The Mercure Southampton Centre Dolphin Hotel…
Located on Southampton’s High Street, The Dolphin Hotel by Mercure is not only in a prime location, but is also Southampton’s OLDEST Hotel. In fact, it is over 500 years old and has preserved many of its traditional features such as it’s beautiful bay windows, though it does now have a very modern feel with everything you expect to find in a hotel.
So, why stay in Southampton? Well, there is so much to do! Southampton is well known for it’s port, where holiday-makers can jump on a cruise to many destinations around the world. The hotel actually offers a ‘cruise-package’ so you can stay before/after your cruise trip and make life easier on the morning of your departure! If not; there are many museums to visit such as; The Solent Sky Museum, The City Art Gallery, SeaCity Museum and many more! There are a range of parks and wildlife areas which make a great day out for the whole family; you could take a picnic, or visit one of the MANY cafes, bars and restaurants for a meal out. Westquay is a huge shopping centre, located in the centre of Southampton, with an ODEON cinema nearby, so why not spend your day doing a little shopping and then catch a movie? There are many shops dotted around Southampton, from clothes, food and toys, to industrial stores. If you don’t fancy wandering around looking for somewhere to eat; there is a lovely restaurant on site with a huge variety of food to choose from. I’d recommend booking though as they get very busy on weekends!
The Room
There are 99 rooms in this hotel, some being ‘privilege rooms’ (where we stayed), some being older, more traditional rooms (stable rooms with original beams) and others being standard rooms. We stayed in a privilege room and the thing we really loved about them is; they’re all named after cruise ships. We stayed in the ‘Ventura’ room which was a huge, spacious room with a comfy double bed, a TV, desk and sofa. The bed was so cosy, and we had a really good nights sleep; though it is located on the high street, when the windows are closed it is super peaceful.
The Breakfast
Breakfast at The Mercure was just great! Breakfast buffets can easily go wrong; they go cold, or run out, or have a lack of variety, however the breakfast Buffett at this hotel was delicious, hot, and constantly topped up! There’s hot food (sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes), all sorts of bread and toasts, cereals, fresh fruit and more! If you’re someone who doesn’t like buffets, then there is also a separate menu that you can order from and your breakfast will come straight from the kitchen. A perfect way to start the day!
I highly recommend this stay for your trip to Southampton. The staff were more than helpful, the service, cleanliness and organisation was excellent and I’d love to stay again. If you’re a nature lover like me, or just love a scenic stroll in the sun then you should head to The New Forest during your stay! It’s only a 20 minute drive and is filled with gorgeous views, wild ponies and cows, and beautiful nature walks. Click here to head to their website and book your stay!
As always, love Elise x
P.S. This was a complimentary experience in exchange for my review and photos. As always, opinions are my own and honest.
Tanriverdi Travels 