The Bow Hotel

Great location for exploring historic Portsmouth. Room was clean and modern, but had a funky layout (shower and toilet in a small, separate area, with tiny sink area outside right next to entry door). Check-in was entirely online with no reception area, which wasn't made clear in communications; I called a number shown at the front door (open only with a key code) and a receptionist walked me through the process. Front door was up an outside flight of steps--not accessible. Small common area with coffee machine (which wasn't working) and ice; pantry with drinks and snacks available for purchase on the honor system. Very close to restaurants, shops, bars and the waterfront.

We had a nice stay at Ale House. Very cool building, easy parking across the street, and great location to walk to everything downtown. Biggest drawback was the inability to control the A/C.... it was freezing in the room, and I had to sleep in sweats (in August). Also, the lighting was poor and in fact the main lamp had a burned out bulb. I would caution anyone who can't climb stairs, as that seems to be the only way to get into the building.

It was confusing on how to enter the building , I did not realize I needed to enter a code , until I asked ( which the response was very quick ) however it would have been nice to know prior to arriving. Also there was a great little coffee bar with other hygiene items , however it would be great to also have utensils there as well Thank you

Location is great, walkable To everything. Parking is available but process is a little clunky. Otherwise everything was great.

Interesting experience. Place was clean and we loved the decor and the bed was amazing. There was no front desk or attendants on site though, everything was done through your phone, which we weren't expecting. The hotel has a tiny lot for parking though and you have to pay an extra $35 to park there. That was a bit frustrating. Overall ok, great central location, but we would take the parking price into account if we stayed here next time to see if it was worth it.

The room was clean and contemporary, but very small. There was central air but our room was still quite warm making it difficult to sleep. The hotel offered use of bikes and helmets which we would have used if weather permitted, but we took full advantage of the hotel umbrellas. Much appreciated! My biggest complaint is that there was a lot of noise. Lots of doors slamming and I was woken up at 1:15 by very loud talking and laughing in the hallway. The rooms are not sound proof at all. I did enjoy its location; it was a quick walk to numerous restaurants, bars, shops, and the park. There is also a theater on the ground floor of the hotel.

Great location to walk into town. Lots of breakfast and dining options in the neighborhood. Kudos for the comfy common room with snacks, reading materials, games. Hotel parking (in the church parking lot across the street) is expensive ($35/day). We were lucky to find a spot in the free municipal parking lot about 3/4 of a mile away.

great location right in portsmouth, very walkable to downtown, and easy parking

Perfect location, right next to the water and downtown. Our rom was really comfortable and clearly updated with new furniture and textiles. I wish they had mentioned there was no elevator to the main floor from the street and that we had to pay for parking. I thought it was included due to the wording they used.

Great experience in a great location in Portsmouth! If you’re looking for a clean, comfortable stay, that embodies a self service model, this is your place. They have a cozy lounge area with games and couches, a self serve coffee station as well as snacks that you can purchase. Very comfortable and our room was spacious. Good communication with staff. Will definitely stay here again in the future.

Room was comfortable and clean though it was in need of upkeep. Carpet was well worn, outlet plate missing and obvious leak damage in bathroom ceiling. Hotel is conveniently located and free nitro coffee fantastic. I generally prefer these types of boutique hotels for short stays and despite the flaws I would stay here again.

The room was comfortable but seemed hastily cleaned. The smell of a deodorizer was overwhelming. Had to keep the windows open the entire time to air it out.

Dirty and not well maintained

This could be a nice place. The rugs were worn and dirty. The bathroom needs upgrading. Potential but needs work.

Saturday, 5pm housekeeping came knocked and came in without a chance for us to answer the door. She doesn't have enough towels; but what she did bring she put ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR and didn't clean up or make the bed. For what we paid, I figured service would be a tad bit better than a motel 6. Very disappointing. There was a toenail by my pillow on the bed frame. My husband's pillow smelled of old spice, he doesn't wear old spice. Unacceptable.

The room was clean, the check-in was easy, and the overall accommodations were nice. What would make it even better is if the bed was not quite so soft.

Loved the location! Carpets desperately needed cleaning

The location was very good and the room was clean, but small. Towels and soaps were good quality. Unfortunately, could not control the air conditioning and had to put on the heat at night and wear a hat because it was blowing so strongly and made the room cold and uncomfortable. There was no maid service and I had to take out my own trash and get fresh towels. There are also approximately 20 outside steps that you have to climb to get to the main level of the inn. We had a view of the roof air conditioning units and heard them running all night. Also paid $30 per night for parking. Disappointed and not what I expected.

On the plus side, the location is good and you can walk everywhere. Decor was nice. The rest wasn't great for us. The room had a window at most 10-11 inches across and maybe 3 feet high, up toward the ceiling like in a movie prison cell. It was dark and depressing. The towels and floor had long brown hairs on them, with clumps of it under the desk, so no kudos on the cleaning. The room was freezing and no way to control the AC. Staff was responsive by text, but they are offsite so you never see a person. No lobby, no grounds. All in all a weird experience, and we stayed out of the room as much as possible. If refundable, would have looked for another option.

Location was amazing but property itself I was not a fan of. Moldy rusty shower, tiny bathroom poorly lit throughout room,stains on carpets, bed was so bad we couldnt wait to leave.. My college dorm room was more comfortable than this tiny room. Staff is amazing and friendly and check in and wireless key was super convenient. Also coffee on tap and water was wonderful. I wanted to love this property more but am grateful for an amazing weekend and for this lovely town.

They contacted me on multiple occasions to see if there was anything I needed. Each time, I told them the internet was out, and the television did not work. Each time, they promised get back to me. They never got back to me even to say it could not be fixed. However, they continued to send automated messages asking if there was anything I needed.

No soundproofing between rooms. That could have been a problem but we had quiet neighbors. Parking is extra but easy to get in and out for a “city.”

Great Location, comfortable beds, spacious rooms.

Open Key App was a complete failure, but call to the 24hr help line provided pass codes allowing entry. The rest was okay - fair location for walkable downtown activities but view to the roof of the abutting building wasn't exactly the river view I had hoped for and had led to my choice. Several better, more reasonably priced alternatives in the area.

We had a nice stay at Ale House. Very cool building, easy parking across the street, and great location to walk to everything downtown. Biggest drawback was the inability to control the A/C.... it was freezing in the room, and I had to sleep in sweats (in August). Also, the lighting was poor and in fact the main lamp had a burned out bulb. I would caution anyone who can't climb stairs, as that seems to be the only way to get into the building.

Contactless check-in sucks! We never got the code for the entrance, had to wait for a guest to let us in and give us the code. The app to use open door took forever to download and another guest said theirs never worked. The room is small and bare bones, the bathroom about the size of a closet. More like a hostel than a hotel.

TV was constantly refreshing. 100% not functional.

The room was clean and contemporary, but very small. There was central air but our room was still quite warm making it difficult to sleep. The hotel offered use of bikes and helmets which we would have used if weather permitted, but we took full advantage of the hotel umbrellas. Much appreciated! My biggest complaint is that there was a lot of noise. Lots of doors slamming and I was woken up at 1:15 by very loud talking and laughing in the hallway. The rooms are not sound proof at all. I did enjoy its location; it was a quick walk to numerous restaurants, bars, shops, and the park. There is also a theater on the ground floor of the hotel.

Room was great and you can tell it was newly furnished or they kept up with it well. Bed was very comfortable. Walls were paper thin and you could hear everything from every room. Check in was a bit frustrating. I requested an early check in which I know isn't guaranteed but was told I would get a text from the hotel when the room was ready. After 4pm, check in time, I still never received a text or email. Called the number at 4:15pm. They were friendly and then sent the text but said if the code doesnt work on the app, there is a lockbox with all physical keys and gave me the code. I clarified that all the keys were in there and that there wasn't a separate lockbox for each room and they confirmed. To which I then said I would grab the physical key rather than the app so no one else had access to my room since all the keys can be grabbed my anyone with the code. The woman said it's never been an issue before but I didn't feel comfortable chancing it. I also texted and emailed about parking the day before arriving and the hotel never wrote back. I decided to street parking which was significantly cheaper than their $35/ night lot. Though the hotel is in a perfect location and room was cozy, very underwhelmed by the check in experience and lack of communication and safety.

Very cute industrial chic with attention to detail, but our room was very small and all the furniture was quite low (for seniors). Digital check in, parking and location were all great.

Everything about the hotel is great except the check-in process….its all done on an app and the cell phone service wasn’t great, so I couldn’t download the app. ALSO, there is NO FRONT DESK so I couldn’t check-in with a human. This was problematic, especially when their hotel description says “Staff available from 9-5” but it was all virtual. What happened to the good ol’ fashion way of checks in at a front desk??

Never got check in text message so had to call a couple different numbers until I got someone to walk me through check in ( no staff on site). Once we finally checked in we left to go to dinner and talked w another guest staying at the bow who told us they also had problems checking in and were first given the wrong room ( which happened to be the room we were staying in ) we found his toothbrush in the bathroom after coming back. Hotel wasn’t bad itself just very unorganized check in.

There was no staff on site. I didn't receive check in email so didn't have the code to get in front door. When i called to get the code the staff gave me the wrong code. Thankfully an employee from the business downstairs knew the code. When he gave us the code he said lots of people in the last week had been given incorrect codes.

No front desk???? Worst expierence I have every had. Clean rooms yes, but the hassle to get into the building was horrible. And the person who was on was so rude. I will never recommend this hotel to anyone.

Ale House Inn is centrally located in down town Portsmouth, NH, walking distance from everything with dedicated parking for a surcharge which is nice! Sits on the second floor of an old warehouse with a small but cute communal room with coffe, tea, water! Room is simple but clean, quiet and nicely decorated. Beds are really comfortable and clean. Front desk is on site 9am-5pm but excellent communication off hours for whatever you may need, we didn’t meet anyone but got loads of assistance with recommendations and such! Room access is through a digital key but very straight forward process and finally is reasonably prices for location and time a year! Conclusion it a nice, cool spot if you need all the basics and great service without having to pay for the extra stuff we never use like gym, pool, 24/7 on site concierge! If you’re planning to spend most of yr time in yr bedroom this may not be the place for you but more for downtown weekend getaways! I would totally come back here! :)))

Walkable area and a unique property. All staff members we encountered were super helpful and friendly.

The check in ordeal was terrible. Supposed to do everything online but they didn’t send all the information. Had to call about parking. They didn’t tell us the code to get into the building. Once we figured out how to get in there was a nice man at the desk to help us but it was a very frustrating check in. The rooms were ok. Clean but not very user friendly. I will not be going back.

Contactless key app did not work when we returned to the room after dinner. Problem solved nicely after calling hotel rep. Morning person working in reception was not in good spirits, complained about not having help doing his job. Nice location, staff responsive otherwise.

Check in directions sent via text were not clear. And, I was with other guests all standing outside trying to figure out how the front door opened. the key pix should not be sent first, when it is not the first thing a guest has to deal with. Otherwise, it was a nice place to stay.

The rooms are nice, and the location is good. There's no one at the desk past 6-ish. It took me three phones and a couple of texts to figure out the keys to the room, but it was a minor inconvenience. I will definitely stay here again when I get back to Portsmouth.

Quick overnight triip to see Portsmouth and meet family for dinner. Location for exploring downtown Portsmouth on foot is perfect.

Great location for exploring historic Portsmouth. Room was clean and modern, but had a funky layout (shower and toilet in a small, separate area, with tiny sink area outside right next to entry door). Check-in was entirely online with no reception area, which wasn't made clear in communications; I called a number shown at the front door (open only with a key code) and a receptionist walked me through the process. Front door was up an outside flight of steps--not accessible. Small common area with coffee machine (which wasn't working) and ice; pantry with drinks and snacks available for purchase on the honor system. Very close to restaurants, shops, bars and the waterfront.

Great Location, comfortable beds, spacious rooms.

We loved the proximity to everything that Portsmouth had to offer. Great location!

Great location!

great location right in portsmouth, very walkable to downtown, and easy parking

Perfect location, right next to the water and downtown. Our rom was really comfortable and clearly updated with new furniture and textiles. I wish they had mentioned there was no elevator to the main floor from the street and that we had to pay for parking. I thought it was included due to the wording they used.

It was super convenient to everything in town and very comfortable.

Great location, bedding, and amenities! I’ll definitely be back!

Parking was hassle free, perfect!! Room was basic, but very comfortable and lovely. Easy access and close to everything we love about Portsmouth. Great location. The minimal interaction with staff was very friendly.

This was such a cool place. The location was absolutely perfect. So accessible to all that Portsmouth has to offer. Their is parking across the street and you can leave your car for the rest of your trip because you can walk everywhere. The hotel staff was extremely friendly and gave us some great places to try. The hotel has a great coffee bar with regular, cold brew and water on tap. They had a basket with a variety of snacks for the taking too. We will definitely choose to stay there again on a return trip to beautiful Portsmouth!

Great location for exploring historic Portsmouth. Room was clean and modern, but had a funky layout (shower and toilet in a small, separate area, with tiny sink area outside right next to entry door). Check-in was entirely online with no reception area, which wasn't made clear in communications; I called a number shown at the front door (open only with a key code) and a receptionist walked me through the process. Front door was up an outside flight of steps--not accessible. Small common area with coffee machine (which wasn't working) and ice; pantry with drinks and snacks available for purchase on the honor system. Very close to restaurants, shops, bars and the waterfront.

It was confusing on how to enter the building , I did not realize I needed to enter a code , until I asked ( which the response was very quick ) however it would have been nice to know prior to arriving. Also there was a great little coffee bar with other hygiene items , however it would be great to also have utensils there as well Thank you

Overall, the hotel was fine. It was weird to stay in a hotel on top of a movie theater, but kind of cool. I was disappointed that there was not a microwave on site and the coffee was hard to figure out and frustrating not to have someone on the premises to help. Nice location and easy to get to everywhere in the heart of Portsmouth. 🙂

This small, boutique inn has only a few rooms so guests are almost guaranteed peace and quiet. The only thing I would add would be to have hot, caffeinated coffee in the informal living room. And perhaps a little more heat. The staff are congenial and accommodating: all good!

Great location to walk into town. Lots of breakfast and dining options in the neighborhood. Kudos for the comfy common room with snacks, reading materials, games. Hotel parking (in the church parking lot across the street) is expensive ($35/day). We were lucky to find a spot in the free municipal parking lot about 3/4 of a mile away.

Rooms small. Expensive but can’t beat the location or coffee!

The entrance process was very poorly done. Had to wait for another couple, who had already checked in, to let us into the building. Room's windows were oddly positioned. Nothing left out for breakfas

Excellent location; very small window without view - but a window to open!! No breakfast, but who wants a lame hotel breakfast when you have the entire town right in your front yard with countless phantastic options.

Great experience in a great location in Portsmouth! If you’re looking for a clean, comfortable stay, that embodies a self service model, this is your place. They have a cozy lounge area with games and couches, a self serve coffee station as well as snacks that you can purchase. Very comfortable and our room was spacious. Good communication with staff. Will definitely stay here again in the future.