AndrewC

Also posted a similar message on the New England board:

We want to head up from Boston into northern New England for a few days in mid-April. Currently looking at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harbor as a base, and driving around from there (up into Maine and across to the western parts of NH / eastern Vermont).

Any views on this property? What's Portsmouth like as a place? It seems to have lots of restaurants and bars, so I'm assuming it's a reasonably interesting place geared to leisure visitors.

bsloane

*bump*

Any update on this? Thanks!

neilw71

Hi - I finally have enough points for a 5 night vacation in a Cat 3 hotel, and with the great dollar at the minute, was looking at coming over to the US in July. We have never been up the East Coast, so were looking at basing in Portsmouth and then exploring from there. Has anyone stayed there recently and what would your rating be? The site does not give too many clues, which always makes me a bit nervous about a property !

sbtinme

neilw71 --

This is a fine hotel in a great location. As you probably know, Portsmouth NH is a small town right on the working waterfront. There are no incredible vistas of the open ocean from this hotel due to all the shipyards in the immediate area. There are plenty of truly good restuarants in the area and this hotel has a very good standing with Starwood -- I believe they have quietly won the franchisee of the year award a time or two.

Just last year, they raised the roof off of the top floor and added another floor, making a really swank club level (so I'm told, I haven't visited since). That means the hotel is now 5 or 6 stories tall.

This is not a luxurious hotel, but it is a very well run one. Location is great, quality of accomodations are fine and I think you'll have no surprises here at all.

NBSPGMEMBER

The threads about this place are old... Anyone been here lately with a good experience... or a bad one. According to Tripadvisor, this place is a letdown, but then again that site is not always a reliable source...

3Cforme

I had a stay about a year ago... and for several reasons couldn't recommend it highly. 'Water view' means a view of the DOT sand/salt lot. The front desk struggled to code keys to work. Most parking is in an (uncovered) barricaded lot across the street. If you're headed south, keep on going to Danvers - the Ferncroft has some renovated rooms and (typically) rather cheaper rates.

NBSPGMEMBER

If I don't stay here, I was thinking about the Ferncroft... so I guess you read my mind. I had a good experience at the Sheraton Ferncroft a little while ago, before the renovations; no really.

studio253

I was there last week and the staff was great. I did pay extra for the underground valet parking. I think it was $10 day. The one down side was that there was no club lounge but there is a small bar type area for Plats on the second floor that is open limited hours for continental breakfast and drinks in the evening. The wireless worked great and it was free. Sheraton is my least favorite line in the *wood group but I would go back here any time.

sbtinme

NB --

I only live about 45 minutes from this place, but I did stay there about 3 years ago and had a great stay. This is not a typical Sheraton in many ways. The room layouts are not cookie cutter. Previous poster is correct that water views from this part of town won't mean much other than a view of a salt pile and commercial docks.

However, Portsmouth is a fascinating little city and the hotel is perfectly located. A great weekend getaway where you could ditch the car! Fabulous restaurants are within walking distance and the shops in Kittery Maine are just a 5 minute drive up the coast.

For my money, I'd stay here ten times before staying at the Sheraton Ferncroft in Danvers.

My failing memory recalls that the owners of this hotel have been commended by Starwood several times for running a solid operation. My experience there was a good one. Staff was professional and it was obvious that they employed serious training behind the scenes.

TPA_Flyer

I recently had a stay there and was quite pleased. I made the reservation at about 9pm and was still upgraded to a club floor. There is a club lounge, but that is not where the food is located. For that, you have to go to the second floor. Staff was friendly.

Parking seems high at $10 for the garage. I did notice metered parking around the corner from the hotel, but the spots were full. I guess others did not want to pay to park.

There are a number of excellent restaurants within walking distance.

studio253

I guess I was wrong and the staff wasn't all that great. They told me there was no club, just the second floor area. Yes, I'm Platinum.

Flying Buccaneer

My partner and I are currently at this hotel on a one-night stay. We are attending a reception in Concord later today, and decided to spend last night in Portsmouth based on a recommendation from a NH native. I chose the Sheraton, and while the rate was not a bargain ($189 for the night), I think we made a good choice.

We arrived around 3 p.m. yesterday after driving up from BOS. We parked in the open courtyard area and checked in. The staff at the front desk were friendly and quick to offer suggestions about what to do and see in the downtown area. We were upgraded to a room on the Club Floor. Apparently, something has changed since the last comments about this hotel, because there were snacks in the Club Lounge from 5 - 8 p.m. and continental breakfast was served this morning (even though the hotel description on SPG.com says Mon-Fri only).

A train woke us up at 5:30 this morning. I guess that's something that everyone in the odd-numbered rooms has to deal with. Also, parking is not free. While the garage is $10 (as TPA_Flyer mentioned), we only paid $6 because we found a space in the courtyard. As sbtinme mentioned, you can ditch the car at the hotel because there is a lot to do within walking distance. We went to a place called Friendly Toast for an early dinner yesterday. They serve breakfast all day, but I had the D.G.G.C. (damn good grilled cheese). Recommended, as is this hotel.

edg1

I stayed at this hotel in Late September. My overall impression of this property is that it is ok, but not great. The front desk staff was courteous enough, but nothing special. I was assigned a king accessible room since all other king bedded rooms were taken by a conference at the hotel. As a plat, I asked about availability of a suite. The front desk staff informed me that I could pay for an upgrade, but they could not give me a complimentary one since their suites were "privately owned". This sounded a little strange, but I assumed they were specialty suites, and I didn't feel like arguing. I opted for two double beds on the 4th floor instead of the accessible king room. I was given access to the club lounge on the 6th floor.

The room was a little small and the bathroom dated, but overall it was fine.

The club lounge was nice. The lounge staff members were very helpful and friendly, and there was a good breakfast selection available. The evening appetizers were standard Sheraton club lounge, and the bar offered beer, wine and I believe mixed drinks all for a fee.

The location of the property was pretty good; a couple of blocks from the heart of downtown.

If I return to Portsmouth, I would consider staying again, but also might check out the newly opened Hilton Garden Inn.

adventurous

What does that mean? What about T&C's?

Camino1

I'm scheduled to be there this weekend for the first time--should I plan on being disappointed?