Best Hotels in Nottingham for a Weekend Break (From Boutique to Budget)
If you’re wondering where to stay in Nottingham, I can help. I studied here, have visited many times since, and stayed in a range of hotels across the city.
Nottingham is often overlooked, but it’s a brilliant place for a weekend break – full of history, independent shops and lively nightlife. And whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple, or with family, there are great hotels for every type of trip.
Below, I’ve pulled together the best hotels in Nottingham, including some I’ve stayed in myself, and others I’ve shortlisted for future visits.
For more planning tips, you can find all my Nottingham content in this Nottingham travel guide.
Hart’s Hotel
A refined stay just steps from Nottingham Castle. Comfortable rooms, great service, and an on-site restaurant make it my go-to recommendation.
Mama’s Inn
For luxury, location and comfort, this is my top recommendation for the best hotel in Nottingham.
Roomzzz
Spacious, apartment-style rooms with kitchenettes make this great value for longer or budget-conscious stays near the city centre.
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend places I’d genuinely consider staying myself.
Best All Around Hotels
Hart’s Hotel – Best for a Comfortable, Boutique Stay
If you’re looking for a boutique feel without the high-end price tag, Hart’s is a solid choice. I’ve stayed here myself and found the rooms comfortably sized and more polished than some of the other options in Nottingham.
They’re not huge, but the finish and overall feel make them a step up in quality and it’s one of my favourite places to stay in Nottinghm..
It’s particularly good for solo travellers or couples looking for a quiet base with a bit of style. Business travellers might find the amenities a little limited compared to larger hotels, but for a leisure stay, it ticks most of the boxes.
The hotel is set just a short walk from Nottingham Castle, in a quiet spot slightly uphill from the main city centre. If you’re driving, there is some parking directly at the hotel, but spaces are limited. They do have an arrangement with a neighbouring business for additional parking at certain times, and there’s a multistorey nearby that had plenty of availability during my stay.
Hart’s also has an on-site restaurant. The menu isn’t extensive, but the food is well done and it’s a convenient option if you don’t fancy heading out. If you’re looking for more variety, I’ve rounded up the best places to eat in Nottingham here.
🏨 Check availability at Hart’s – rooms here can go quickly, especially at weekends.
Lace Market Hotel
The Lace Market Hotel has a more traditional feel than Hart’s. As the name suggests it is in the Lace Market area of the city, in a Georgian townhouse.
As it is an older building the rooms vary in size, from mini double rooms all the way to suites. This gives you plenty of options according to your budget but does mean that it can book up quite quickly.
The rooms are beautifully and individually decorated, and it’s a fantastic location for exploring the city.
It’s just up the road from a few of the best Nottingham attractions – the National Justice Museum, City of Caves and Nottingham Contemporary.
There is a pub as part of the hotel, the Cock and Hoop, which offers Afternoon Tea as well as standard pub food. The pub also has daily deals such as happy hour cocktail deals.
🏨 Book a stylish stay at Lace Market Hotel – central and popular, so best to book early.
Crowne Plaza
The Crowne Plaza isn’t quite as good a location as Hart’s and Lace Market Hotel, but it’s still just a few minutes from Old Market Square.
It is also very close to the Theatre Royal and Cornerhouse building, which has lots of restaurants around it as well as activities such as axe-throwing and indoor golf!
They have some larger rooms with sofa beds in addition to a double bed so it is also a good option for people visiting with children.
Crowne Plaza has its own parking available, but as with Hart’s, this is an additional cost.
As with many larger chain hotels, you’ll get some facilities that the smaller, boutique hotels can’t offer. Crowne Plaza has a fitness room, swimming pool and spa on site.
It’s a more corporate hotel but if you want the extra facilities and convenience of parking then this might be your best choice!
🏨 Check availability at Crowne Plaza – great for business stays and short breaks in the city centre
Best Quirky Hotels
The Orchard Hotel
The Orchard Hotel was built in 2012, so it feels newer and fresher than many of the city centre options. It was built with sustainability in mind, with solar panels, a garden roof to encourage biodiversity, and sustainability-focused building materials.
Orchard Hotel is on the University of Nottingham campus, so if you are going into the city centre you would need to use public transport (there are several bus routes and a tram that are nearby), or drive into the city.
On the plus side, this means it’s within walking distance of Wollaton Hall, as well as the boating lake, playground and arts centre on campus.
Bramleys Brasserie onsite focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. Unfortunately when I last stayed at the hotel a fire alarm went off during dinner, but I can’t hold a fluke occurrence against them and the food was great!
They also have a very nice lounge area for coffee and drinks near reception.
As the hotel has much more space than city centre options, parking is free and includes EV chargers. Although it has limited fitness facilities onsite, you can get free access to the gym and swimming pool at the David Ross Sports Village next to the hotel.
🏨 Check availability at Orchard Hotel – a modern, eco-friendly option
Mama’s Inn Boutique Guest House
Mama’s Inn is a quirky option, about a 15-minute walk to the north of Old Market Square. If you are looking for interesting and opulent decor, this is the one for you.
This stunning B&B is run by a husband and wife team, and they have put an enormous amount of effort into the interior design and decorative details.
The hotel only has 11 rooms, but each one is decorated individually, inspired by different cities. Think pale colours and a 4-poster bed in the Paris room, and images of a desert in the gold-themed Cairo room!
They have a small bar in the hotel and offer a good breakfast menu. In keeping with their international theme, the breakfast menu includes international options.
For dinner, you’ll need to venture into the city, but it’s easily walkable or they’ll call you a taxi. They have some paid parking onsite as well.
If you like something a little out of the ordinary, this is one of the best hotels in Nottingham and the rooms really are gorgeous!
🏨 Check availability at Mama’s Inn – beautifully decorated rooms in a small, boutique setting that books up quickly
Best For Family Vacations
Many Nottingham hotels offer rooms with a double bed plus a sofa bed to accommodate 4 people. Unfortunately, if you have 3 children with you, you may want to consider some of the privately managed converted flats and houses on Booking.com rather than hotels.
Heritage Mews
Heritage Mews is an ‘aparthotel’ next to Pitcher and Piano, and several (but not all) rooms include a kitchenette area. This makes it great for families, as they have sofa beds to accommodate additional guests.
The rooms are decorated in pale, calm colours, with air conditioning for added comfort.
Just as with the Lace Market Hotel it is in an amazing location, very central and on the same street as several attractions.
Each apartment is slightly different, so make sure you read the description and capacity information fully to get the right size for you – this isn’t a case of a ‘standard double’ vs ‘superior king’ type room.
🏨 Check availability at Heritage Mews – quiet, characterful, and close to the city
Holiday Inn Nottingham
The Holiday Inn has rooms with two double beds which will be more comfortable than rooms with sofa beds. On the downside, it is slightly further out of the city centre.
I’ve stayed there before and you can walk into the city along the canal, but if you are with children then you’ll find taking a taxi or driving to one of the city car parks much easier and quicker.
The rooms are clean and comfortable, but it’s not as good a location as most of the others on the list.
The hotel has plenty of free parking, and it’s also next to a large Sainsbury’s supermarket for anything you might need.
🏨 Check availability at Holiday Inn – reliable comfort with easy access to the city centre
Best Country House Hotel
Colwick Hall Hotel
Colwick Hall is only a couple of miles outside of the city centre, but it’s surrounded by parkland, and lakes and is close to the River Trent.
This was once the ancestral home of the Byron family – although they had long since moved to Newstead Abbey by the time the famous Lord Byron came along. However, in keeping with the literary connection the rooms are named after famous writers and musicians.
The room I stayed in was the Samuel Johnson room, which was generally very comfortable however unfortunately I was there during a heatwave. That particular room is towards the top of the building, and between the rising heat and lack of air conditioning, it was rather warm!
Nevertheless, it is a lovely hotel, and the temperature in my room was mostly just unfortunate timing.
It’s a beautiful building in a scenic location, just a short drive from the city. I also had a great meal in the Byron’s Brasserie restaurant there, and the staff at the hotel are excellent.
🏨 Book your stay at Colwick Hall – grand setting and good value for a weekend break
Best For Nightlife
Mercure
The Mercure is one of the best hotels for nightlife in Nottingham city centre (just don’t accidentally book the Nottingham Sherwood Forest location).
You are a short walk from bars and pubs such as the Hockley Arts Club, Coco Tang, Pit & Pendulum, Nottingham Secret Garden and Billy Bootleggers.
If you are keen to be around the nightlife of Hockley and the Lace Market, this is one of your best bets.
The decor is a bit more interesting than other Mercures I’ve stayed in, and it’s a great location. Just bear in mind that given it’s location in a busy area it can be a bit noisy and the rooms aren’t that big, but wouldn’t be an issue for visitors who are focused on nightlife.
🏨 Check availability at Mercure – affordable and right in the middle of Nottingham’s nightlife scene
Best For Visitors On A Budget
Roomzzz
Roomzzz aparthotel has a minimum 2-night stay requirement, but with kitchenettes, it may be a good way to save money by cooking your own meals rather than going out for dinner.
There is some paid parking on-site, but if they don’t have space there are plenty of multi-storey car parks around.
The main drawback to this location is that it is just down the road from Rock City. This is a large music venue that might disturb you if you are staying on the lower floors.
Rock City is open Wednesday-Saturday nights, but as someone who used to go to their weekday student club nights, I can tell you that it isn’t just Fridays and Saturdays that can be noisy.
🏨 See rates for Roomzzz – ideal for longer stays or self-catering breaks on a budget
Leonardo
Leonardo is slightly further away from the city centre, about a 15-minute walk across the canal. It’s great value though and if you don’t mind a short walk then you can get some cheaper rooms than others on this list.
If you’ve been to Nottingham in the past you might recognise it as the old Jury’s Inn building. It has since been updated and refreshed, and it’s now a very comfortable and reasonably priced stay.
It’s also just a few minutes away from Cleaver & Wake – a fantastic restaurant that I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I’d been staying in a more central hotel.
🏨 Check availability at Leonardo – good value and just a short walk from the train station and city centre
Premier Inn
There are a couple of Premier Inns in Nottingham. I haven’t stayed in any of them personally but I’ve used Premier Inn’s all over the UK and generally found them to be good value for money.
FAQs
Is Nottingham good for tourists?
There are other cities in the UK that are more popular for tourism, but Nottingham is a great place to visit and has lots of interesting attractions to explore.
Is Nottingham a walkable city?
Yes, the city centre is fairly compact and although there are a few hills it is generally very easy to walk around.
How many days do I need in Nottingham?
You can see several of the main attractions with one full day, but two days would give you a better experience of the city.
Where can I park in Nottingham?
There are several car parks run by Nottingham City Council around the city centre. These vary in price but there are plenty of spaces available and you can park overnight in most of them.
Final Thoughts: Best Hotels in Nottingham
As you can see, Nottingham has a variety of options, from independent luxury hotels to the large corporate chains.
Many of these hotels fill up quickly on weekends – booking early usually gets you the best rates and room options.
Now that you know where to stay in Nottingham, check out the best things to do in the city, how to spend a weekend in Nottingham and why it is a good place to visit!
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🗺️ From weekend getaways to hidden gems, you’ll find plenty more UK travel content on my UK page.
