Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton Grand Harbour — Hotel in Southampton

Review of the Leonardo Royal Hotel Southampton

Over the past three months, we have stayed at the Leonardo Southampton Hotel on four different occasions, which has given us a fairly well-rounded perspective of the property, its strengths, and its areas in need of improvement.

Location

The hotel’s location is without a doubt one of its biggest advantages. It is ideally situated near the Quay West Mall, making it convenient for shopping, dining, and entertainment. For those traveling for cruises, the proximity to the port is another plus. Whether for leisure or business, the setting of the hotel makes it a very practical choice.

Staff and Service

One of the consistent highlights of our stays has been the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. From the front desk team to housekeeping and restaurant staff, the service has generally been warm and accommodating. This personal touch makes the stays more enjoyable, even when other aspects of the hotel fall short.

Rooms and Comfort

The beds are comfortable, and we were able to get good rest during our stays, which is always a priority when traveling frequently. However, the rooms overall could do with some upgrading. While clean and functional, the interiors are beginning to show signs of age and would benefit from a refresh to match the standard one expects at this price point.

One of the recurring frustrations has been with the in-room coolers. These units unfortunately do not keep items properly chilled, which is more than just an inconvenience for guests like myself who are diabetic and require proper refrigeration for medication. This is not just a comfort issue but a medical necessity, and it would greatly improve the experience if the hotel could provide actual mini-fridges in the rooms or make them available upon request.

Amenities

Another area where the hotel falls short is in the replenishment of amenities. Items such as body wash, lotion, shampoo, coffee, and milk are often not replaced automatically. We frequently had to track down the room attendant to request refills, which is not ideal, especially considering the price paid per room. At a hotel of this standard, one expects these basics to be consistently restocked without having to ask.

Overall Experience

Despite these shortcomings, the overall experience at the Leonardo Southampton Hotel has been positive enough for us to return multiple times. The comfort of the beds, the friendliness of the staff, and the convenience of the location make it a reliable option in Southampton. However, with some upgrades to the rooms, improvements to the cooling units, and more attention to detail in housekeeping services, the hotel could truly elevate itself to a higher standard.

Final Thoughts

In summary, the Leonardo Southampton Hotel offers:

Pros: Excellent location, friendly staff, comfortable beds.

Cons: Rooms need upgrading, in-room coolers do not function adequately, amenities are not reliably replenished.

For the amount charged per night, guests should reasonably expect more consistency and modern facilities. With a few targeted improvements, this hotel has the potential to be a standout choice in...

I'm a TA. I like to check out properties before recommending them to my cruise clients. I would not recommend this property as a luxury property near the cruise port. I checked in online, went to the online check in desk and they couldn't find my reservation. They changed reservation systems and apparently it didn't merge properly. They did finally find my reservation. The room itself was okay. I wouldn't call it luxury. Our mini fridge was not working, and I was advised a new one would be brought to us. Then I was advised none were available. Fine, it is only one night, so we asked for an icebucket so we could store my husbands medication that needed to be refrigerated. We went to dinner, came back to the room when I was then going to take a shower before going to bed. Walked into the bathrooom and to my surprise there was no shower curtain. I called housekeeping, no answer (this was about 8pm). Called guest services when I was advised housekeeping was gone, and they would leave a note for housekeeping to bring me a shower curtain the next day. I asked when that would be, and I was advised between 8:30am and 9:30am. I didn't like that answer as that seems very late to be told that is when I could have a shower curtain. Next morning, we got dressed, had breakfast in the restaurant which was just okay. As we were going down about 8:45am we saw housekeepers in the hallway, so I assumed one would go by while we were at breakfast. We returned from breakfast just before 9:30am and there was still no shower curtain in my bathroom. I went into the hall, found a housekeeper in the hall on her cell phone and asked her for a shower curtain. She wasn't understanding what I was saying so she came to the room and I pointed up at the shower rod with curtain rings and no curtain. She came back a couple minutes later with the shower curtain. The bathroom door couldn't be shut all the way as it was warped. The room was in need of a refresh. The lamps were unplugged, and the lamp shade sat crooked. All things I wouldn't expect from what is supposed to be a luxury property. Their price point is too high for what the property is. I wouldn't recommend this property to my clients looking for a luxury property, and I wouldn't recommend it at the price point it is. If they lowered their prices, then fine. Other than the sales person I met with, I wouldn't say the staff was all that friendly. We went to the bar that evening, not a single person said one word to us. My husband finally went up to the bar to order drinks. Maybe it's a UK thing - certainly not service you'd find in the US. Also went airing my grievance about the shower curtain - it was just a sad response - like there was no effort in trying to make the situation better and when I called back to air my grievance after 9:30am about having to ask a housekeeper myself for a shower curtain, all I heard was, we will bring it up the housekeeping manager. That was it. Just odd customer service - again for what is supposed to be a...

The purpose of this break away was my partner's birthday with the idea being that we explored Southampton and the surrounding areas and enjoyed some relaxing time in the spa. ||On arrival, we were early for check in and the room was not ready, but that was no issue and certainly not an expectation, just a hope. We had a wander around and sat on the dock front in the beautiful wether watching the ferries and cruise liners for a while. On return to the hotel, we were told that there was an issue with our room. The shower screen in the bathroom was broken and they had no idea how long that wood take to repair. |We expressed that that wasn't great, and we're told that we had been upgraded to executive and the parking would be free for our stay. We walked away relatively happy, but later questioned why we had been upgraded to a room with a broken shower screen in the first place!! We didn't challenge it!||The room was clean and tidy with plenty of space. There was a very large bed, two comfy chairs and a small table, plus a desk with the usual kettle and coffee machine. ||The bathroom was clean but "grotty" and definitely needs an upgrade. Once the shower screen was fixed, everything worked well.||The air conditioning was a different start! Very noisy and did not appear to cool the room at all. Again if was a very outdated unit. ||We opened all windows and again did not challenge it as we didn't intend on spending a huge amount of time in the room.||The hotel in general was clean and tidy, breakfast was good with plenty of choice and the staff were friendly. |The spa however was very disappointing. The layout was strange with the pool down a spiral staircase. The staircase was slippery due to it being obviously wet and rusty. It did not feel clean to walk on. The pool was small and as it is open to public too, there was little chance of swimming. 4 to 5 people in the pool and that was that. Very disappointed! |There was a jacuzzi alongside the pool which worked well on one side!!||The sauna and steam room were back up the stairs, and that was that. The sauna was cold 2 mornings despite the spa already being open for over an hour. ||I noticed that they over packages at the spa but I have to say, if I had paid the £115 for 1 treatment and the spa I would have been bitterly disappointed.||On the whole the hotel was nice and ok for the price, given that we stayed Monday to Friday, term time. I can see that the price is around £300 higher during summer for 3 nights rather than 4 and for that, that in my opinion is extremely over priced. ||We didn't eat at Leo's or Marco Pierre Whites due to price but there are many eateries close by. ||We enjoyed our stay in Southampton and the hotel served a purpose. As far as spa hotels go, it...