Premier Inn West Quay Southampton

[phabric]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Herbert Walker before. I was wonder where the Premier Inn West Quay is situated to the Holiday Inn to give me an idea to where it is? We will be sailing from the Mayflower terminal.

 

Do they have parking for the hotel as we will have a rental car? They mention 5GBP for overnight parking nearby at a car park.

 

They charge 7-8 GBP for breakfast, is that a good price?

 

Since it is new, has anybody stayed there, yet?

[John Bull]

The new Premier Inn is just a few hundred yards from H.I., on the other side of the retail park & the swanky new Carnival UK offices & IKEA store.

Etap, Ibis & Novotel share a nearby site, on the edge of the retail park & closer to the rail station. You'll be aware that all are very convenient for the city centre & old town.

 

Mayflower terminal is a few berths up-river from H.I., but with luggage it's not really walkable from any hotel, so the precise location of your hotel isn't important - all of these are a £5 taxi ride, but from any other city centre hotel it's not likely to be more than a £7 taxi ride.

 

I don't think this P.I. has its own carpark, but there's stax of open-air pay-parking in the retail park and the mutli-storey carpark of the West Quay Mall, & P.I may have an arrangement.

If your rental car is Hertz or National or Europcar, you may be able to park free at their depot, in a blind spur on the H.I. side of the main West Quay Road. A five minute walk from P.I.

 

£7 to £8 certainly isn't a rip-off for breakfast, but whether its good value will kinda depend how good it is.

 

The Premier Inn chain has a good reputation for decent budget accommodation, this one of course is new but I've seen a couple of good reviews. Worth around £55-£60 per room per night, but because it's new if you can book at the intro offer of £29 it's probably best value in the city.

 

Bear in mind there are two Premier Inns in the city centre, this is West Quay - the one in New Road is perfectly OK but on the other side of the compact city centre.

 

JB :)

[phabric]

Thanks for your information.

 

We stayed at the Dover Premier Inn Ferry Terminal in 2010. I was able to booked a refundable room at Premier Inn West Quay for July 2012 at Sunday 39GBP, Monday 44GBP, Tuesday 48GBP with breakfast for 7.99 per person each day. They say, there is parking nearby at a mulit parking lot for 5GBP.

[John Bull]

Thanks for your information.

 

We stayed at the Dover Premier Inn Ferry Terminal in 2010. I was able to booked a refundable room at Premier Inn West Quay for July 2012 at Sunday 39GBP, Monday 44GBP, Tuesday 48GBP with breakfast for 7.99 per person each day. They say, there is parking nearby at a mulit parking lot for 5GBP.

 

Bingo :)

The rate you've paid is a little higher than their bucket intro-price, but I'd forgotten to mention that the intro price was non-cancelable, non-amendable.

If it's the m/s carpark's standard rate & not a special arrangement, the fiver will only cover over-nite. There'll be more to pay daytime either there or on the retail park's surface carpark - where parking is free for 30 minutes, so you can park free all day if you keep moving the car every half-hour :D

 

JB :)

[phabric]

We plan to be out during the daytime sightseeing and return to the hotel and park the car for the night.

 

Can you give us directions to get to the New Forrest area from the hotel? In 2009, we drove to see the Car Musuem in the New Forrest area and we got lost (hotel didn't give us great the directions) and it took us about 2 hours to get there and we were able to return to Southampton following the signs in a much shorter time. We would like to see more of that area.

 

We also visited Portsmouth and really enjoyed the naval yard. Is there some other places that you would suggest we can visit. We will have 2 full days to sightsee.

[Weluv2cruise2007]

We plan to be out during the daytime sightseeing and return to the hotel and park the car for the night.

 

Can you give us directions to get to the New Forrest area from the hotel? In 2009, we drove to see the Car Musuem in the New Forrest area and we got lost (hotel didn't give us great the directions) and it took us about 2 hours to get there and we were able to return to Southampton following the signs in a much shorter time. We would like to see more of that area.

 

We also visited Portsmouth and really enjoyed the naval yard. Is there some other places that you would suggest we can visit. We will have 2 full days to sightsee.

 

Go to Google Maps and request directions!

[Red Fox]

Can you give us directions to get to the New Forrest area from the hotel? In 2009, we drove to see the Car Musuem in the New Forrest area and we got lost (hotel didn't give us great the directions) and it took us about 2 hours to get there and we were able to return to Southampton following the signs in a much shorter time. We would like to see more of that area.

 

From the West Quay multi-story car park its right at the roundabout briefly onto Harbour Parade, then right at the traffic lights on to West Quay Road (A33) and basically stay on the A33 all the way out of the city, road will change number to A35 just before it crosses the River Test but still follow the road, straight on at every junction. Once you've passed the village of Ashurst and gone over the railway line your in the New Forest proper. Carry on along the road and you'll reach Lyndhurst which is quite a busy little town or you could turn on to the B3056 before Lyndhurst which will take you down to Beaulieu, on the other side of the Beaulieu river is Exbury Gardens and miniature steam railway. Lyndhurst is a sort of hub for the road network in the Forest and continuing on the A35 will take you west towards Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, A337 south will take you to Lymington. Everything is quite well sign posted, Brown road signs are for tourist attractions and facilities.

 

On summer weekends the roads round Lyndhurst can get very busy, also on weekends when there are three or more cruise ships in main roads in Southampton can also be very busy.

[John Bull]

We plan to be out during the daytime sightseeing and return to the hotel and park the car for the night.

 

Can you give us directions to get to the New Forrest area from the hotel? In 2009, we drove to see the Car Musuem in the New Forrest area and we got lost (hotel didn't give us great the directions) and it took us about 2 hours to get there and we were able to return to Southampton following the signs in a much shorter time. We would like to see more of that area.

 

We also visited Portsmouth and really enjoyed the naval yard. Is there some other places that you would suggest we can visit. We will have 2 full days to sightsee.

 

The New Forest is a big place, can't understand how you completely missed it :D

Getting lost in the Forest is part of the fun, but getting lost on the way there has to be a pain.

It's a mix of woodland & heathland, of vistas & leafy lanes. To get the best out of it you need a paper map with all the Forest lanes, a sat-nav is no use for that job.

You can get a map at any decent bookshop, there's a Waterstones in the West Quay Mall.

 

Simplest way to get to the Forest at its nearest point is:

From your hotel, turn right onto the busy West Quay Road.

At the traffic lights at the end, mandatory left turn.

Remain on this dual carriageway (docks on your left) across 3 flyovers, signed Lyndhurst A35.

Through Ashurst (now single carriageway, still A35 Lyndhurst) & enter the New Forest as you cross a rail bridge. About 7 miles from your hotel.

In a couple of miles you enter Lyndhurst.

 

Here’s a decent route, a compromise between simplicity & seeing some of the best the Forest has to offer. It’s 31 miles, google reckons it about an hour, but its more like an hour & a half excluding stops.

Transfer it to the paper map when you’ve bought one, but use it as a framework - don’t feel the need to follow it religiously, chop it & change it to suit your mood, interests & time available. But try not to miss the ornamental drives. Plenty of Forest & village pubs, a sprinkling of tearooms, plenty of Forest car-parks. Google the places I’ve typed in bold

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=West+Quay+Road,+Southampton&daddr=50.87269,-1.56953+to:50.8340101,-1.4729818+to:50.82286,-1.57175+to:50.81846,-1.5720176+to:50.8191868,-1.5778155+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=50.861878,-1.564865&spn=0.174229,0.399628&sll=50.819927,-1.568213&sspn=0.021798,0.049953&geocode=FWm6CAMdBXHq_yl3LPPgt3Z0SDF_wlnLirooJw%3BFXJBCAMdBg3o_yl12fU-2YhzSDHRUryyLa4OEw%3BFVqqBwMdK4bp_ymPTtdkHXh0SDGgupKtLa4OEw%3BFcx-BwMdWgTo_ykD8kPpD4ZzSDERE5OtLa4OEw%3BFZxtBwMdTwPo_yn1iQfDDYZzSDGhE5OtLa4OEw%3BFXJwBwMdqezn_ymDd4jgC4ZzSDEhXJStLa4OEw%3BFbePCAMdtjnm_w&mra=dvme&mrsp=5&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5&z=11

 

As you enter the village of Lyndhurst, note the Beaulieu turning on your left, by the open green & opposite the fire station, but ignore it for the moment.

In a few hundred yards, mandatory left turn onto the village one-way system, but immediately take the right-hand lane & in a few yards turn right into the carpark.

Explore the village on foot.

This is a bit early for a cream tea or whatever, but trust me, this is the only way to enter/leave Lyndhurst without having to go round Lyndhurst's notoriously jammed-up one-way system.

Car park exits are onto the one-way High Street.

Keep to the left lane & in a few yards you'll exit the one-way system, heading back toward Southampton A35.

In a few hundred yards, take that Beaulieu turning opposite the fire station.

Open forest, past Beaulieu Road rail halt & pony sale corrals & eventually past the Motor Museum that you've visited.

After the motor museum, at the pond on your left, you may care to turn left, through the little village & cross the Beaulieu river by the tide mill. Then turn round & return to the route you were on.

In a few hundred yards, you may care to take a turning on your left (brown tourist sign, Bucklers Hard). Perhaps visit the museum, or just down a pint at the pub

Then return to the route, heading for Brockenhurst.

(In a mile or so, by Hatchett Pond, you may care to take a left turn to explore Lymington – if you do so, from Lymington take the main A337 road toward Lyndhurst to re-join the route at Brockenhurst)

If you keep to the route, its about 5 miles to Brockenhurst, at the end of the road (Balmer Lawn) turn left onto the main A337 signed Lymington.

Just before the rail crossing, turn right (opposite Snake-catcher pub) & immediately right again to follow the village main street (Brookley Road) through the village centre.

Through the water-splash at the end & turn right onto Burley Road.

This takes you through Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.

At the end, go straight across the main A35 & up Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive.

My route ends at the T-junction at the top.

Now you’re on your own. ;)

More fun than following directions :)

1. You can turn right, to return to Southampton via Emery Down & Lyndhurst. About 30 minutes back to your hotel, depending on Lyndhurst traffic.

(NB to avoid the Lyndhurst log-jam, from Emery Down you can cut through lanes around Minstead across to the A337 & head north to the M27 motorway but you may get lost. And do not simply turn left at Emery Down & head north to join the main A31, there’s no right turn onto the A31 & you’ll go miles in the wrong direction)

2. You can turn left, go under the A31 & in a mile or two & turn right for Stoney Cross then left for the north-east corner of the forest or right to return via the A31 & M27

3. You can turn left, go under the A31 & remain on that lane to Linwood & the market town of Ringwood. From Ringwood return on the fast A31 or meander along the coast through Highcliffe & Lymington.

 

 

For your other day, consider:

 

Dorset & the Jurassic coast – west to Corfe Castle, Bovington Tank Museum & Clouds Hill, Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door, Weymouth & Portland Bill, important that you take the B3157 through Abbotsbury to take in the coastal views heading for West Bay & Bridport. Return on the A35 & A31, mebbe calling in at Dorchester or Wimborne Minster.

At a guess, 130 – 150 miles total.

 

North-west to Salisbury & Stonehenge, mebbe further to Avebury. Coming back mebbe head from Salisbury toward Ringwood & turn left through Downton & cut thro’ the n.e. corner of the New Forest.

 

Beyond Salisbury to Bath, about 60 miles / 90 minutes from Southampton. A very full day's sight-seeing in Bath, park for the day & explore on foot.

Other than perhaps a 10 minute diversion to Stonehenge, keep to the simple main route.

 

 

Just 20 mins north of Southampton to Winchester. Exit the M3 at junction 11 or 10 & use a park-and-ride carpark to avoid city centre one-ways, traffic & parking problems.

 

East beyond Portsmouth to Chichester & the Weald & Downland open-air museum at Singleton. Then north to Petworth (Petworth House) or further east to Arundel (cathedral, castle, river, nearby Amberley Chalk Pits museum (19th/20th century engineering).

Arundel Castle is well worth visiting. Not as impressive as the better-known castles, but rather than simply a stone ruin it’s complete & furnished & gives an excellent impression of what life was like.

 

Red Funnel ferry (Town Quay, near your hotel) one hour to the Isle of Wight. Quaint & rather backward holiday island stuck in the 1950’s. Quite expensive ferry fare by car.

 

Google these places, see what you think.

 

JB :)

[phabric]

Thanks for the GREAT information. I have printed the information out. I have ordered the tourist brochures for Southampton and New Forrest.

[kellk]

Thanks for your information.

 

We stayed at the Dover Premier Inn Ferry Terminal in 2010. I was able to booked a refundable room at Premier Inn West Quay for July 2012 at Sunday 39GBP, Monday 44GBP, Tuesday 48GBP with breakfast for 7.99 per person each day. They say, there is parking nearby at a mulit parking lot for 5GBP.

 

Can I ask which site you used to book your room? Was it the hotel site itself? Silly question: does a twin room mean two twin beds?

thanks,

Kerby

[phabric]

Can I ask which site you used to book your room? Was it the hotel site itself? Silly question: does a twin room mean two twin beds?

thanks,

Kerby

 

I booked directly with Premier Inn http://www.premierinn.com, make sure you put in West Quay.

 

You put in how many nights, how many people (it looked like their rooms only hold 2) and what type of room, double, twin, disable. Twin is 2 twin beds.

 

They also have a Meal Plan - breakfast for 7.99 or breakfast and dinner for 22 per person per night. You can look at the menues.

 

We had the breakfast when we stayed in Dover, the one in Southampton might be different. You helped yourself to the cold items, they asked you what you want for the hot, eggs, bacon, sauage, tomatoe, beans and it is cooked to order.

 

When I booked, a few days later the prices went up a few GBP. The booking is cancellable.

 

You can also book rooms through http://www.booking.com. You put a credit card down to hold the room, most are cancellable. You can not add the Meal Plan. I used this site for London, last year.

[jocap]

Yes, a twin room has 2 single beds; a double room has a double or larger bed.

Jo.

[John Bull]

You put in how many nights, how many people (it looked like their rooms only hold 2) and what type of room, double, twin, disable. Twin is 2 twin beds.

 

 

 

I think it's company policy not to book more than two adults per room, but you can book for 2 adults plus 2 kids - presumably the sofa converts. Price is the same regardless of numbers so guessing all rooms are the same, though this may not apply nationwide

 

JB :)

[jspirit]

Is there an easy shortcut to walk from this new hotel to the cruise terminal? We have done it from the Holiday Inn- so easy- would we have to walk there and then continue or can we cut through a parking lot somewhere before ? Thanks for any help!

[John Bull]

Is there an easy shortcut to walk from this new hotel to the cruise terminal? We have done it from the Holiday Inn- so easy- would we have to walk there and then continue or can we cut through a parking lot somewhere before ? Thanks for any help!

 

 

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp

Assuming it's City cruise terminal (there are 3 others), its a walk of

ten to fifteen minutes, level ground, easy enough with wheeled luggage.

 

Avoid straight-lining it cos some roads, footpaths & parking areas have blind ends.

Instead go left out of your hotel, along Harbour Parade, cross the roundabout, past the swanky new Carnival offices. Use the traffic lights to help you cross to the other side of West Quay Road, go left along West Quay Road for a very short distance & cut thro the Holiday Inn carpark.

 

JB :)

[jspirit]

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp

Assuming it's City cruise terminal (there are 3 others), its a walk of

ten to fifteen minutes, level ground, easy enough with wheeled luggage.

 

Avoid straight-lining it cos some roads, footpaths & parking areas have blind ends.

Instead go left out of your hotel, along Harbour Parade, cross the roundabout, past the swanky new Carnival offices. Use the traffic lights to help you cross to the other side of West Quay Road, go left along West Quay Road for a very short distance & cut thro the Holiday Inn carpark.

 

JB :)

 

You're the best, JB, thanks a lot!

[Me 2]

Assuming it's City cruise terminal (there are 3 others), its a walk of

ten to fifteen minutes, level ground, easy enough with wheeled luggage.

 

JB :)

 

Is Berth 46/47 Ocean Cruise Terminal Dock Gate 4 within walking distance of the PI with wheeled luggage?

[John Bull]

Is Berth 46/47 Ocean Cruise Terminal Dock Gate 4 within walking distance of the PI with wheeled luggage?

 

Not really, though it depends on you. ;)

And certainly not in inclement weather.

There's no cut-through at Town Quay, you do have to use dock gate 4, on Platform Road.

Its a little over a mile, though its all level ground, good sidewalks, trafficlight-controlled crossing to get you over the main road, and a pleasant & interesting walk.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Harbour+Parade&daddr=Cunard+Rd&hl=en&sll=50.895942,-1.405048&sspn=0.020626,0.050125&geocode=FQyxCAMd0IHq_w%3BFU2QCAMdxqHq_w&vpsrc=0&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=14&z=14

JB :)

[Me 2]

Thanks JB - given that we only have to pay £29 for our overnight stay I suppose we can afford ourselves the luxury of taking a cab to be on the safe side ;)

[dondiane]

I'm afraid I have made an error. I purchased fare from National Express Coach for transport --Southampton to Victoria Station, however I am arriving by Celebrity Cruise line and my ticket is written Southampton Coach Station to Victoria station. I later saw that the web site did have a Southampton Cruise ship station to select. Will it be a major issue trying to get to the Southampton Coach Station, how far is it from the cruise terminals.

 

Thank much,

Diane

[phabric]

I'm afraid I have made an error. I purchased fare from National Express Coach for transport --Southampton to Victoria Station, however I am arriving by Celebrity Cruise line and my ticket is written Southampton Coach Station to Victoria station. I later saw that the web site did have a Southampton Cruise ship station to select. Will it be a major issue trying to get to the Southampton Coach Station, how far is it from the cruise terminals.

 

Thank much,

Diane

 

I don't believe there is a Southampton Cruise station. We went from the Princess dock to the Southampton Coach station by taxi and it was only 5-7 GBP. There will be lots of taxi waiting at the docks. We enjoyed the coach ride to Victoria station.

[John Bull]

I'm afraid I have made an error. I purchased fare from National Express Coach for transport --Southampton to Victoria Station, however I am arriving by Celebrity Cruise line and my ticket is written Southampton Coach Station to Victoria station. I later saw that the web site did have a Southampton Cruise ship station to select. Will it be a major issue trying to get to the Southampton Coach Station, how far is it from the cruise terminals.

 

Thank much,

Diane

 

No, Diane, no mistake.

And no problem.:)

 

The "cruise terminal" on Nat Express's web booking options only refers to Fred Olsen cruises, with whom Nat Express have an arrangement, and does cause endless confusion - not least of which is that if you select the cruise terminal option when there's no Fred cruise scheduled, you'll simply be told "not available", possibly making the booker think that coaches to Southampton are fully-booked that day. It must cost 'em quite a few bookings from cruisers.:rolleyes:

 

So for all other cruises, as Phabric's post, Southampton Coach Station is the correct option.

Celebrity normally berth at City Cruise Terminal, from there it's a ten to fifteen minute level walk to the coach station or a £5 taxi ride - which you can probably share with other cruisers going to the coach station or the nearby rail station.

 

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Herbert+Walker+Ave&daddr=Harbour+Parade&hl=en&sll=50.902031,-1.413159&sspn=0.010312,0.024762&geocode=FairCAMdxnPq_w%3BFc3CCAMd9X_q_w&vpsrc=0&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=15&z=15

(but after exiting the dock gate (gate 8) cut thro' the Holiday Inn carpark to avoid the dog-leg to the Town Quay roundabout)

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

You're the best, JB

 

 

Oooops, no I'm not!! :o

Replying (correctly :rolleyes:) to another post on this thread, I happened upon my post.

Which tells you to turn left out of Premier Inn West Quay.

Doombrain :rolleyes:. Put it down to a senior moment.

Turn right out of Premier Inn.

 

JB :o

[jspirit]

Oooops, no I'm not!! :o

Replying (correctly :rolleyes:) to another post on this thread, I happened upon my post.

Which tells you to turn left out of Premier Inn West Quay.

Doombrain :rolleyes:. Put it down to a senior moment.

Turn right out of Premier Inn.

 

JB :o

Thanks - got it.

Should we also be able to save a few steps by cutting through the Holiday Inn parking lot rather than walking all around to their front entrance?

[John Bull]

Thanks - got it.

Should we also be able to save a few steps by cutting through the Holiday Inn parking lot rather than walking all around to their front entrance?

 

 

Glad you've picked up my correction.

If you turned left out of the hotel, after about 100 miles you'd be at Dover cruise terminal :D.

 

Yep, cut thro H/Inn carpark at the first "unofficial" gap in the hedge :)

 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=West+Quay+Road,+Southampton&hl=en&ll=50.900164,-1.409168&spn=0.000027,0.025277&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=9.895931,25.883789&vpsrc=0&z=15&layer=c&cbll=50.900081,-1.409097&panoid=8fgleQXX-7wOakt0mreCHg&cbp=12,220.69,,0,-15

 

Swing the camera round to the right, the grey/blue building is the new Carnival UK headquarters, your hotel is to the right of it.

Close 'n' easy

 

If you know your way round Google streetview, go up the road alongside Carnival (Harbour Parade) your hotel is on the roundabout.

The streetview images were shot over a period, from one spot it's an empty building site

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=West+Quay+Road,+Southampton&hl=en&ll=50.9016,-1.408333&spn=0.000002,0.00158&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=9.895931,25.883789&vpsrc=6&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.9016,-1.408333&panoid=JlBCXAzv1m6G1VLRZ9fxKQ&cbp=12,328.5,,0,0

 

From another angle, instant hotel :D

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=West+Quay+Road,+Southampton&hl=en&ll=50.901597,-1.40864&spn=0.000002,0.00158&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=9.895931,25.883789&vpsrc=6&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.901666,-1.408897&panoid=ykEO78qT9l217Q_A7hXZcA&cbp=12,97.3,,0,0

 

 

JB :)