms that can hold up to 500 people. The big gym has its own personal trainers, but the equipment isn't the most modern. Massages and facials are offered at the on-site spa, which also features a large indoor pool and a whirlpool hot tub. Parking is available for a fee and long-term parking is available for cruise ship passengers.