Waterfront Southport Hotel

Return visit 2 nights stay, Reception friendly Room spotless clean Nice toiletries Breakfast first morning grim Bacon an sausage burnt 2nd morning every thing burnt just had toasts Staff very friendly and helpful Bar staff especially Bar food very expensive No advance warning of building works Have stayed here a number of times over the year Will not stay again as it was very impersonal We were just a booking

Good but could be so much better On arrival, the first impression wasn’t great. The outside of the hotel looked dirty, with an empty building on one side and construction on the other. I can accept the construction work, but the neglected building really detracts from the entrance. Once inside, the hotel was smart, modern, and very spacious. Our room was clean and comfortable with a partial sea and lake view. We were also able to watch the airshow from one of the public function rooms, which was a real highlight. The hotel staff running the event were fantastic. Food and drink prices were steep, so we only ate in the restaurant once at lunchtime. More lifts are definitely needed — we often spent up to 10 minutes waiting because people were calling them on different floors. Some of the low light fixtures are also easy to bump your head on; I saw this happen to several people. Parking was convenient with an underground option, but very expensive at £15 per night compared to £5 in the nearby public car park. I later discovered that parking is free if you book directly with the hotel, so it’s swings and roundabouts depending on how you book. The room itself was clean, comfortable, and well equipped with a fan, ironing board, etc., but I felt it was missing some basics such as a fridge and complimentary water (although there were nice biscuits provided daily). Milk was offered, but it wasn’t fresh, which a fridge would have helped with. Paper information was provided, but the text was faint and skewed on the page. I only discovered the TV information system on the last night, and room service information wasn’t clear (and I later heard it may no longer be offered). Beds were comfortable and the free Wi-Fi was appreciated, though I noticed no pillow protectors, which I’d expect in a four-star hotel. Some of the furniture and décor looked tired (peeling paint, old-style phones, dusty tops of wardrobes). Housekeeping came early each day, but bedding wasn’t changed all week and towel replacement was inconsistent. Reception staff felt a little cold and unwelcoming. I had flagged in advance that it was my 50th birthday, but this wasn’t acknowledged. A request for a bath mat and extra pillow wasn’t met on the first night and only fulfilled after asking again the next morning — quickly, once the right staff were involved. A big downside was the Saturday night wedding, which we weren’t informed about when booking. The music was extremely loud and went on until 12:30am. I eventually had to phone reception to ask when it would stop, and only then did the noise finally end. This was especially disappointing as the website advertises “soundproofed rooms,” which ours clearly wasn’t. Adding to this, the hotel bar closed at 11pm, so it was meant to be quiet after that, which it clearly wasn’t. On the positive side, the hotel left free airshow tickets and personalised seating in our room, which was a nice touch. Overall: This hotel has a lot of potential — smart interiors, spacious rooms, great event staff, and excellent views. But the outside appearance, high costs, tired details in the rooms, lack of clear communication, and noise from events let it down. With more attention to detail and better guest communication, it could truly deliver a four-star experience.

Let down on the Waterfront. Be mindful that there is no deposit option to charge to your account, so you have to PAYG. Another frustrating facility that is unavailable is room service. No doubt a cost cutting exercise. The night I was there, it was an hour & 10 minutes wait in the bar until my food was ready to collect to return to my room to eat it. Time I didn't have, as I had work to finish, that had overlapped from that day. There was no mention of this on checking in or that a table in the restaurant where 1st come, 1st serve with no priority given to guests. As a business traveller, my main priority is to get fed and have a good night's sleep. Not so here with this dining debacle. Rooms were excellent (albeit, with no fridge), breakfast seemed OK, with a fair selection of hot & cold buffet food. Next time, it might have to be Just Eat or Deliveroo to the room, save wasting 1hr 10mins of my life..

Couples night away What a beautiful hotel … really comfy bed .. we paid to upgrade the room which was lovely the only disappointment was the building work going on right at the side of the hotel which lead to noise and vibrations at 8am.. but the staff apologised and offered a free upgrade next time we stop so can’t complain… the breakfast buffet was delicious with lots of choices .. will definitely be returning

Good hotel but I won’t return I stayed at the Waterfront Southport Hotel recently and wanted to leave a review. The hotel didn’t make a good first impression from the outside. The building looked tired and not clean like the photos shown online, which seemed a bit misleading. Inside, the room was comfortable and generally very good. It was clean and nicely presented, but I did notice a slight musty smell. I was surprised by the lack of a fridge. Whilst the room description didn’t include one, there was a clear space for a fridge and it seemed that at some point the fridges may have been removed from the rooms which is a shame. I had booked a room with a view, but the view was spoiled by ongoing construction work directly outside. This construction work wasn’t mentioned when booking. The biggest issue for me was the early check-in policy. I had booked the room on the same day, and arrived before the check-in time. I was told I couldn’t check-in unless I paid an extra £30. I travel a lot and have never been asked to pay for early check-in before when a room is available. The receptionist initially told me that there were no rooms available but I knew my room type had been available the night before, which meant there must have been one ready. This policy means everyone loses. The guest is unhappy, the receptionist has to deliver the bad news, and the hotel reviews are more negative due to the lack of flexibility. Removing this policy would completely flip this. I had planned to stay for two nights if the first night was good, but decided not to extend my booking because of this. Breakfast was good and I opted for the continental selection, which had plenty of options and was very enjoyable. There were positives to my stay, but I was very disappointed about the strict check-in policy and the lack of information about the construction work, so I would not return.