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Reviews of Martin Hill Inn

3.5 out of 5
Martin Hill Inn
404 Islington St, Portsmouth, NH

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 36 out of 50 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 50 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 50 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 50 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 50 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nanci

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay for our 2 night visit to the area. We had a car so it was easy to see the sights in and around Portsmouth. It was a bit rainy so we did not get to enjoy the beautiful backyard, fire pit and pretty garden area. The place was immaculate and tastefully decorated. A fun time was had. A microwave might have been nice to have for left overs.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kaitlin

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Perfect space to choose for exploring Portsmouth. Facility was super cute and very clean. It was a little noisy in the morning, from outside the building as well as inside from the hall. Nothing extreme, so we weren't too bothered.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rich

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I liked the level of communication throughout. My wife and I were very pleased with our room. Plenty of space and the amenities were great. The little enclosed porch would have been awesome in warmer weather. We'll have to come and try it.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Paula

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
No key necessary….keypad worked great! Approx 10 min walk to town with a few great eating places on the way. Our room was clean and contained a few little extra comforts (robe and slippers).
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lauren

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful place, clean and close to downtown! Easy check in/out with great staff! Would stay here again
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

laura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fab location and oh-so-comfortable room
This accommodation was very clean, comfortable, and lovely. The location could not be better if you don't mind a few minute walk to the waterfront. We loved being a tad out of the touristy hubub, but still super convenient. Parking was easy and free. The gardens are gorgeous especially for being in the city: would have loved to sit by the fire pit, but we were just too busy to lounge. Lots to do and see. The freshly renovated room was lovely, including robes and slippers, and feather duvet. Bed was comfy. Furnishings are transitional--not old/stuffy but not too modern either: just right, clean and bright. When booking, I was worried about noise, but I didn't hear a peep from any other room even though I was told they were fully booked. Coffee maker could have been larger, but fridge was stocked with water. The brand new minisplit heat/ac seemed to have a mind of its own, but we stayed comfortable. Our room had a massive bathroom, and a vestibule entry. We had a wonderful time, highly recommend this Inn, and will return next time we are in Portsmouth!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brett

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Adrian

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Friendly staff and only 10 minutes walking from Market Square. Perfect for Portsmouth, parking also 1 minute walking from building location. Will be coming here again, this was the second time in two months, short drive from NYC.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

8/10 Good

Deborah, cape Porpoise

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Contactless check in is not my favorite. A bit of confusion around it. Street dug up on way to property. A heads up would have been appreciated. Room well appointed if a bit sterile, very clean; comfy bed, good lighting. Quiet. Nice garden adjoining property.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Annette

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice property.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

douglas

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
loved our time here. quaint and classy. wonderful courtyard with seating and a fire table. parking is a little tight but free and on site. extra touches are pleasant surprise. highly recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Leslie, Fairfax

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
We found our room very comfortable with everything we needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Not a friendly check in but once your there it’s nice. Parking wasn’t as easy to find as they state in the description but they found a spot for me after I called them.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice stay
Very nice place. Never saw the owners, but they emailed and gave us good directions. Room was nice, very clean, great amenities. My only complaint is the parking. It’s pretty tight. If you get stuck with the spot right behind the garage, it’s an adventure to get out. It may help if you get rid of the bushes. The back up assist on our rental was not happy and kept slamming on the breaks.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful rooms, great service, historic and walkable to amazing Portsmouth!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra, New York

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cozy historic house turned into an inn with stunning garden space, chairs, fire pit, and more. Great spot for relaxing, hitting up a local brewery, and more. Great communication and convenient location for beach time, visiting downtown, or touring around the region. Would stay again in a heartbeat.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Paul

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Excellent, Recommended. Will go back again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay in a comfortable inn
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Clean and comfortable
Good location with parking. Nice room. Very clean. Comfortable bed. My only complaint would be the old, noisy window AC.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

alan

Stayed 5 nights in May 2023

8/10 Good

Kristin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We liked the beautiful old home with modern updates. Very easy to walk to town and parking was easy.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Upon arrival, 1 of 2 bedside lamps didn’t work, so I called & reported it. Next night, still not working. Then noticed it wasn’t plugged in—my mistake. Comfy bed, spotless bathroom, good wifi & TV. Stayed 3 nights…far as I could tell, no one set foot in my room. No big deal, but trash basket was never emptied—so banana peels sat awhile. Inn sends directions to email or phone with front door & inside door entry codes. There’s no front desk check-in, no face-to-face contact. Makes sense in Covid times, but I miss the old-fashioned B&B experience. Excellent location—a 15-minute walk to shops, restaurants & historic houses. There’s free pod coffee near the front door. Better yet, try Caffe Kilim, 5-minute walk from Inn towards downtown Portsmouth along Islington Street. Historic North Cemetery is an 11-minute walk. Fall travelers take note: all historic houses close for the year after Columbus Day—except the iconic Strawbery Banke Museum, open May 1st through October 31st & also 3 weekends in December for outdoor ice skating & Candlelight Strolls. See www.strawberybanke.org

4/10 Poor

William

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Something has changed here. Last year’s reviews raved about the breakfasts and the friendly helpful innkeeper. This year, because of COVID, they told us, we are unable to offer breakfast. Also because of Covid they have instituted contactless check-in, which means no contact with anyone, ever. No welcome, no advice. And Covid was more of a problem last year, anyway. The guesthouse and our room in it were shabby. The bathtub was unusable for baths because of a pole stuck in it to hold shampoo; showering was awkward. One night the room was hot. And the heat was on. The posted advice said “if it’s warm, open a window” Two of the windows are painted shut, one had no screen, one worked. When I called to ask advice no one answered, but I did get a text after we had gone to bed. Too late. The next night the heat alternated with A/C for no apparent reason. We put on sweaters, then took them off. There are modern chain hotels downtown within easy walking of all the attractions. Choose one.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Check in was smooth- self check in. Clean room, good location and spacious. Room was out dated and floors were creeky. TV was small for room size.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Diane

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022

10/10 Excellent

Tim

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful
Everything was perfect
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Terry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Kathleen

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a comfortable and wonderful stay at the Martin Hill Inn. It was clean and beautiful space. The breakfast was delicious. We definitely recommend staying here.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our stay was way too short at Martin Hill so we’ll have to go back soon. Check in was a breeze, communication was easy and the owners were incredibly accommodating. Our room was super cute and comfortably outfitted and the property itself was gorgeous. Parking is free and super convenient and the breakfast was delicious! It was also nice that it’s a little further away from the hustle of downtown (15 min walk) so it was calm and quiet for our entire stay.
Stayed 1 night in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Roger L

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from Russ on Jan 9, 2020
Glad you enjoyed it.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Friendly hosts, conversational and welcoming; creative, homemade, generous breakfast; sherry, ice, coffee machine and candy in the hallway was nice touch; exact google map directions to Inn parking area was extremely helpful; comfortable mattress; small bathroom was a little difficult for my husband to maneuver around; unfortunately noisy people on street Saturday night (next time I'll bring earplugs!) and noisy when people arrived late at night to go to upstairs room (we were on first floor); did not stay in the main house
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Russ on Dec 17, 2019
We are glad that our guests appreciated the things over which we have a measure of control. Most guests describe us as quiet, but a boisterous group on the street is not outside of the realm of possibility. If you are sensitive to noise then earplugs are a great idea at any B&B or hotel..

8/10 Good

Joseph

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Short 1 night stay
1 night stay. Excellent breakfast. Complimentary coffee; sherry, chocolates. Room was small but met our needs; old historic neighborhood. A very dark 10 to 15 minute walk to downtown and restaurants, but no issues. Easy drive to Portsmouth sights. Access B&B parking from side street entrance; not from front. Bed room was in a separate building from breakfast dining room which had room for 12 people.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Russ on Oct 27, 2019
Actually the dining room seats 14. The easiest way to find our parking lot is to stick the address 32 Union Street into your GPS: that is our neighbors house but if you look up and to the right upon getting there you will see the sign for our parking lot.

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I will be. back
This was a great experience. Russ is a most obliging host.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Russ on Oct 4, 2019
Thank you. I do agree about Russ.

10/10 Excellent

R Kern

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hosts with amazing breakfast! We walked easily to historic downtown. Highly recommended!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Russ on Oct 4, 2019
Thank you. Hope to see you again!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location
The couple that run the Inn are super sweet and helpful. Great location and breakfast was awesome. Giving it 4 stars instead of five only because I was on the first floor and the floors were very loud above me. I was woken up at 4am and kept up by the people staying above me, sounded like elephants walking around up there.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Russ on Oct 4, 2019
Sorry that you had heavy-footed guests staying above you. That is not something we can screen for, I'm afraid. You could avoid the possibility by staying on the second floor!

10/10 Excellent

Barbara S.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Russ on Aug 17, 2019
Thank you! Hope to see you again some day.

4/10 Poor

Paul

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Trip to forget
Room was dusty. Our allergies were constantly reacting to it. For the price we would have been better off in one of the hotels in the area. We ended up minimizing our time spent in the room.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Meg & Russ, Innkeepers on Jul 30, 2019
We are sorry that these guests did not enjoy their stay. Our guest house has central air, and may not be appropriate for guests with severe allergies. Had we known about the allergies in advance we might have recommended staying in our main house. As it was we were full during this stay and unable to place them in another room. We dust our rooms constantly and take pride in guest room cleanliness. This is truly the first time anyone has had such issues. We are sorry that you did.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely property. Innkeepers very nice and very organized. Short walk to harbor.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Russ on Jul 26, 2019
Thank you. The harbor is about a 15 minute walk away.

10/10 Excellent

Cynthia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Meg and Russ on Jul 14, 2019
Thanks! Hope to see you again!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Meg and Russ on Jul 11, 2019
Thanks!

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice; we’ll be back!
Very nice all the way around.. outstanding service, appeal and location. The Martin Hill B&B made for a nice start to our vacation in the Northeast!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Meg and Russ on Jul 11, 2019
Convenient walk to downtown but much quieter than our "big" city.

10/10 Excellent

Maria E.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place from which to explore Portsmouth
This is a beautiful old house, with real antiques everywhere. There are many details such as all day coffee and other hot drinks, complimentary sherry, and chocolates. The breakfast is substantial and the garden is lovely. All around a very nice place within 10 minute walk to center of town.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Meg and Russ on Jul 11, 2019
Actually two beautiful old houses! Our second building ("the Guest House") dates from the 1860's.

10/10 Excellent

Stu

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Adorable Inn, the host accommodated my late arrival -- a really great experience!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Meg and Russ on Jul 11, 2019
While 4 to 6 is our "official" check in time, we can accommodate just about any late checkin. We just like knowing so that we don't fret.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
If you want to relax, youve come to the right plac
Bed was comfy and huge, privacy was ideal, location was prime and felt very much at home. Innkeepers are an adorable couple that make excellent breakfast(you're doing yourself a disservice if you miss the free breakfast from 8:30-9:30am). Location is a nice and easy 10 minute walk from downtown Portsmouth. We won't stay anywhere else when we go up there again.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from Russ and Meg, Innkeepers on Apr 10, 2019
I think that is the first time anybody has called us "adorable"! But we always say that as a bed and breakfast we feel we should offer a good bed and a good breakfast, and that is our paramount goal.

10/10 Excellent

Ryan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful B&B Experience
The Martin Hill Inn is a lovely B&B located a few minutes walk away from Portsmouth. It is ideal for anyone who wants to drop off their car and walk around the town for a weekend. The hosts were exceptionally nice, the breakfast provided was delicious, and I enjoyed the grounds. We came in Winter, so we didn't get to explore them properly, but I imagine they look great in the Spring/Summer. Would definitely stay there again.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Russ on Mar 20, 2019
Thank you for the kind words. We always recommend leaving your car in our off-street parking area. And the garden does look great in the summer, though imagination becoming less necessary: check our Facebook post.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is not an inn. It is a B and B. The locks don't work, the latches are messed up, the shower was a problem, the stairs are more like ladders than stairs. There is no sign identifying the place. On a cold night I could not find it and had to call. The parking is not close by, the walkway is hazardous. I was there for a business meeting, and thought I was getting a regular Inn, like Holiday Inn or Ramada Inn. The breakfast was fantastic, but I didn't have the time to enjoy it.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Russ Levreault, Innkeeper on Feb 22, 2019
We are sorry that our guest did not enjoy his stay. Like all older New England buildings our stairs are steep. We have a lit sign in front of our building. We are sorry our guest did not see it. We are sorry that our guest had trouble with the lock which works fine if you turn it the correct way as per instructions. Our parking lot is at the far end of our garden, a lovely walk in the summer. We are sorry there was a snowstorm the night before our guest's stay. We are happy that we are not a "regular inn like a Holiday Inn".

10/10 Excellent

Fanie

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tout était parfait.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Juan Carlos

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
A great experience overall.Exceded expectations.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

4/10 Poor

Jan-Ulrich

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was an only disappointment (for more than 330 Dollars a night)! No reception in two days, even not for one or two hours (get an front door and a room code for access), no room cleaning (!!!), no WiFi (!!!). We made a call to the „Inn emergency number“ and ended up in a voice mail box.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022