No 4 Carlton Hotel

I really enjoyed my stay and would come back. The staff were gracious and very helpful, including arranging an early morning car service to the airport. The hotel was within walking distance of everything: about 10 minutes to the mall and Sea City and the parks, and 5 minutes to pubs and restaurants. It was mostly quiet, though there was some street noise beyond the owners’ control. The comfortable, cozy room was very clean, and I could easily adjust the temperature in both the room and bathroom. I loved the towel warmer. The bathroom door has glass, so if privacy matters when sharing a room, ask whether they have a room without it. The fridge minibar was included, with Coke, Diet Coke, still or sparkling mineral water, tea, instant coffee, and snacks. There’s now a beautiful breakfast room and bar next door, so disregard reviews saying there’s no breakfast. You order the night before, then while the hot part is being prepared, you can help yourself to pastries, fruit, juice, water, and cereal. The menu is short but appealing. I had avocado on sourdough, which was fantastic, and they offered to add salmon.

We chose No.4 Carlton Hotel after I’d looked through more than 75 places in Southampton, and I’m so pleased we did. The whole building is exquisite, with care put into every design detail. Our room had lovely bedding, complimentary drinks and snacks, and a spacious bathroom stocked with the essentials. Breakfast delivered to start the day was a great touch. We stayed in top-floor room 9, overlooking the front street, which is in a nice area with plenty of nearby restaurants and pubs to choose from. The staff helped carry up our quite heavy luggage for our long cruise. After all that searching, this boutique hotel really exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend staying here.

The staff were very helpful, even with the bags, as there’s no lift. It’s a small hotel on a lovely, quiet street, close to Polygon and only a short walk from Above Bar. Much of central Southampton is easy to reach on foot. The rooms are a good size and nicely appointed, and there’s a small breakfast each day. Air conditioning is handy in summer.

The hotel has just nine rooms, all well appointed, with quality finishes throughout. It’s in an area packed with great bars and restaurants. We loved staying at this boutique hotel, and the continental breakfast was just what we needed before heading out to explore. Reception is staffed 24/7, and the team were very helpful.