New hotels in Plymouth

Plymouth's two tracked hotels both sit on or near Millbay Road, in the waterfront district being rebuilt around the city's Victorian docks: the 200-room Moxy Plymouth, open since June 2023, and the New Continental, a 120-room conversion of one of the city's oldest hotels targeting a spring 2027 reopening as a Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Budget-minded travelers and groups should book the Moxy now; the New Continental is one to watch for a stay near Plymouth Hoe once it reopens.

What to do

A weekend in Plymouth

Start on the Barbican, Plymouth's oldest quarter, where cobbled streets lead past the Mayflower Steps, the spot traditionally marked as the Pilgrims' 1620 departure point for the New World, to the National Marine Aquarium, home to the biggest fish tank in Europe, and the Plymouth Gin Distillery, which has been distilling on Southside Street since 1793 and runs tours and tastings most days. Antique stores, galleries and boutique shops line Southside Street alongside the distillery. From the Barbican, it's a short walk or drive to Plymouth Hoe for panoramic views over Plymouth Sound and Drake's Island, and Smeaton's Tower, a relocated 19th-century lighthouse open to climb for a view over the city and the surrounding coastline. In the evening, Millbay's waterfront, home to both tracked hotels, has its own restaurants around the King Point Marina, a 171-berth development that reopened the area's inner harbour to boats for the first time in decades.

A full week

A week allows day trips into Devon and Cornwall from a Plymouth base: the Tamar Valley and Dartmoor National Park are both under an hour away, and the Cornish coast around Looe or Polperro makes an easy half-day trip west across the Tamar Bridge. Closer to the city, spend a morning at the Box, Plymouth's museum and art gallery housed in a striking modern building, and an afternoon following the Millbay regeneration on foot: one of the largest waterfront regeneration projects in the south of England, with over £90 million of a planned £200 million already invested, its ongoing transformation from Victorian docks into a mixed residential and leisure quarter visible in newer developments like Cargo and Quadrant Quay alongside the marina. Set aside an evening for the Barbican's seafood restaurants, a short walk from the Hoe, and check the calendar for Barbican events: seafood festivals and pirate-themed weekends both run through the year.

Where to stay

Millbay and the waterfront

Both of Plymouth's tracked hotels sit in or near Millbay, the waterfront district being redeveloped around the city's historic docks, originally built by Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Moxy Plymouth opened in June 2023 at 14 Millbay Road, next to the Plymouth Pavilions entertainment venue: a 200-room, new-build hotel in Marriott's playful budget-lifestyle brand, one of the larger Moxy properties anywhere, reflecting real confidence in the district's trajectory rather than a cautious toe-in-the-water opening. A short walk away, on the same road closer to Plymouth Hoe, the New Continental (one of Plymouth's oldest operating hotels, dating to 1865) is being converted by new owner Elevate Hotels Plymouth Ltd into a 120-room Tapestry Collection by Hilton property, joining a small roster of UK regional Tapestry hotels that already includes Dover, York, Portrush and St Albans, and targeting a spring 2027 reopening with a planned restaurant, bar and fitness centre.

Which hotel for your trip

Budget-conscious travelers and groups

Moxy Plymouth's 200 rooms and bar-centric lobby, built for a lively but affordable stay, suit a weekend group or a short business trip better than a full-service hotel, with rooms from £50 among the more accessible rates this guide tracks anywhere in the UK.

A historic-building stay near the Hoe, from 2027

Once open, the New Continental's Millbay Road address near Plymouth Hoe and its planned fitness centre and restaurant will give travelers a historic-building alternative to Moxy's new-build, budget-lifestyle format: the kind of project that will live or die on the quality of its renovation rather than the novelty of its address, given the hotel's long operating history on the same site.

Anyone timing a trip around the waterfront's growth

Staying in Millbay now, at either hotel once the New Continental opens, means watching one of the south of England's larger regeneration projects develop in real time: worth checking ahead for construction noise or partial building work depending on which phase of the wider masterplan is underway during a visit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Plymouth?

Moxy Plymouth, which opened in June 2023 next to the Plymouth Pavilions in the Millbay waterfront regeneration area.

What new hotel is coming to Plymouth?

The New Continental, a 120-room conversion of one of Plymouth's oldest hotels, dating to 1865, into a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property, targeting a spring 2027 reopening on Millbay Road.

Is there a budget-friendly new hotel in Plymouth?

Moxy Plymouth, Marriott's budget-lifestyle brand, has rooms from £50 and sits in the Millbay waterfront regeneration area.

Where should I stay to be near Plymouth Hoe and the Barbican?

Both tracked hotels sit on Millbay Road, a short walk from Plymouth Hoe; the Barbican's cobbled streets and Mayflower Steps are a further 10-15 minute walk or a short taxi ride away.

Is Plymouth's New Continental a new building?

No: it's a full renovation of an existing hotel dating to 1865, one of the oldest still operating in the city, rather than new construction.

What brand will the New Continental operate under?

Hilton's Tapestry Collection, under a franchise agreement with new owner Elevate Hotels Plymouth Ltd, joining other UK regional Tapestry hotels in Dover, York, Portrush and St Albans.