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 building is classed as a grade two ‘star’ building.

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.

In 2009 the hotel was purchased and a huge redevelopment programme commenced to restore the hotel to its former glory. An additional 25 bedrooms have been created using space created by relocating the kitchen, restaurant and using the various shops and offices. Works have been carefully completed, working closely with Southampton City Council to ensure the history remains intact.