Somerset House Boutique Hotel

The rooms are spacious and nicely decorated. I had to climb three flights of stairs to mine, which made access a bit difficult, but the staff kindly helped with my bags. One of the young women at check-in was less friendly and had real trouble with my request for a slightly later checkout, by 15-30 minutes. Everyone else was very helpful and friendly. There was quite a bit of hair in the bathroom that wasn’t mine, so the cleaning could use more attention. I’d probably stay again.

After five weeks travelling around France and Spain, staying in overpriced, small rooms that weren’t very clean, Somerset House was a refreshing change. The rooms were large, bright, clean and well equipped, and breakfast was excellent and very reasonably priced. The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

Getting around was difficult if you struggle with stairs. The guest rooms are in a separate building from reception and the dining room, and there are stairs everywhere. Parking was another headache: the hotel has a few spaces, but most parking is on the street and hard to find. The in-room spa sounded like a great idea, but the masseuse was late without apologising. The set-up felt rushed and stressful, and the massage was average. On the plus side, the room was beautiful, spacious, very clean and comfortable, with a modern bathroom and large shower. Breakfast had an excellent choice and was well cooked. The location is very good for the hovercraft and not far from Portsmouth’s main shopping area.

We slept perfectly for both nights. The room was large and beautiful, super clean and comfortable, and parking was no problem. The hotel has a lovely feel, quite different from other places I’ve stayed because of how the properties are laid out. Breakfast was a little disappointing for me, since the egg was very undercooked. My partner’s breakfast was fine, so I think it was just a fluke.