Best places to stay in Portsmouth
The UK’s only island city, Portsmouth, is steeped in history and heritage, it’s the birthplace of Charles Dickens and has been home to personalities like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling during their lifetimes. A lively waterfront, magnificent museums and galleries, live music venues, rich literary heritage, nightlife and unique festivals all come together to create an unforgettable experience when you visit the city of Portsmouth.
Southsea
At the southern end of Portsmouth, the Southsea neighbourhood is home to the historic Southsea Castle, and the Blue Reef Aquarium. Southsea features several Victorian buildings, beachfront accommodation, independent shops, and plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment. Within a 7-minute walk from the Southsea Castle and D-Day Museum, you have The Clarence Hotel which offers beautiful boutique accommodation with stylish, individually-decorated rooms. A 5-minute walk from the entertainment area on South Parade Pier, you can enjoy the upscale property of Seacrest Hotel on South Parade Road. You also have the seafront property of Ocean Hotel, which is just a 2-minute walk from the Canoe Lake, South Parade Pier, and Southsea Beach. For luxurious, boutique accommodation, look at the award-winning Number Four hotel which offers quirky, colourful rooms, and is close to the Cumberland House Natural History Museum on Eastern Parade.
Old Portsmouth
The Portsmouth Cathedral is the most dominant feature in the centre of Old Portsmouth, and this neighbourhood is home to several historic Portsmouth buildings, including the Square Tower and Round Tower. Stay at the charming, family-run accommodation of Fortitude Cottage B&B located on Broad Street, with easy access to all the popular attractions in Old Portsmouth. A 7-minute walk from Clarence Pier, you have the simple, airy rooms of The Pier hotel set in a Georgian townhouse on Bellevue Terrace. Or choose the modern rooms in the waterfront property of Premier Inn Southsea hotel located a minute away from Clarence Pier. For a more luxurious stay, opt for the Queen’s Hotel, set in a stately Edwardian building on Clarence Parade.
Gunwharf Quays
Gunwharf is a hip and vibrant neighbourhood, home to the Portsmouth Harbour and the Spinnaker Tower, as well as high-street retail outlets and scores of restaurants, cafés, and bars. Enjoy stunning sea views and beautiful architectural details of the luxurious Solent Forts No Man’s Fort hotel on Gunwharf Road. Just across the street from the Gunwharf Terminal ferry port and Portsmouth Harbour train station, you can stay at Keppel’s Head Hotel, a historic property built in 1977. Or a 3-minute walk from the HMS Warrior, you also have The Ship Leopard Boutique Hotel, a Georgian-style harbour front hotel on The Hard.
Cheap hotels in Portsmouth
You can choose from a wide range of budget accommodation in Portsmouth. In the heart of the city centre, you have the Premier Inn Portsmouth City Centre hotel offering simple rooms. It is located a minute away from Portsmouth & Southsea train station. In Old Portsmouth, you can stay at The Duke of Buckingham, a low-key pub offering basic rooms, a short walk from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Closer to the ferry terminal on Kingston Crescent, you have Travelodge Portsmouth hotel which offers casual rooms with modern amenities at budget prices. You can also find several other budget accommodation options at the nearby town of Gosport, which is just a 5-minute ferry ride from Portsmouth.
