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Portsmouth · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Gunwharf

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Updated 1 September 2026 · 26 Portsmouth hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Portsmouth, out of the 26 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.6.

All five are inside 1.5 km of Gunwharf, so you can walk it.

The Davenport Inn

Highest rated of the five

The Davenport Inn

★★★★★5 from 247 reviews

The Davenport Inn comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 247 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under poi and around $433 a night on the dates we checked.

26 hotels in Portsmouth qualified for this list and five made it. Martin Hill Inn is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. The Davenport Inn1

    The Davenport Inn

    ★★★★★5 from 247 reviews

    1.5 km from Gunwharf, about a 19 minute walk

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. Martin Hill Inn2

    Martin Hill Inn

    ★★★★★4.8 from 133 reviews

    900 m from Gunwharf, about a 11 minute walk

    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  3. Hotel Thaxter3

    Hotel Thaxter

    ★★★★★4.8 from 232 reviews

    1.4 km from Gunwharf, about a 18 minute walk

    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  4. The Inn Downtown4

    The Inn Downtown

    ★★★★★4.9 from 99 reviews

    1.5 km from Gunwharf, about a 19 minute walk

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  5. The Hotel Portsmouth5

    The Hotel Portsmouth

    ★★★★★4.6 from 555 reviews

    1.4 km from Gunwharf, about a 18 minute walk

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

26 Portsmouth hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Gunwharf second, then took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Books holidays a year ahead because court calendars demand it, then travels hard for three weeks. West Africa most years to see family, somewhere new in between.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.