Blue Keys Hotel Southampton

This property is not what it is advertised as — it is a rooming house in a middle-class neighborhood. It is not a charming English inn. Outside are is run-down. Given the lack of a true reception/office and staff on the property, it is questionable as to whether they truly are running a legitimate business. Felt very unsafe and left.

there was no one there when I arrived, the keys were in a lock box and I had no code. there was supposed to be a restaurant and bar, they did not exist. There was no elevator, I didn't even look at my room, I found another hotel and now I'll get my credit card company to deal with getting my money back. Be aware, this is not a real hotel but a boarding house and the rate is a total rip off. Also, it was in the suburbs so there were no restaurants within walking distance.

It seems that when this hotel changed hands, it did not remain a full-service hotel. It is a crumbling building functioning more like and AirBNB type of operation. There is no reception. No staff. They are not on any of the communication apps so if you do not have a UK phone, you're in trouble if you need access!! We had to stop a passer-by to use her phone which is inappropriate for a business. There is NO breakfast or bar. The yard is a shambles and gives the impression that the place is almost abandoned. The room itself was really dated. No WIFI - or at least we had no way to get a WIFI password and did not see a WIFI available in our phones. The beds were comfortable enough but there were only two towels for our three guests. The bathroom was dated but functional. Everything seemed clean enough but this is not the hotel you think you're booking.

I don't recommend this place. Don't be fooled by the old reviews on this site, or the hotel web pages! It is advertised as a hotel, bar and a restaurant, but it is closer to a self service hostel without a reception. Unfortunately we stayed in this place a month ago and had a subpar experience. You check-in online via a form and get the keys from a lockbox. The place is rundown, there is no restaurant in the premises any more, no breakfast, any services, nor staff. Common areas had dirty footprints from some shady looking maintenance crew that was occupying most of the parking lot when we arrived. Most of the common areas I assume were lounge or restaurant previously were locked down. The room we stayed in reeked of strong cleaning chemicals and were bare. They advertise "Free private parking on-site", however, upon asking for a permit that was required by signs, they never brought one and instead said we would be allowed to park there. Next morning we received a £60 parking notice. When confronting the company via phone, they said "a manager" will take care of it, not to worry. After multiple days and calls later I never received a written confirmation the issue had been taken care of nor was their "manager" ever available to discuss the topic. After the appeals with the parking management company failed, I had to pay the notice myself.

This hotel has changed hands since we went there pre covid. In my opinion it is no longer fit for purpose. No reception , no restuarant, no breakfast , no staff. We were told that the change of ownership is reflected in the cheap price. I don't think that £133 is cheap.

The hotel is current operated in Airbnb mode. No staff station in the hotel to service customer and guest can call staff by mobile for assistance and in general they staff is polite and friendly.

The description and pictures are quite deceptive. There is no restaurant (no breakfast option as shown), no bar (as shown), no cute little backyard under the lights you can access (as shown). The room looked fine but not nearly as nice as the pictures. The bathroom was functional but dated and in mild disrepair. There is no reception desk or even a common room for sitting tables (there was not desk or table in our room). I could also write a dozen minor inconveniences about the place and our stay, but I truly don’t enjoy nitpicking and writing bad reviews. I felt I was deceived and that’s not a good feeling to have when you’re vacationing. I have relied on #tripadvisor for much of my travel planning for over a decade but after having this experience a few times I don’t think I’ll be using the site anymore. There is no way this is the #3 place to stay in Southampton. On the positive side, it’s clean, quiet and inexpensive.

When I arrived I was confronted with a locked door, surrounded by cobwebs. I had to phone a mobile number and gain access via a key safe. There are no staff in the premises and no facilities. If an establishment is calling itself a hotel but isn’t offering any sort of meal or on site facilities then this should be clearly stated. The room I booked was listed as a standard double, but the double bed was pushed up against a wall due to space. This makes it a small double. It had no desk, no glasses for water and there wasn’t even anywhere to hang clothes. The bathroom had an unpleasant smell and a bottle of Radox was the toiletries. The only positives were that it was clean and the shower was good. All in all overpriced and not to be recommended.

In a week time i still didn't receive an invoice from the owner.