Best hotel in Southampton

[sotonjoe]

We are just about to book this hotel too....anyone know how secure the parking is ?

 

it's just an outdoor car park so not especially secure. It's not in a rough part of town though so there shouldn't be any need to worry.

[P1TKL]

it's just an outdoor car park so not especially secure. It's not in a rough part of town though so there shouldn't be any need to worry.

 

 

Thanks....do you know whether it is situated behind the hotel as oppose to further down the road ?

[Presto2]

Thanks....do you know whether it is situated behind the hotel as oppose to further down the road ?

 

Hi, we had a look on maps.google and it looks like it is right behind the building. Must admit it does look like a lovely hotel so we are crossing our fingers that it is as good as the web site !

 

:)

[clivep]

As their website now explains, the evening meal is 3 course and the breakfast is full English. Apparently you order the evening meal from the a la carte menu (which they e-mailed to me) with the steak carrying a £5 surcharge.

[tony13579]

If you fancied something a bit different the Bell at brook is a hotel on the edge of the New Forest linked with the Bramshaw golf course with ponies as obsticles! The food is really good consistant standard. Many AA good food Awards.

 

Its about a 15 min trip to the cruise terminal.

http://www.receptionbell.co.uk/hotels/hampshire/the-bell-inn-hotel-dhbdb.htm

[fastforward]

As their website now explains, the evening meal is 3 course and the breakfast is full English. Apparently you order the evening meal from the a la carte menu (which they e-mailed to me) with the steak carrying a £5 surcharge.

 

Hi Clive, traveling down from Leeds myself next month, unsure whether to drive down or go by rail. The rail fare seems on the expensive side, so might drive down. Any tips on the easiest way to get from Leeds to Southampton, apart from getting a flight.

[clivep]

I use viamichelin.com to find the route. Down the M1 until Northampton then straight down past Oxford. Should be about 4 hours.

[Andyboy]

We got the Jurys for £49 for a family room through expedia.

[DamianG]

Hi Fastforward.

We've driven to Southampton many times from Leeds.The usual route is M1 - A43 - M40 - A34 - M3 - A33 (and it is a lot simpler than it sounds). We usually set off around 7:30am, stop at Donnington for breakfast, then stop again further South. Depending on traffic and in particular roadworks we usually arrive between 12:30 and 1:00pm.

The coach service is good but not as quick, especially coming home.

All the best.

Damian

[fastforward]

Thanks, clivep & DamianG.

[Mike1948]

There are two Wetherspoons pubs in the docks/shopping areas of Southampton. All of their pubs now open for breakfast at 7am. One is near the entrance to Ocean Village (the place, not the cruise ship), just beyond Dock Gate 4, and the other is south of the Bargate in Southampton High Street.

[Andyboy]

Can anyone tell me if there is anything around the Jurys Hotel so we can walk to somewhere nearby to eat out?

[fastforward]

Looked on Trip Advisor at Southampton hotel reviews, it makes grim reading. Nothing approaching a reasonable standard, filth and squalor seem to be the order of the day. Southampton as a city seems to have nothing to recommend it, chain stores, car parks, pound shops, and the abandon all hope who enter here Ikea.

[Presto2]

Looked on Trip Advisor at Southampton hotel reviews, it makes grim reading. Nothing approaching a reasonable standard, filth and squalor seem to be the order of the day. Southampton as a city seems to have nothing to recommend it, chain stores, car parks, pound shops, and the abandon all hope who enter here Ikea.

 

That seems a bit extreem - the reviews on tripadvisor aren't that bad? :confused:

Have you read the ones for Southampton Docks - some hotels don't come out too bad ----------- I have read far worse!

[CASPALL]

"Can anyone tell me if there is anything around the Jurys Hotel so we can walk to somewhere nearby to eat out?"

 

 

We stayed in Jury's in May and decided to eat in the bar. Not recommended (breakfast was also pretty poor)

We discovered the next day that a 10 min walk across the park takes you to some better options - en route to the shopping centre.

 

Caryl

[Jellybelly1]

fast forward, we did the train from darlington (about an hour and half up passed leeds) to southampton two weeks ago for our cruise on the ventura. overall we found the journey enjoyable and found it was the quickest option for us. The train took 4 and half hours, we worked out driving would take around 6 hours.

 

The only bad part about the train was going through the London underground from kings cross to waterloo at friday rush hour. Although the tube journey was only around 15 minutes, it was awful having to carry a massive suitcase up and down stairs and escalators, all the lifts in the tube stations where out of order also. People pushed passed us and it was very stressful.

 

When we disembarked the ventura on saturday morning we dreaded our tube connection but found it so much easier than on the way down. We found the saturday was quiet and the tube trains very quiet, it was so much easier.

 

The night before our cruise we stayed at the etap hotel. I was quite concerned about staying at the hotel as I had seen some pretty rubbish reviews on it on the net. A lot of people seemed to be complaining about the noise levels outside. But i found the hotel to be perfect for what we needed, yes it was basic but clean and functional. The etap is located 2 minutes away from the train station so you can just walk from the train station with ease. The hotel also is opposite mcdonalds and tgi fridays for a bite to eat. We also found there was a retail and shopping centre within around a 5 minute walk should you forget to pack anything. On the morning of our cruise we ordered a taxi which took about 15 minutes and cost £6.00.

 

Overall i would recommend the train. For us, driving would have been more expensive by the time we had paid for parking at the port and paid for petrol. By getting the train it also meant that we could both chill out. If you do choose to train it, I would reccomend going through london at a quiet time of day or getting a connecting train via birmingham so you dont have to go through the tube.

 

If i do another cruise i would chose the train again.

 

Hope this helps.

[scrozuk]

fast forward, we did the train from darlington (about an hour and half up passed leeds) to southampton two weeks ago for our cruise on the ventura. overall we found the journey enjoyable and found it was the quickest option for us. The train took 4 and half hours, we worked out driving would take around 6 hours.

 

The only bad part about the train was going through the London underground from kings cross to waterloo at friday rush hour. Although the tube journey was only around 15 minutes, it was awful having to carry a massive suitcase up and down stairs and escalators, all the lifts in the tube stations where out of order also. People pushed passed us and it was very stressful.

 

When we disembarked the ventura on saturday morning we dreaded our tube connection but found it so much easier than on the way down. We found the saturday was quiet and the tube trains very quiet, it was so much easier.

 

The night before our cruise we stayed at the etap hotel. I was quite concerned about staying at the hotel as I had seen some pretty rubbish reviews on it on the net. A lot of people seemed to be complaining about the noise levels outside. But i found the hotel to be perfect for what we needed, yes it was basic but clean and functional. The etap is located 2 minutes away from the train station so you can just walk from the train station with ease. The hotel also is opposite mcdonalds and tgi fridays for a bite to eat. We also found there was a retail and shopping centre within around a 5 minute walk should you forget to pack anything. On the morning of our cruise we ordered a taxi which took about 15 minutes and cost £6.00.

 

Overall i would recommend the train. For us, driving would have been more expensive by the time we had paid for parking at the port and paid for petrol. By getting the train it also meant that we could both chill out. If you do choose to train it, I would reccomend going through london at a quiet time of day or getting a connecting train via birmingham so you dont have to go through the tube.

 

If i do another cruise i would chose the train again.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Will admit the Etap does have a bad reputation, and unfortunately deserved. What I've been told by a friend who has stayed there a few times is that Friday and Saturday nights are usually the worst, as you get the clubbers using it to doss down in after being in the clubs, and on occasion my friend saw all sorts of things.

 

Come Sunday night, it calms down. Recommendation is to go to the IBIS next door instead.

 

Scrozuk

Gutted at having to watch his cruise sail off without him.

[fastforward]

fast forward, we did the train from darlington (about an hour and half up passed leeds) to southampton two weeks ago for our cruise on the ventura. overall we found the journey enjoyable and found it was the quickest option for us. The train took 4 and half hours, we worked out driving would take around 6 hours.

 

The only bad part about the train was going through the London underground from kings cross to waterloo at friday rush hour. Although the tube journey was only around 15 minutes, it was awful having to carry a massive suitcase up and down stairs and escalators, all the lifts in the tube stations where out of order also. People pushed passed us and it was very stressful.

 

When we disembarked the ventura on saturday morning we dreaded our tube connection but found it so much easier than on the way down. We found the saturday was quiet and the tube trains very quiet, it was so much easier.

 

The night before our cruise we stayed at the etap hotel. I was quite concerned about staying at the hotel as I had seen some pretty rubbish reviews on it on the net. A lot of people seemed to be complaining about the noise levels outside. But i found the hotel to be perfect for what we needed, yes it was basic but clean and functional. The etap is located 2 minutes away from the train station so you can just walk from the train station with ease. The hotel also is opposite mcdonalds and tgi fridays for a bite to eat. We also found there was a retail and shopping centre within around a 5 minute walk should you forget to pack anything. On the morning of our cruise we ordered a taxi which took about 15 minutes and cost £6.00.

 

Overall i would recommend the train. For us, driving would have been more expensive by the time we had paid for parking at the port and paid for petrol. By getting the train it also meant that we could both chill out. If you do choose to train it, I would reccomend going through london at a quiet time of day or getting a connecting train via birmingham so you dont have to go through the tube.

 

If i do another cruise i would chose the train again.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info and advice. I'm not sure I can afford the train fare, the price of tickets from leeds is very high. If they were cheaper I would use the train without question, I think I can get there on a tank and half which would work out cheaper than two return rail tickets.

[jocap]

Will admit the Etap does have a bad reputation, and unfortunately deserved. What I've been told by a friend who has stayed there a few times is that Friday and Saturday nights are usually the worst, as you get the clubbers using it to doss down in after being in the clubs, and on occasion my friend saw all sorts of things.

 

Come Sunday night, it calms down. Recommendation is to go to the IBIS next door instead.

 

Scrozuk

Gutted at having to watch his cruise sail off without him.

We stayed at the Etap before our Ventura cruise last week, over the Friday night, and the noise from the kids outside was truly awful. We were shattered from the long train ride down, and thought we could sleep on a clothes-line, but this was beyond a joke! At 1.20, we were woken by the crowds using Macdonalds as a bottle smashing place, followed by mad car races round the nearby roads. It tailed off at around 3am. There's no kettle in the room to cheer you through this long night; the loo hadn't been cleaned and the washbasin- which is in the bedroom- was choked and stank. It's back to the Novotel next time!

Jo.

[Andyboy]

"Can anyone tell me if there is anything around the Jurys Hotel so we can walk to somewhere nearby to eat out?"

 

 

We stayed in Jury's in May and decided to eat in the bar. Not recommended (breakfast was also pretty poor)

We discovered the next day that a 10 min walk across the park takes you to some better options - en route to the shopping centre.

 

Caryl

 

Thanks for replying Caryl. The 10 minute walk sounds good. Any idea how far the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal - Berth 38/39 is from The Jurys? That is where we are departing from.

 

Thanks. Andy.

[lostinvegas]

I stayed in the Etap after watching the England vs Mexico football game because I had a meeting on the Isle of White the next day.

 

I found the hotel to be fine, its basic but is much better than a Formula 1 hotel (same chain) as the rooms are en suite. You get free broadband Internet too which is useful if your working. I found the hotel very quiet and did not have any problems sleeping. It was all very clean.

 

I am fairly sure that if you staying in the other hotels in close proximity you would have trouble with noise at the weekend. Its more an anti social behaviour problem that a problem with the actual hotel.

 

Chris

[MrsNobby]

Thanks for replying Caryl. The 10 minute walk sounds good. Any idea how far the Queen Elizabeth II Cruise Terminal - Berth 38/39 is from The Jurys? That is where we are departing from.

 

Thanks. Andy.

 

Hi sorry to butt in but thought you might like to know this. I stayed at Jury's in May with two other female friends this year prior to party cruise on Arcadia. Thought the hotel was clean comfortable food not amazing but for £79 for three people including breakfast ok.

 

When we got off Arcadia and got taxi to airport was talking to the female taxi driver about our stay etc and mentioned about staying at Jury's in and how we hadn't gone out cos it was raining so didnt want to walk across the park to town. She told us that we shouldn't walk across park as the area at the back of the Jury's Inn was the red light district and 'you never know what you are going to find in the park'.

 

It wouldn't put me off staying in the Jury's Inn again as hotel felt very safe but I wouldn't walk into town.

[fastforward]

This thread was suppose to be the best hotel to stay in Southampton, it as become a list of the worst hotels, even matching Trip Advisor for horror upon horror.

 

Southampton seems to have nothing the recomend it even before you get to the hotels. I was only going down for a ships visit, but on reading all this I'm hoping to persuade my other half to pass on it. I don't need the agro and would sooner stay somewhere of choice which is nearer, cleaner, and more friendly, and not a cesspit humanity.

[CASPALL]

We walked through the park in daylight - thankfully. There was a large group of young men playing a game of cricket. After dark the games probably change!

 

Southampton is like many other big cities in Britain unfortunately and mid week hotel stays will be quieter than weekends.

 

There are plenty of nice little towns to stop off on the way to Southampton.

 

Caryl

[MrsNobby]

This thread was suppose to be the best hotel to stay in Southampton, it as become a list of the worst hotels, even matching Trip Advisor for horror upon horror.

 

Southampton seems to have nothing the recomend it even before you get to the hotels. I was only going down for a ships visit, but on reading all this I'm hoping to persuade my other half to pass on it. I don't need the agro and would sooner stay somewhere of choice which is nearer, cleaner, and more friendly, and not a cesspit humanity.

 

Southampton is not a cesspit of humanity it is like any large town/city it has it's good and bad points. I live in a very large North East city and there are certain areas/places I wouldn't go to but that doesn't mean it's not a city worth coming to or a cesspit of humanity.

 

If you are looking for a reason not to go on a ships visit then please don't use the excuse of no decent hotels, its dirty or not friendly be honest and say you don't want to go on a ships visit.

 

I didn't write what I did to bad mouth Southampton only to pass on what I had been told recently by a taxi driver. My husband has stayed at the Jury's Inn on a number of occasions over the years and it was he who suggested walking through the park something he does every time he is in Southampton, when I told him what I had found out he was very surprised as he has never been accosted or seen anything untoward.

 

Remember people used to say it was 'grim up north' but it didn't put me off moving up here.:)