For our Hilton Southampton Review we booked two nights as a family of five. This was part of a trip to see the #lostkingdom at Paulton’s Park on a Preview Day before it opened to the public. Of course, the Hilton Southampton is ideally located for this, while it’s also great for travelling to the Quay to take a cruise from Southampton itself.
We were a little wary when booking the hotel as the reviews were not so great. Many complained of tired decor and a lack of facilities as the LivingWell health Club had retired and left this Hilton in the lurch. That was a shame but we were well prepared and the price reflected the lack of a spa and pool.
Update: The hotel is actually undergoing a £4million refurb and will soon be complete with new Spa, pool and all the trimmings. We want to go again!
We were given two generously sized interconnecting rooms, one for the children and one for us. On the first night we were all very tired after travelling hours to reach Southampton. We chose to dine in the hotel and could not have received better service or food. The creme brûlée was the best I’ve tasted to date while everyone tucked into their meal and cleaned their plates.
The waiting staff were patient and kind and kept their cool when a very ignorant and tired 5 year old decided to dance in the middle of their path. This was quite a relief, as we were so hungry (but tired) that it would have been a shame to leave because of this! (In normal circumstances we would take the misbehaving child away so other guests could enjoy their meal but we ate so late the restaurant was empty).
The rooms were extremely comfortable while the staff had left activity packs for the children. This gave us a good ten minutes to unpack and to freshen up on arrival. The whole hotel was spotless while the customer service couldn’t have been better, nothing was too much trouble, it really was a pleasure.
We’d happily return here if visiting Southampton again, of course, it would be better to have the swimming pool and facilities but we only mentioned this a couple of times during our stay. The location is good, right next to a village that has some great family friendly pubs for dining, while it can be accessed directly from the motorway, so there are no country roads before starting your journey anywhere.
We highly recommend the Hilton Southampton for a family stay, great staff in a good hotel.