Southampton has been in the news more than usual this year. As the first departure point on the Titanic's fateful journey 100 years ago, the city has organised a number of commemorative events and opened a museum with a permanent Titanic exhibition. We took a look at some of the best Southampton serviced apartments in the area.
The port has always been a vital part of life in Southampton but it has changed dramatically since the early 20th century. A number of new waterfront developments, particularly within the Ocean Village marina, are now home to restaurants, wine bars, cinemas, offices and apartments.
A few weeks ago one of our property partners in the city invited me to stay, so I took the opportunity to meet some of our other Southampton property partners while I was there – all of whom have apartments near the waterfront.
I met the first property provider at 4pm and went to view Canute Ocean Apartments in Ocean Village, then Castle Apartments in the city centre. This operator offers a very personalised service and they will often go out of their way to accommodate guests.
Towards the end of the evening I headed to meet another operator and to see Town Quay Apartments, where I was to spend the night. I stayed in a spacious two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with a separate kitchen; there was plenty of room in the sitting room for a large dining table and chairs, making it perfect for a family.
The next morning, the operator took me on a tour of their other apartments. The first apartment I saw was on Canute Road, in the old South Western Hotel - a lovely listed building full of character and steeped in history.
Now converted into apartments throughout, this hotel was where the first class passengers of the Titanic stayed before embarking. The boat trains from London would come straight to the back of the hotel where they would be met by the porters. Among the guests staying before the Titanic departed was Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Star Line.
I then saw a number of their other apartment locations in Ocean Village including Neptune Apartments and Sirrocco Apartments.
My final stop was Ocean Apartments, from another operator, before I took the train back to London.
