If you’re trying to book a family trip to Portsmouth, you’ve probably already hit the same wall most parents do. A hotel room with two double beds. A cot squeezed in the corner. Everyone getting ready in the same cramped bathroom.
It works, but it’s not exactly relaxing.
Portsmouth Stays was built around a different idea. We offer proper space, a working kitchen and a bit more freedom to run your day the way your family needs it.
In this blog, we’ll look at what makes a holiday rental family-friendly, how our serviced accommodation compares with a standard hotel room and where to head once you’ve settled in.
What makes a holiday rental family-friendly?
Every family’s version of a good stay looks a bit different. But a few things come up time and again. Separate bedrooms mean you get an evening to yourself once the kids are asleep. There’s no tiptoeing around a shared bedroom in the dark, trying to get ready or wind down without waking anyone. A proper kitchen means you can knock together tea without queuing for a table or wrestling a toddler through a three-course meal. And a bit of flexibility around check-in and check-out can make a real difference when you’re travelling with young children who don’t exactly stick to a schedule.
The practical details matter, too. Secure buildings, easy parking and a location close to the things you want to do all help take the edge off a trip with kids in tow. None of this is complicated. It’s just the sort of thing that gets overlooked when you stay in a hotel, where the room is designed for one or two adults and everyone else has to make do.
It’s worth thinking about how you’ll spend your evenings, too. A lot of families end up sat on a bed scrolling their phones once the kids are asleep, because there’s nowhere else in the room to go. Service accommodation with a separate living space changes that. You get somewhere to sit down properly, watch something on the television with the volume up or just have a conversation without worrying about waking anyone.
How Portsmouth Stays properties work for families
Our serviced apartments are set up with families in mind, starting with the kitchen. If you’ve got a fussy eater or a baby’s bottle to warm at 6am, having your own kitchen means you’re not at the mercy of a hotel restaurant’s opening hours or a menu that ignores small children. You can cook what your kids will eat, at whatever time suits them.
Separate living and sleeping spaces can also make a big difference. Once your children are down for the night, you’ve got a lounge to sit in. There’s no hotel room where the television stays off and the lights stay low because someone’s asleep two feet away. For longer stays, some of our properties have laundry facilities, so you can pack half as much and wash as you go, which helps save suitcase space and your sanity.
Then there’s the space itself. A family of four in a hotel room usually means someone’s on a pull-out sofa and the floor is covered in bags. Our properties give you room to spread out, with somewhere for toys, somewhere for a pushchair and somewhere to sit down that isn’t a bed.
And because we’re a family-run business, you’ll get local recommendations from people who’ve taken their own kids to these places.
Hotel vs serviced accommodation: what’s the difference for families?
Book a hotel room and you’re often looking at two adults and maybe one child before it gets uncomfortable. Anything more and you’re paying for a second room. One of our serviced apartments, sized for the same family, is typically more cost-effective, especially once you factor in that you don’t have to eat out for every single meal.
This is where your savings can really add up. Three meals a day at pub or restaurant prices for a family of four can add up fast, and that’s before anyone orders a second round of drinks or a dessert. Cooking even half your meals in a self-catered kitchen can bring that cost down considerably, and it means dinner won’t hinge on a fussy eater accepting whatever’s on the children’s menu that night.
There’s also the question of noise and privacy. Hotel walls carry sound both ways. You’ll hear the couple next door, and they’ll hear your toddler at 5am. A self-contained serviced apartment gives everyone a bit more breathing room, and it means nap times, early bedtimes and the odd meltdown won’t come with an audience.
Then there’s the schedule. Hotels tend to run on their own timetable. Breakfast finishes at a set hour, housekeeping wants access to the room by 11am and check-out is rarely later than midday. Families with young children don’t always fit neatly into that. A late riser who’s finally settled into a nap doesn’t care what time the hotel restaurant stops serving. With serviced accommodation, your day runs to your family’s pace, not the property’s. On a trip with small children, that can be the difference between a good day and a stressful one.
Portsmouth’s best family attractions within easy reach
Portsmouth has plenty to keep the kids entertained. Staying with us puts most of it within easy reach. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and HMS Victory make for a full day out. Even children who have no interest in history tend to come round once they’re climbing aboard a real warship.
Blue Reef Aquarium is a solid choice for younger children, particularly if the weather turns and you need somewhere indoors. Clarence Pier has funfair rides and an arcade right on the seafront, which covers most children’s idea of a perfect afternoon. For open space, Southsea seafront and common give the kids room to run, with paddling areas and ice cream stops along the way. And if you’ve only got an hour or two to spare, the Spinnaker Tower still manages to feel like an experience, even for a short visit.
Staying in one of our properties means you’re not facing a long drive to get to any of these places. Most are a short walk or a drive away, which matters when you’re managing naps or trying to avoid a car full of overtired children on the way back.
There’s enough here to fill several days without repeating yourself. You could spend a whole morning at the Dockyard and still have the aquarium, the pier and the seafront left for the rest of your trip. And because Portsmouth is a compact city, you’re not losing half the day to travel between attractions. Most of it is walkable, or a short bus or ferry ride away, which gives you time to enjoy your holiday. After all, nobody wants to spend their break sitting in traffic.
If you’re staying for a full week, you can build in a slower day at the apartment, cooking, resting and letting the kids play, and still have plenty left on the list for the days either side.
Tips for booking a family stay in Portsmouth
If you’re planning around school holidays or events like Victorious Festival, book earlier than you think you need to. The best family-sized properties go quickly.
When you’re looking at listings, check what’s included for younger children. Cots, high chairs and stairgates vary from property to property, so it’s worth confirming before you book if you need any of them.
Location is worth thinking about, too. Southsea puts you close to the beach and most of the family attractions, while a city centre property has the Dockyard right on your doorstep. And if your trip overlaps with visiting family or turning into a longer break, ask about longer-stay rates. It’s often more affordable than booking night by night.
It’s also worth getting in touch before you book if you have any questions about a specific property. Our photos and listings can only tell you so much, and a quick message can save you turning up and finding the travel cot doesn’t fit where you expected, or the second bedroom is smaller than the pictures suggested. We’d much rather sort that out beforehand than have you deal with it on arrival.
Book direct with our family-run team
We started Portsmouth Stays because we know what it’s like travelling with kids, and we’ve designed many of our properties around that. When you book with us, you’re dealing with real people who understand what families need on a trip.
So, if you’re planning a family break in Portsmouth, take a look at our serviced accommodation options. We manage every property ourselves, which is why so many families come back to us for another stay.