WInchester Hotel & Spa?

I was thinking on staying in Winchester 2 nights pre cruise. Someone mentioned Winchester Hotel & Spa, any other suggestions on hotels?

Has anybody stayed at this hotel?

What are your thoughts on this hotel?

They say the hotel is walking distance from the Cathedral, is that correct?

I was thinking of taking the National Express Coach from Heathrow to the hotel. How far is the hotel from the Winchester Coach station? Would we need to take a taxi from the Coach station to the hotel?

The Nat Express bus stop is near King Alfred's statue in the Broadway, just two minutes from Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Hotel & Spa is about 3/4 of a mile from both, a 15 to 20 minute walk.

Not a strenuous walk, but with luggage best to take a cab - there's a cab rank near the bus stop.

Can I suggest you walk to the cathedral via the castle's Great Hall (nothing else of the castle survives) and mebbe the little museum over West Gate, then downhill & thru the pedestrianized High Street past the Buttercross.

If the weather's fine, The Bishop on the Bridge is a good place for a liquid lunch.

The ruins of the Bishop's Palace are close by.

If you don't fancy the walk back, the nearest cab rank is that one in The Broadway.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/The+Winchester+Hotel,+Worthy+Ln,+Winchester+SO23+7AB/The+Great+Hall,+The+Castle,+Winchester+SO23+8UJ/Winchester+Cathedral,+Winchester/The+Broadway,+Winchester+SO23+9BE/The+Bishop+on+the+Bridge,+High+Street,+Winchester/@51.0644961,-1.3222377,15z/data=!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x48740df37e733b3b:0xba7318d5893b86bf!2m2!1d-1.3168228!2d51.0698572!1m5!1m1!1s0x48740d8dd4b56e4b:0x8ace22af81c8af79!2m2!1d-1.3194671!2d51.06334!1m5!1m1!1s0x48740d88fd71060d:0x1b980e7e2b0eb7ea!2m2!1d-1.3131538!2d51.0606892!1m5!1m1!1s0x487412761ea8be47:0x175bed9611b703a0!2m2!1d-1.3093404!2d51.0613141!1m5!1m1!1s0x48740d89ed5baffb:0x796427776fb06002!2m2!1d-1.308002!2d51.0609338!3e2

There are hotels closer to the cathedral.

For instance the Mercure Wessex is right next to it - an ugly modern hotel, but doubtless very nice inside.

But by all accounts the Winchester Hotel is very acceptable, and probably the best combination of price & location.

JB :)

Thanks for the information and another hotel name which is much closer to the Cathedral.

We have to decide if we want to take a car service or National Express (Heathrow-Winchester -1 1/2 hours, Winchester-Southampton). National Express is cheaper (about £20/pp) plus taxis vs car service.

We plan on taking International Friends post cruise with stops at Stonehenge, Windsor to our London hotel.

If we decide a car service, is there any sights along to way to see?

 

If we decide a car service, is there any sights along to way to see?

The journey from Heathrow to Winchester is 52 miles / 60 minutes of extremely boring motorway from start to finish.

There are a few places tolerably close to your route - Odiham castle ruins, Milestones museum, Basing House, The Vyne and the Willis museum are all within a couple or three miles of the motorway.

Whitchurch silk mill will add about 10 miles to your journey, as will Gilbert White's house & garden at Selborne or Jane Austen's house at Chawton near Alton. Highclere Castle ("Downton Abbey") involves a completely different route, about 20 miles longer, most of it equally-boring motorway

Winchester to Southampton is only 16 miles / 20 minutes direct, again with nothing of interest en-route.

The only thing I can think of that would remotely make any sense at all would be to cut west from Winchester to Stockbridge & down to Southampton via the Test Valley. Perhaps stop off at Mottisfont Abbey. A much more attractive route but would broadly double the mileage and treble the journey time. Plus any time at Mottisfont. Mebbe worthwhile in a rented car, but likely to be expensive with a car and driver.

Alternatively, assuming this is your sailing day, head into Southampton tolerably early, check in your bags at the cruise terminal (check the earliest you can do that cos it seems to be different with different cruise lines) and take a walk round old-town Southampton (Tudor House & Garden, Medieval Merchant's House, the Bargate etc). perhaps combined with some retail therapy (Above Bar shopping street & big West Quay mall just the other side of the Bargate).

Google those places, see what you think.

JB :)

Thanks for the information, something to think about.

phabric ~

Just to supplement the excellent and comprehensive information and suggestions already provided by JB...

Here are a couple of inns you might wish to consider. Both are virtually in the center of town. (Winchester is fairly compact anyway and easily explored on foot.) The Old Vine is just across the green from the cathedral, and the Wykeham Arms is tucked away on a charming street behind the cathedral.

I haven't stayed overnight at either of these, but I have enjoyed some of the liquid refreshments and meals served at both establishments. ;) Both places have a most pleasant ambiance. :D

http://www.oldvinewinchester.com/

http://www.wykehamarmswinchester.co.uk/

Stayed at the Holiday Inn, Winchester (just out of town) couple of years ago, quite nice. 5 pound taxi ride into the centre of Winchester.:p