New hotels in Southampton

We track three hotels in Southampton, two open and one announced, spread between a residential Georgian crescent, the cruise-terminal waterfront and a planned marina development. voco Southampton, a 133-room reflag of the former Holiday Inn near the cruise terminals, reopened in April 2025; No.4 Carlton is the smallest and most intimate option in the city, with just nine rooms. THE NICI, a nine-storey, 128-room waterfront hotel with a rooftop helipad, is approved for Town Quay but has no confirmed opening date.

What to do

A weekend in Southampton

Start at the SeaCity Museum, which opened in 2012 to mark the centenary of the Titanic's departure from Southampton and tells the disaster from the perspective of the city and the crew members who lived there: more than 700 of the ship's crew were Southampton residents, and over 500 of them died, meaning the city alone accounted for roughly a third of all lives lost in the sinking. The city's medieval old town, with its surviving walls, vaults and the Bargate gatehouse, rewards an hour or two of walking, and WestQuay, Southampton's main shopping centre, sits at the edge of the old town for anyone wanting to shop between sights. In the afternoon, Ocean Village's marina makes for an easy waterfront walk, with restaurants, bars and the Harbour Lights Picturehouse cinema clustered around the water. Cruise passengers docking for the day can cover the SeaCity Museum and the old town comfortably within a few hours of a port call, and the city's cruise terminals sit close enough to the centre that a taxi rarely takes more than ten minutes.

A full week

With more time, the New Forest National Park is a short drive or train ride from the city, with heathland, ancient woodland and free-roaming ponies across an area large enough to fill several days of walking or cycling. The Isle of Wight is reachable by ferry in under an hour, with the chalk cliffs of the Needles, the beach town of Shanklin and the market town of Newport all feasible as a single long day trip. Portswood, a short bus ride from the centre, offers a slower, more residential alternative to the city centre's tourist strip, with independent cafes and shops around a small-town high street.

Where to stay

Carlton Crescent

No.4 Carlton occupies a Georgian townhouse on Carlton Crescent, one of Southampton's most architecturally distinctive residential streets, with just nine rooms and suites. From £110 a night, it's the pick for travelers who want a small-scale, design-led stay away from the city centre's larger hotels, in a quieter residential setting still within easy reach of the centre.

Town Quay and the waterfront

THE NICI, Southampton is approved for Town Quay, on the existing pier at the heart of a wider £200 million-plus waterfront regeneration that will also add a new marina and around 460 apartments. The nine-storey, 128-room hotel plus 18 serviced apartments would give Southampton its first hotel with a rooftop helipad, positioned as a larger sibling to the same developer's flagship property in Bournemouth, though construction timing and an opening date remain unconfirmed.

Herbert Walker Avenue, near the cruise terminals

voco Southampton reopened in April 2025 on Herbert Walker Avenue, close to West Quay and about half a mile from the Horizon Cruise Terminal, after operator Valor Hospitality fully refurbished and reflagged the former Holiday Inn Southampton to IHG's upscale voco brand. Its new Atlantic Gate Seafood and Cocktails restaurant leans into the maritime setting, and the 133-room hotel is the most practical base for cruise passengers arriving the night before a sailing.

Which hotel for your trip

Cruise passengers

voco Southampton's location near the Horizon Cruise Terminal and Gate 8 makes it the natural choice for a pre- or post-cruise night, with on-site parking and EV charging for anyone driving in.

Couples and design-focused travelers

No.4 Carlton's nine rooms inside a Georgian townhouse suit a couple wanting a quieter, more intimate stay than a branded hotel, at rates from £110.

Business and event travelers

voco Southampton's five refreshed meeting and event spaces make it the current choice for business bookings; once built, THE NICI's larger scale and waterfront setting at Town Quay would add a second option geared toward events and conferences.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest hotel to open in Southampton?

Among the hotels we track, voco Southampton is the most recent to open, reopening in April 2025 as a full refurbishment and reflag of the former Holiday Inn Southampton.

Is there a hotel with a helipad planned for Southampton?

Yes: THE NICI, Southampton, approved for Town Quay, is planned as a nine-storey hotel with a rooftop helipad, though no opening date has been confirmed since its March 2025 planning approval.

Which Southampton hotel is closest to the cruise terminals?

voco Southampton, on Herbert Walker Avenue, is about half a mile from the Horizon Cruise Terminal and Gate 8.

What is the smallest hotel in Southampton among those you track?

No.4 Carlton, with nine rooms inside a Georgian townhouse on Carlton Crescent.

Is Southampton a good base for the Isle of Wight or the New Forest?

Yes: the Isle of Wight is under an hour away by ferry, and the New Forest National Park is a short drive or train ride from the city centre.