Searching for hotels near Southampton Cruise Terminal? This quick guide covers the most popular options.
Not sure how to get to the cruise terminals? Check out our complete National Express Coach to Southampton Cruise Terminal Guide
Which Southampton Cruise Terminal hotel is best for…?
- Closest to City/Mayflower terminals:
Holiday Inn Southampton; Novotel Southampton; Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour; Ibis / Ibis Budget cluster near West Quay (short walk or quick taxi depending on terminal). - Walkable budget near station:
Ibis Southampton; Ibis Budget Southampton Centre; Premier Inn West Quay (simple rooms, easy rail access, quick taxi to terminals). - Best value all-rounder:
Moxy, Premier Inn West Quay; Novotel Southampton (consistent pricing, central location, reliable pre‑cruise amenities). - Luxury waterfront stay:
Premier Inn West Quay; Novotel Southampton (consistent pricing, central location, reliable pre‑cruise amenities). - Families and larger rooms: Families and larger rooms: Novotel Southampton; Leonardo Hotel Southampton (formerly Jurys Inn); Premier Inn West Quay (family rooms, central dining nearby).
- Early breakfast convenience: Early breakfast convenience: Major chains along city centre/waterfront such as Voco, Novotel, Leonardo Royal typically offer early service on cruise days – confirm hours.
- One‑night stop with rail arrival: Novotel; Ibis; Ibis Budget (5–10 minutes’ walk from station; simple transfer to terminals).
- Stay‑and‑park style options: Select city hotels and third‑party providers offer cruise parking packages; check current inclusions and terminal transfers.
- Quiet overnighter outside centre: Holiday Inn Express M27 J7; Elizabeth House Hotel (parking value, away from busiest core; taxi to terminals).
Moxy Southampton
The Moxy Southampton offers reasonable quality rooms in a city centre location. One of the trendier Marriott brands, the Moxy is often full, particularly when there are multiple ships in dock.
The popularity means that costs can shoot up on busy days. Our advice – book early to get the best prices. £70 is a good price.
Check out our full review of the Moxy Southampton.
Parking: Limited spaces at the rear of the property available at extra charge (£8 per night, including the single disabled parking space).
Tripadvisor rating: 4 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 1.5 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 1.0 mile
- City Terminal: 0.6 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 1.0 mile
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.6 miles
Best for: A stay in the city centre with relatively easy access to all five Southampton cruise terminals – by taxi.
Our take: The best of the city centre hotels, the Moxy is our go-to when sailing out of Southampton. It’s clean, comfortable and reasonably priced – often cheaper than the “budget” Premier Inn next door.
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Premier Inn Southampton West Quay
Right next door to the Moxy, the Premier Inn is one of the cheapest hotels near the Southampton cruise terminals. In theory. In reality, rooms at the Premier Inn can reach the same price – or higher – than the far superior Moxy.
Top tip: Check out our Premier Inn Discount Code 2026 guide to learn how to save up to 15% off every booking – and not just in Southampton, but anywhere in Europe.
The Premier Inn is perfectly acceptable – and rooms can be as low as £45 if you book early during one of the regular Premier Inn sales. And like the Moxy, it’s a short walk from the National Express coach terminal. It’s also the nearest Premier Inn to the Southampton Cruise Terminals.
Parking: None. Use the nearby West Quay Shopping Centre car park ~£6 per night.
Tripadvisor rating: 4.5 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 1.5 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 1.0 mile
- City Terminal: 0.6 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 0.9 mile
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.6 miles
Best for: A cheap(er) stay in the city centre, a short taxi trip from all five cruise terminals.
Our take: In our experience, the Premier Inn brand is reliable and consistent. It’s nothing special – and it doesn’t try to be. So long as the price is good, the Premier Inn is a good fall back if the Moxy is fully booked (or the price has rocketed). You could do a lot worse than booking a room here.
Novotel
Probably the most luxurious option near the Mayflower and Horizon cruise terminals. The Novotel is at the upper end of the Accor chain’s offerings and even offers an indoor swimming pool if that’s your thing.
Obviously, better quality comes at a cost, so expect to pay more for a stay here. On the plus side, it’s a very short walk from the Novotel to the Horizon Cruise Terminal.
Parking: Yes, for an additional charge (£12 per night)
Tripadvisor rating: 4 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 0.9 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 0.4 mile
- City Terminal: 0.5 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 1.3 miles
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.9 miles
Best for: Those who demand a little more luxury from their pre-cruise accommodation.
Our take: Because Princess typically sails from the Mayflower Terminal, we’ve never actually had occasion to stay here. The fact that the hotel is further away from the city centre is also a negative for us.
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Ibis Budget Southampton Centre
One of the cheapest Hotels near Southampton Cruise Terminal, the Ibis Budget is specifically aimed at low-cost travellers. This is definitely no-frills territory, but perfectly adequate for a one-night stay.
It’s also with in easy walking distance of the Horizon Cruise Terminal. But this does come at the cost of being slightly further away from the centre of Southampton. The National Express coach station and Southampton Central railway station are just around the corner too.
Parking: Yes, for an additional £12 per night.
Tripadvisor rating: 3.5 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 0.9 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 0.4 mile
- City Terminal: 0.5 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 1.2 miles
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.9 miles
Best for: Budget travellers, particularly those sailing on MSC Cruises.
Our take: The clue is in the name, Ibis Budget. This is a crashed, nothing more, nothing less. It’s also a little further away from town than we would like.
VOCO Southampton (formerly Holiday Inn)
Operating to a global standard, a stay at the VOCO in Southampton is pretty much the same as a stay at any other International Hotels Group (IHG) property.
This hotel is located near the entrance to the docks – and within easy walking distance of the City Cruise Terminal. It’s also a relatively short walk into Southampton city centre.
The VOCO also offers cruise parking packages for anyone driving into Southampton.
Parking: Yes – for an additional £15 per night. There are also cruise parking options available but you may need to book with the hotel direct.
Tripadvisor rating: 4 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 1.4 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 0.9 miles
- City Terminal: 0.5 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 0.7 miles
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.4 miles
Best for: IHG One Rewards members.
Our take: An excellent location with a price tag to match. The VOCO is within walking distance of the city centre, but the Premier Inn and Moxy are better located – especially if you are sailing from Mayflower or one of the more distant terminals.
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Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour
Easy to spot (it looks like a giant glass pyramid, the Leonardo Royal Grand Harbour is almost directly opposite the Holiday Inn. It’s also one of the more expensive options.
There are two Leonardos in town – and the other is hotel is not near the Southampton cruise terminal. Make sure you select the Royal Grand Harbour.
Parking: Yes, for an additional fee.
Tripadvisor rating: 3.5 out of 5
Distance to:
- Mayflower Terminal: 1.4 miles
- Horizon Terminal: 0.9 mile
- City Terminal: 0.5 miles
- Ocean Terminal: 0.7 miles
- Queen Elizabeth II Terminal: 1.4 miles
Best for: An upmarket stay with easy access to the City and Ocean cruise terminals.
Our take: Being located on a busy roundabout is a bit of a turn-off, but the hotel itself is bound to be perfectly acceptable. It’s also a relatively short walk into town from this particular hotel. However, the prices at the Moxy are far keener.
There’s one other thing to bear in mind. Searching for ‘Hotels near Southampton cruise terminal’ could yield some confusing results because there are actually five terminals in town. If you are planning to walk to your ship, make sure you choose a hotel near the correct terminal.
All six of the hotels listed here can be seen on the map below. Green stars show each of the cruise terminals and purple markers denote the hotels:
Southampton Cruise Terminal Hotels FAQs
Only a handful are realistically walkable: Novotel, Holiday Inn, Ibis, and Ibis Budget near City/Mayflower; most other terminals require a taxi of a few minutes. Always check your assigned terminal before choosing.
Southampton has Mayflower, City, Ocean, Queen Elizabeth II, and Horizon terminals, spread along the waterfront a couple of miles apart, so walking is often impractical except for City/Mayflower area hotels.
Most cruisers choose city centre or waterfront hotels for quick taxi access to terminals and easy access to shops and dining; station-proximate hotels are convenient for rail arrivals and next-morning transfers.
Expect a short ride of just a few minutes from central or waterfront hotels; local rates vary by operator and time, but the distance is small compared to out-of-centre stays.
Most chain and boutique hotels offer free luggage storage for pre/post cruise stays, but policies vary – confirm with your chosen hotel before arrival.
Large chains and waterfront properties often start breakfast early on cruise days; verify service hours with the hotel to align with your boarding time.
Some properties and third‑party providers offer stay‑and‑park packages; availability changes seasonally, so check current offers and whether transfers to your exact terminal are included.
Family‑friendly chain hotels in the city centre or waterfront offer larger rooms and easy access to restaurants and attractions, with quick taxi transfers to terminals.
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