Name: Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays by IHG
Address: The Plaza, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom, Portsmouth, Hampshire, GB
Price range: $78–$583 per night
Rating: 8.05

What guests think

At Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays by IHG, travellers consistently praise the central location and friendly staff, while noting dated rooms, intermittent maintenance issues, and frequent air conditioning outages that have led to warm, sometimes noisy nights.

Breakfast is included and often rated good with plenty of choice, though several guests found it busy at peak times or inconsistent in quality. Parking via the adjacent car park is a popular perk, and many mention shop and restaurant discounts. Expect a convenient, budget-friendly base with variable comfort depending on room and conditions.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Parking is convenient via the adjacent car park with hotel validation, and there is an on‑site bar. Some reviews report lift problems and clarify there is no pool despite some listings.

Related guest reviews

10

James

Oct 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Perfect location for a stay close to family who live in Southsea. Everything we needed, including a bar to relax for an hour before bed. Free coffee and water in reception was awesome. All amenities on the doorstep in a wonderful safe environment. I would stay here every time.

10

Elizabeth

Aug 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location for the Victorious Festival, right by the station and easy to walk to the festival. Bar open late too which was brilliant for us all.

6

Neville

Aug 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Air con broken Lifts broken Insecure luggage storage

8

Julie

Jan 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Basic but exactly what you need - decent bed, good shower, solid breakfast. Parking is not clear but if you enter the shopping centre carpark (next door) the staff at reception can validate your ticket for you.

10

John

Apr 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

You can leave your car in the multi story car park & easy to get to the hotel,we have stayed here many times

6

Jilann

Aug 11, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The staff were excellent - went out of their way to make up for the facilities of the hotel. The AC was broken and small fans were placed in the hotel to try and move the air. The elevator call button on the third was broken so you had to

6

Chris

Aug 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location is fantastic and the parking is good. Air-con in the hotel not working, lift on 3rd floor not working, lock and handle on room window was missing ( potentially dangerous for kids!)

6

Brett

Feb 22, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Service and staff were excellent. Great location and lots of discounts available on food/retail outlets nearby. Hotel.com state the hotel has a pool but it doesn’t. This was one of the main reasons for me booking it so was let down from that point of view but think it must be a hotels.com issue

10

Tracey

Aug 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

One of the best holiday Inns I have stayed at. The free breakfast was a real plus as was the free parking for 24hrs followed by parking for £2 a day. For Portsmouth you can’t beat this hotel. Would highly recommend!

10

Paul

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent check in service - fast and very polite. Room - couldn’t get tv to work. Reception staff came up and fixed it - Aerial was unplugged. Lovely breakfast. Very busy hotel due to great location.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Many guests found rooms and public areas clean, but recurring comments mention stained carpets, mould or limescale in bathrooms, cracked fixtures, musty smells, and occasional missed housekeeping details.

Related guest reviews

8

Lucy

Jul 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel is in a great location and parking is free for first 24 hours and then £2 a day thereafter. Breakfast area is quite small so gets very busy at peak times but was happy with choice of food. Although both days bananas were old and bruised which surprises me with such a high turnover. Room is comfortable, bed is on wheel and squeaks a bit but fine. Nice to have choice of pillows. Bathroom is a bit tired and needs a really good deep clean.

4

Andrea

Sep 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The location of the hotel is excellent for shopping. However, the hotel itself is disappointing. One room had 5p on floor showing the lack of cleaning and toilet bowl was unclean. The view from the window was of bins and the AC wasn’t working so we were given a filthy fan as a substitute measure. The breakfast time was so busy we couldn’t find a seat for all 4 of us, we’d purchased two rooms for two couples. The breakfast was okay but cheap ingredients and seemed staff could not keep up with service. The worst part was the bed was so small, soft and lumpy. None of us slept well. We frequently stay in hotels and they are often at the higher end, yet the cost of this we would have expected at the very least comfort and cleanliness.

8

Margaret

Feb 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff were kind and so helpful. Had a fabulous break away Our bathroom sink was cracked and a bit off putting as over time the cracks had discoloured and looked rather grimy.

4

Dominique

Jan 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Location is ok, However it looks old when you arrive. Cleanliness is not sure in the bedroom. The cleanings was not well achieved before we arrived. Bathroom is old aged. Unable to use TV, and it even stayed ON all night !!

6

Thomas

Oct 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Mold in shower

8

Denise

Feb 20, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We had a lovely stay. Staff friendly and breakfast was very good. The only downside was the cleaning of the rooms we found dirty tissues at the back of the bed and water still Left in the kettle

6

RJ

Oct 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Overnight stay. Friendly welcome. Room ok, but evidence that cleaning was rushed (some marks on surfaces), wine stain on carpet, sink cracked. Good breakfast and car parking options.

4

Sarah

Jun 19, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Warn people that air conditioning isn't working before they arrive. The hotel is tired and needs improvements. For example, in our room, the bathroom ceiling had only been half painted and was suffering from damp/mould. The beds have been over used and poor quality. Marks on the walls and stains on the carpets. No coffee table or chair in room.

8

Eleanor Jill

Aug 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff really helpful and friendly. Hotel needs a bit of sprucing up though. Furniture needs updating, bed wasn’t comfortable and couldn’t shut the window. Bathroom needs updating. One night was enough.

2

Robert

Jul 4, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice staff, good location but the room was falling apart. Black mould & thick limescale in bathroom, window handle broken, chair stained and filthy. Worst of all an electrical plate with a cover hanging off seemed a potential danger for kids with small fingers.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are functional but dated and vary in size; recurring issues include broken or ineffective air conditioning or ventilation, small or uncomfortable beds, and noise from nearby nightlife or service areas. Some rooms also had faulty window locks or limited power outlets.

Related guest reviews

6

jarrett

Sep 23, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The AC was out in the hotel. That was not told to us at check in. After a very uncomfortable nights rest, we ask for maintenance to come check our AC. We were told that it is out across the hotel & we should have been told at check in. Based on the conversation, I believe the AC has been out for a while. We were told we could open the window but that did not help at all. When we ask about a partial refund we were told to reach out to hotels.com. We also asked about checking out to find a hotel with AC but we were told that we could not get a refund. To say that the hotel has AC when it is broken is false advertising. It is a convenient location for shops & restaurants.

6

Sudheer

Mar 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nothing unique-Tired property with stained carpets, Etc Functional

6

Kai Lee

Oct 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Ventilation in room simply does not work. Temperature fixed at 35degrees all night Informed night reception, who advised to just switch off if too hot! ie, no air in room. Fantastic check in staff, friendly service at breakfast, but room is not comfortable for this reason.

6

Anne

Sep 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A bit disappointing this time. Air conditioning not working - they had put fans in rooms and had water to help yourself to. Not the greatest experience with staff who seemed overworked. Breakfast both days was poor. Cooked food was overcooked and dry. Bread and pastries were dry. Slow to replace items as guests used them. Coffee machine was terrible. The room was fine. No sockets by the bed - there was a usb charging point but this didn’t work. At over £200 per night this seemed very expensive for what we got. The location is great and car parking works well - just remember to get your ticket validated.

8

Alan

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Window would close but would not lock, as handle was missing. Due to room being directly opposite nightclub, this was a problem with noise Saturday and Sunday while trying to sleep. Otherwise a very enjoyable stay.

10

Darren

Oct 16, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel service very good, friendly staff, great breakfast choices and easy to get about locally. However bed was terrible, felt like springs broken and could not sleep very well.

4

David

Jun 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No air conditioning working. Room was stifling, never slept a wink. Really think some reduction in the price should have been made to compensate. If we had know we would have gone somewhere else.

8

Sarah

Oct 24, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is in a great location to the outlet centre and historical dockyard. Good service and breakfast choice. We stayed on a Saturday night and our room was opposite clubs and bars so it was very noisy.

8

James

Sep 26, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were great. The room was clean and comfortable. I wish that there were electrical outlets near the bed but there were not. Also, on one evening the Liquorist Pub across from one side of the hotel became a disco. It was open till 3:00 am and you could hear the heavy beat of the music till then.

6

Sarah

Jun 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No working air conditioning and put in a room with no window. Very hot and stuffy on the hottest day of the year. Told my only option was to book elsewhere, but no close hotels left and it was already 9pm as I was travelling for work and had a very long day, up since 5am and just wanted to get dinner not do more travelling and sorting a new last minute reservation. They did move me to another room with a window that opened after I insisted the room was not suitable in the heat, but offered no compensation. There was no warning about the broken AC on hotels.com at the point of booking. The internet was slow and it meant I struggled to even browse for other locations or hotels and was stressful to arrive into this environment. At breakfast, as a solo traveller I needed to eat alone, but when I got up to go to the buffet they took away my juice and coffee even though my bag was at the table and it was frustrating that their staff did this and meant I felt I couldn't get up to get more juice in case they also cleared my food

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Service

Service is widely praised as friendly and helpful, with staff offering tips, late check‑outs and quick fixes; however, communication around major issues like the AC outage and occasional delays at check‑in drew criticism.

Related guest reviews

4

Matthew

Oct 22, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed in room 321 and twice I reported the ac wasn’t working and was promised a fan or someone to fix it and never happened then housekeeping left our door open with all our possessions in the room for an entire day whilst we were out . Tried to report this at reception but just said oh ok . Really poor service the room was so hot we couldn’t sleep

6

Anne

Sep 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A bit disappointing this time. Air conditioning not working - they had put fans in rooms and had water to help yourself to. Not the greatest experience with staff who seemed overworked. Breakfast both days was poor. Cooked food was overcooked and dry. Bread and pastries were dry. Slow to replace items as guests used them. Coffee machine was terrible. The room was fine. No sockets by the bed - there was a usb charging point but this didn’t work. At over £200 per night this seemed very expensive for what we got. The location is great and car parking works well - just remember to get your ticket validated.

10

Esther

Feb 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were fantastic, went above and beyond to make it a great stay.

4

Nancy

Jul 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very disappointing stay. The AC was out in the hotel. The common areas (hallways, breakfast area) were unbearably hot. Our room was OK with the windows open and fan but we couldn’t sleep with the noise coming in from the busy restaurant and club area surrounding the hotel. Although we checked with the staff when we arrived at 9:00 am, and again at 1:00 pm we weren’t notified about the AC problem until we checked in at 3:00, leaving us little to no time to make alternative reservations for the night. When we checked in at 3:00 our room wasn’t ready. We needed to wait in hot breakfast area until about 3:45. Sofa was stained, rest of the room was ok. Not a good stay, would not come back.

10

Heidi

Aug 26, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff was exceptional!

10

Ewen

Oct 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We were able to check in at 11:30am which was great, could then checkout the shops nearby. Very helpful staff. Great breakfast offering.

10

Dean

Nov 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff are brilliant at this hotel so friendly.

10

Pifel

Jan 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a wonderful stay at this hotel! The receptionist was incredibly helpful and friendly, going above and beyond to make my visit comfortable. They even offered me a free late check-out, which was such a thoughtful gesture. The service was top-notch, and I truly appreciated the warm and accommodating attitude of the staff. Highly recommend staying here!

2

Muriel

Nov 10, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

On arriving to the hotel in the evening, it took the receptionist took 30mins to find my booking which was frustrating, despite showing them my booking confirmations and receipts . After finally getting my key I was then told there was no hot water at the hotel. There was mention of moving to another hotel but after a 14hr day working I didn’t want to travel more, and had no transport to get me there. I was assured it would be fixed ASAP but woke up in the morning to the water still being cold. An awful start to my stay.

10

Paul

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent check in service - fast and very polite. Room - couldn’t get tv to work. Reception staff came up and fixed it - Aerial was unplugged. Lovely breakfast. Very busy hotel due to great location.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Excellent central base within Gunwharf Quays, steps from shops, restaurants, the Historic Dockyard and transport links. Several reviewers warn that nightlife and early‑morning operations nearby can cause significant noise in some rooms.

Related guest reviews

10

John

Oct 1, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Ideal central hotel, close to shops and museum.

10

Elizabeth

Aug 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Excellent location for the Victorious Festival, right by the station and easy to walk to the festival. Bar open late too which was brilliant for us all.

8

Michael

Jul 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great property close to Portsmouth Harbor.

10

Michelle

Oct 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Easy walk from The Hard interchange bus station. Plenty of shops and restaurants nearby. A great pre-cruise hotel in Portsmouth. Also, on cruise day there are plenty of taxis at The Hard, no need to book a rideshare.

8

Maria Laura

Apr 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect location to explore the best area in Portsmouth! Also parking included is very useful!

10

SUSAN

Apr 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very central hotel for the quays and ferries to Gosport and Isle of Wight. Designer shopping outlet on quays. Many restaurants.

10

William

Aug 4, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location is ideal for touring the waterfront historical sites in Portsmouth. A short walk from the train and bus terminals, a bit further to the Historic Dockyards, and a short cab ride to the D-Day Museum. Plus a large array of restaurants and upscale shops on the Gunwharf Quays.

8

Sarah

Apr 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect location for shopping

4

Mira

Apr 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had the worst night of sleep we ever had at a hotel. We chose this hotel because there weren't that many options in Portsmouth. We were given a room directly in front of the loud and obnoxious late hours club, and the window was broken, so we weren't able to close the window completely. The music was blasting until 1 a.m. and there were drunken people shouting at about 4 a.m. We had one of the youngest children in the hotel, and they decided to give us this room on the first floor. When I asked the front desk and maybe manager about it, there was a collective shrug and no apologies or trying to make it better. Don't stay here if you want a good night's sleep.

8

Sarah

Oct 24, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is in a great location to the outlet centre and historical dockyard. Good service and breakfast choice. We stayed on a Saturday night and our room was opposite clubs and bars so it was very noisy.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

Breakfast is included and often described as tasty with good variety, and staff can accommodate dietary needs; still, multiple reviews report items being cold or overcooked, slow replenishment, and peak‑time crowding.

Related guest reviews

8

Fiona

Nov 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely staff and a delicious breakfast

6

Anne

Sep 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A bit disappointing this time. Air conditioning not working - they had put fans in rooms and had water to help yourself to. Not the greatest experience with staff who seemed overworked. Breakfast both days was poor. Cooked food was overcooked and dry. Bread and pastries were dry. Slow to replace items as guests used them. Coffee machine was terrible. The room was fine. No sockets by the bed - there was a usb charging point but this didn’t work. At over £200 per night this seemed very expensive for what we got. The location is great and car parking works well - just remember to get your ticket validated.

10

Ewen

Oct 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We were able to check in at 11:30am which was great, could then checkout the shops nearby. Very helpful staff. Great breakfast offering.

10

Sheila

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This was a brief stay but the hotel was excellent. Staff were super helpful. Room was very clean and had everything we might need including iron. Very comfortable. Breakfast was included and very tasty with lots of options. Didn’t like coffee but seems to be same in many hotels using the type of machine they have. Great location and easy parking. Highly recommend.

10

Katie

May 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a fantastic stay. The location of this hotel is brilliant for all Gunwharf has to offer. The eateries discount with the key card was much appreciated when dining at Wagamama. The staff make this hotel- they are fabulous and the customer service we received was excellent. We are always apprehensive at breakfast being vegan and 1 vegan and gluten free but it was a wonderful experience. At check in, the lady was awesome checking our dietary, getting soya milk etc the room has lovely soak superfood vegan toiletries and the guy at breakfast was so accommodating checking all the allergy list to make sure everything I was eating was ok … he even googled the brand to triple check the ingredients for me… superstar staff 🌟

10

Sarah

Nov 9, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was clean, comfortable and quiet. Breakfast selection brilliant. Staff very friendly and helpful will be booking again

10

Helen

Apr 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall an excellent location. The breakfast could be improved a little. In general, it was a good choice.

8

Cathryn

Nov 22, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Good location, comfortable room. Breakfast was disappointing.

8

Bo Yiu

Apr 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location, shops and restaurants are around. Rooms are good and staffs are great. Breakfast is not great it doesn’t have salad, croissants are cold and no refill when table is empty.

10

Paul

Mar 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Excellent check in service - fast and very polite. Room - couldn’t get tv to work. Reception staff came up and fixed it - Aerial was unplugged. Lovely breakfast. Very busy hotel due to great location.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$115
February	$129
March	$126
April	$138
May	$142
June	$154
July	$175
August	$158
September	$145
October	$133
November	$134
December	$127

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $205	5 $194
6 $131	7 $197	8 $205	9 $583	10 $140	11 $149	12 $289
13 $151	14 $236	15 $185	16 $188	17 $261	18	19
20 $131	21 $120	22 $150	23 $169	24	25 $126	26 $256
27 $97	28 $107	29 $154	30 $154

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $97	2 $117	3 $123
4 $78	5 $124	6 $190	7 $116	8 $126	9 $137	10 $115
11 $78	12 $96	13 $140	14 $124	15 $85	16 $139	17 $290
18 $100	19 $105	20 $131	21 $127	22 $91	23 $99	24 $143
25 $79	26 $111	27 $119	28 $129	29 $84	30 $91	31 $115

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

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FAQs about Holiday Inn Express Portsmouth Gunwharf Quays by IHG

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