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room2 Southampton hotel review: A home from home in a port city

The Master Loft at Room2 Southampton. [Photo: Room2 Southhampton]
The Master Loft at room2 Southampton. [Photo: room2 Southhampton]

For some travellers, a hotel is just somewhere to lay your head.

But what if it was more than that? A home from home. That’s what Southampton’s aptly named room2 Hometel aims to be.

If you’ve ever experienced the slight pressure that comes with making sure you check out on time at some ungodly hour, while you’re half asleep and convinced you’ve left your toothbrush in the bathroom, there’s no rush at room2.

Staying overnight? When you arrive at 2pm, you check out at 2pm the next day, leaving you more time to enjoy the room’s facilities.

Each room comes fully equipped with cooking facilities. [Photo: Room2 Southhampton]
Each room comes fully equipped with cooking facilities. [Photo: room2 Southhampton]

While room2 is conveniently located near Southampton’s cosmopolitan Oxford Street with its various cafes, restaurants and bars, if you fancy a night in, the rooms come equipped with full cooking facilities. So, even if your skills don’t stretch as far as rustling up a Cacio e Pepe, you can pop down to the hotel’s pantry to get everything from spices, condiments to dry ingredients and ready meals.

It’s particularly handy if you’re staying in the port city on a business trip and don’t want to dine out every evening. In the morning, help yourself to the hot buffet breakfast.

While a lot of hotels offer on-site cooking facilities, it’s the little touches which make room2 unique. The bits and bobs box containing sellotape, batteries, a sewing kit, games and more, is one of those small but thoughtful features, which makes you question why every hotel doesn’t have one.

Grab a snack or a drink in the Living Room. [Photo: Room2 Southhampton]
Grab a snack or a drink in the Living Room. [Photo: room2 Southhampton]

Its 71 rooms are modern and airy with a nod to current interior trends, in the form of geometric tiles and feature walls. Paying homage to its location, there’s also a nautical theme with mezzanine top decks in the Lounge Loft and Master Loft rooms.

room2 is the brainchild of brothers Rob and Stu Goodwin, who were tired of staying in soulless accommodation while travelling. They opened their first site in Hammersmith in 2016, while their Southampton branch began welcoming guests last year.

Know before you go

  • Arrive by train or car. Southampton Central station is an eight-minute taxi ride away. The hotel also has its own onsite parking at £12-a-night, allocated on a first serve basis.

  • Don’t forget your trainers. room2 has a studio gym with weights and cardio equipment, so you have no excuse to skip that workout.

  • Bring your own dog. Pets are welcome at room2, just inform the hotel beforehand.

  • Culture trip. Check out Southampton’s Sea City Museum, which chronicles the city’s history and its involvement in the story of Titanic.

Yahoo UK was a guest of room2 Hometel Southampton.