Hampshire may be best known for its natural beauty, but it's also home to a number of brilliant museums, a collection of impressive historic sites, a fantastic array of local pubs and restaurants, and some seriously lovely country houses. From its rolling hills and unspoilt coastline to its bustling market towns and pretty villages, the county offers some of southern England’s loveliest countryside, and its proximity to London makes it an easy pick for a mini-break. Accordingly the standard of this county’s hospitality is consistently high (there are a good number of luxury properties here), and some of our picks for the best places to stay in Hampshire will really impress you! We have discovered great pubs-with-rooms, spa hotels, romantic hotels, country house hotels, and our top tips for the best hotels in the New Forest.
Portsmouth is a good choice if you want to be close to the coast. This is the Royal Navy’s base, and its historic harbour has an incredible collection of ships and museums — including the Mary Rose and Nelson’s Victory. It’s also just across the Solent from the Isle of Wight, and neighbours with the lushly peaceful New Forest. Southampton is another coastal city. It has also got its own Roman ruins, the remains of a defensive wall dating from the Middle Ages, and a collection of art galleries and museums, many with a maritime flavour. Winchester is a beautiful cathedral city with an impressive collection of Elizabethan and Regency architecture and an atmospheric, 11th century abbey, which holds England’s oldest bible, and is the burial place of Jane Austen.
If you’re hoping for some outdoor adventuring, then head towards the New Forest. Lymington is on the Lymington River, with a yachting marina and great access to walking routes and trail rides. Picturesque Beaulieu and Brockenhurst are two other excellent New Forest picks, perfect for walkers, and well known for their populations of wild ponies, donkeys, cows and deer. Beaulieu is also known for its motor museum, and museum of its time as a Special Operations Executive base in WW2. Fans of Downton Abbey should make sure that they head to Highclere Castle, between Newbury and Andover — this is where they filmed the series.
There's so much to see and do in this charming county that it's a popular year round destination. If you want to guarantee a room in one of the best places to stay in Hampshire, we recommend you do your research and book well ahead!