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    The Bow Hotel

    2.5 (4 reviews)
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    Updated over 3 months ago

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    17 days ago

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    6 months ago

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    The Hotel Portsmouth

    The Hotel Portsmouth

    4.4
    (144 reviews)
    $$

    This is a fun and quiet hotel in a great location. I stayed two nights and was happy with my stay…read more I stayed in a king room. It was plenty of room for one person but two adults, might feel a bit cramped in the room I was given. A few improvements would easily bump this to a 5 star review. The pros include: - The limited staff were very friendly. - My king room was clean, comfy and quiet. - Parking and breakfast is free. - Great location to walk downtown area. The cons: - I booked my reservation (direct through Hyatt partnership) the day before arrival but upon check-in there were issues it eventually got sorted out. - Elevator is out of order as of mid-March. - Limited staff, so basement bar hours aren't exact. - Room TVs are smart, no cable, so they depend on Internet and my tv lost connection a few times. All in all, the charm of the building and the pros mentioned, far out weigh the few cons. If I ever return to Portsmouth, I'd gladly stay here again.

    The boutique hotels that are part of the Lark Hotel group frequently provide interesting and…read morecharming decor that is a welcome change from the larger hotel chains. Hotel Portsmouth is no different, with a Stars and Stripes motif that is pervasive throughout the common areas of the hotel. Unfortunately, that charm of a historic building often comes at a cost, and the HVAC system and elevator are in need of maintenance. We were forewarned that the elevator was out of service - not an issue for us. However, our room temperature upon check-in was 76 degrees (in March). The mini-split, despite appearing modern, was inoperable, so we switched to a different room. Unfortunately, that room was equally warm and the in-wall air conditioner was very loud and blew dirt throughout the room. Aside from the temperature issues, the rooms were nice, beds were comfortable, and the continental breakfast spread was plentiful. Having parking included was a real plus, as we were able to leave our vehicle and walk to many of the nearby shops and restaurants.

    Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront

    Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront

    3.9
    (86 reviews)
    $$

    The Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront is a solid Marriott Residence Inn…read more The location of this hotel (NOT to be confused with the Residence Inn at Pease International Airport, also in Portsmouth) is ideal; the hotel is close to everything in downtown Portsmouth. The Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront is well maintained and immaculate. Breakfast is OK. The food is industrial grade. In my opinion, this hotel has become complacent, again, at breakfast. The standard, Residence Inn fare breakfast items are OK, but, there are no cut fruit, berries, or fruit cocktail, and no waffle iron, as is standard at many Residence Inn's. I was intrigued by this hotel's latest attempt at "value engineering" at breakfast, the cereal bowls have shrunk in size by about 30% (a staged, mathematical equation, to cause a guest to take less cereal, and to cost the hotel, less money (classic, "value engineering")). Fortunately, the Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront is serving fresh, cooked daily, oatmeal, and has abandoned their previous shenanigans of serving instant oatmeal. In my opinion, this hotel is continuously nickel and diming their breakfast. I just don't get it, Marriott used to pride themselves on their food and beverage. The guest rooms are comfortable. Front Desk staff are largely apathetic. The high point of our stay was the Christmas decor and ambiance, at the hotel; the hotel goes the extra mile to decorate - - tastefully and professionally - - for the season. In summary, the Residence Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront is ideally located, clean, and safe. I am forever intrigued by this hotel's recurring efforts to maintain itself as a mediocre Residence Inn; it seems that the hotel leadership lacks the energy, money, or convictions, to excel; they are simply going through the motions, they demonstrate no commitment to, or passion to excel (traits of an Absentee Landlord, and poor manager).

    I stayed there this past Friday night and the stay was extremely lackluster and all-over…read moredisappointing. Pros are that the hotel is pretty and is centrally located so you can venture around town very easily. The cons list is much longer. Front desk staff either have no personality or outright ignore your existence when you come and go. No smiles. No genuine interest in their guests. This goes for AM and PM staff. Across the board, these women are not at all friendly. Disappointing. Try harder ladies. The room itself looks nice but its functionality isn't good. The entrance to the room is a fire door which is ideal but it SLAMS so loud if you allow it to close behind you. The whole corridor can hear when each door slams shut. The bathroom has minimalist lighting ie 'eco-friendly'. It was so dim that I could barely see myself to pluck my eyebrows in the mirror. No option to brighten the light either. Only vanity-style side-lights to the bathroom mirror and no overheard light. Oh and you want to see yourself in the mirror after the shower or clear out the moisture? You're out of luck. There is no option for ventilation either. Apparently it isn't 'eco-friendly' enough to run a ventilation fan to clear out the humidity lol. The half shower-door concept looks lovely on paper but logistically, anytime you move your body excessively or on the side of the shower that is open to the bathroom (no door or shower curtain on that side), water just sprays the whole floor. Soaking wet. Which means you use more towels to clean it up and that uses more energy to wash those extra towels. The eco-concept is lovely in theory but in practice, it fails abysmally. It really turned me off to this brand and I hope to never stay at this hotel again. Three stars for being 'meh'

    Hotel Thaxter

    Hotel Thaxter

    4.2
    (12 reviews)

    For context, my last 40+ google reviews have all been 5 stars because I genuinely look for the good…read morein places. I travel 150 days a year and love boutique hotels. That is why I was so surprised and disappointed by my stay at Hotel Thaxter in Portsmouth. The room was shockingly small, smaller than many I have stayed in in NYC/ Manhattan. The bed was extremely hard and uncomfortable. The curtain was broken, so light poured in early in the morning. It was also very loud. We could clearly hear street noise, guests talking, and stomping from above. Housekeeping was especially concerning. When we returned, the bed looked as though it had been left halfway through being made, unfinished and careless. Towels were not refreshed, and the in-room water was not refilled. Small details matter. I asked about upgrading to a king suite (was in queen room) and was happy to pay, as larger rooms showed available online. I was told they could not move us even if the difference was paid because I did not book directly through their website and that next time I should book direct. Ironically, those larger rooms sat empty while we remained cramped. Most travelers discover boutique hotels through third-party platforms, so using that as a reason not to accommodate even a paid upgrade felt unreasonable and disappointing. I am giving 2 stars only because the location is excellent and the lobby is cute. Otherwise, this did not live up to the boutique standard at all. I loved my stay at Sailmaker's House last summer; they were booked this weekend hence why we were excited to try hotel Thaxter. I would strongly recommend staying there instead. I would avoid staying here.

    This small boutique hotel of 15 rooms is the perfect spot to stay if you visit Portsmouth. Close to…read morebars and restaurants within walking distance, but off the beaten path so that you can enjoy the peace and quiet out of the main downtown area. Each room is decorated with an elegant color pallet. We stayed in on of the smaller rooms, but it fit our needs for what we were in the area for. The beds are comfortable, showers beautiful and clean, and the hotel common area comfortable to hang out with friends. The staff is super accommodating, and the service is run BnB style, curated to your personal arrival. There's a Japanese restaurant in the restaurant, Nichinan. We didn't try it, but we plan to visit there the next time we are in town, we've heard great things! Lentz_explore

    The Bow Hotel - hotels - Updated June 2026

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