Hotel Thaxter

Parking around Portsmouth is challenging in general, and the hotel offers valet for $40.00 a day. The check-in and checkout were seamless, and the staff were friendly. As a New Yorker living in NYC, I can be pretty picky, but I thought this boutique hotel was excellent. The decor is beautiful. We stayed in a 1,600-square-foot, two-bedroom room with two bathrooms and a kitchen. It felt like being a guest in someone’s home, and I highly recommend it.

The service made Hotel Thaxter stand out for me. Everyone I met was warm, attentive, and ready to help, and I felt like a valued guest. The lobby and shared spaces were calm and refined, good for coffee in the morning or unwinding after exploring. Though it’s a small boutique hotel, it has the atmosphere and amenities of a much larger luxury place. Set right in downtown Portsmouth, it’s steps from restaurants, shops, and the city’s historic character. The hotel is beautifully restored, with thoughtful design and plenty of character without feeling dated. Rooms feel cozy and upscale, with plush bedding, spotless bathrooms, high-end finishes, and small touches that add a lot. Comfort and quality seem to matter in every detail. For a weekend away, a celebration, or a business trip, I’d say Hotel Thaxter is the place to stay. It’s elegant and welcoming, and I’ll definitely return.

The location is excellent and the lobby is cute, which is why I’m giving two stars. Otherwise, Hotel Thaxter didn’t meet the boutique standard for me, and I’d avoid staying here. I loved Sailmaker’s House last summer, but it was booked this weekend, which is why we were excited to try Hotel Thaxter. I’d strongly recommend staying there instead. I travel 150 days a year, love boutique hotels, and my last 40-plus Google reviews were all five stars because I try to find the good in places. So this stay in Portsmouth was a real disappointment. Our room was shockingly small, even compared with many I’ve had in NYC/Manhattan. The bed was extremely hard, the broken curtain let in early morning light, and we could clearly hear street noise, guests talking, and stomping overhead. Housekeeping was concerning too. When we returned, the bed looked half made and carelessly finished. The towels hadn’t been refreshed and the in-room water wasn’t refilled. Those details matter. I asked if we could pay to upgrade from our queen room to a king suite, since larger rooms appeared available online. They said they couldn’t move us even for the extra payment because I hadn’t booked through their website, and told me to book direct next time. The larger rooms sat empty while we stayed cramped. Most travelers find boutique hotels through third-party sites, so that reason for refusing a paid upgrade felt unreasonable.

The service is BnB style, arranged around your arrival, and the staff were very accommodating. We chose one of the smaller rooms, which suited what we were in town for. The bed was comfortable, the shower was lovely and clean, and the common area was a comfortable place to hang out with friends. This 15-room boutique hotel has rooms decorated in an elegant color palette. It’s near bars and restaurants you can walk to, but tucked away from the main downtown area enough to be peaceful. There’s a Japanese restaurant in the restaurant, Nichinan. We didn’t try it, but have heard good things and plan to go next time we’re in town. IG Lentz_explore