Mercure Southampton Centre - Dolphin Hotel

The Mercure Southampton Dolphin Hotel is in the city centre of Southampton’s old town where it has stood for over 600 years, serving throughout this period as a welcome place to rest for weary travellers. Today the hotel is classed as a grade two listed building and has undergone a £4 million redevelopment giving this historic hotel the look it deserves.

Still very much recognisable as a coaching inn, with its large archway and converted stables the building retains much of its historic charm, remaining very much a jewel in Southampton’s heritage crown. It is a hotel, which has quietly watched history evolve other the centuries having changed very little. One true joy of spending time inside the building is just how close this past feels, with original features still very much intact.

This hotel was first established in 1550 and has a fascinating history. Shakespeare and company performed plays in the inn yard, Thomas Hardy refers to it in Trumpet Major and Jane Austen danced here at Assembly Balls at two stages in her life (arranged by Florence Nightingale's mother). The hotel was rebuilt in 1775 to accommodate spa visitors and it supposedly has the biggest bay windows in England; Thackeray sat in one of them to write Pendennis.

At the Mercure Southampton Centre Dolphin Hotel we are fully aware that your wedding day is a special day for everyone, and planning your wedding is an exciting time for you both to share.  To make your planning easier, we have created two proposals which include everything you may need to make your day complete. However, if you prefer, we can tailor make a proposal to match your exact requirements.  Our Wedding Coordinator is on hand to provide guidance to assist with the preparation and ensure a seamless, professional service and make sure your wedding day will be a memory to cherish forever. 

There is no worry of travelling between venues or organising transport, as the Hotel is licensed with Southampton County Council for Civil Ceremonies, and we can arrange for your vows to be taken within the intimacy and comfort of our Signature Restaurant, Gilbert Suite or Jane Austen Suite.   

 We are pleased to announce that the hotel just been awarded 4 stars and one rosette by the AA