voco Winchester Review: Why It’s a Great Value Spa Hotel

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Exterior of voco Winchester hotel and spa on a sunny day with clear blue sky

My review of voco^® Winchester Hotel & Spa: affordable luxury at a stylish spa hotel that won’t break the bank!

When I think of a UK spa break, I usually assume it’s going to cost me more than a weekend trip to Europe! But I’ve recently found a hotel near Winchester where you can have a spa break for less than £100 – and it’s seriously nice!

This is voco^® Winchester Hotel & Spa, an IHG hotel that offers a comfortable and relaxing stay, with a fantastic spa that works out a total bargain for hotel guests. I headed here for a one-night, solo spa break to unwind post-Christmas, and I was genuinely impressed. This is the perfect place to book a relaxing solo staycation like I did, but it’s also ideal for couples or groups of friends looking to indulge in a little pampering.

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My stay at voco Winchester was complimentary in exchange for this review. However, I paid for my other travel costs, and all words and opinions are my own (as always).

emily sitting in an armchair drinking coffee from a blue mug. she is wearing a beige jumper.

voco Winchester Review

The Concept: Affordable, mid-range spa hotel

The voco^® Winchester Hotel & Spa is a contemporary, mid-range spa hotel a short drive from Winchester city centre.

We’re talking affordable luxury, here. As a spa hotel, it’s budget-friendly, but this is by no means a budget hotel. Nor is it high-end luxury: the voco is unpretentious and friendly rather than OTT and stuffy.

large hotel lounge space with different coloured armchairs and a bar

The vibe is casual and fun, which comes across particularly well in the main lobby. This large, open-plan space is part bar, part lounge, with mixed seating dotted around between plants and shelving units displaying colourful artworks. It’s stylish, cosy, and sets the tone for the whole hotel straightaway.

I was staying midweek in winter, and the vast majority of the clientele seemed to be business travellers. The voco is well set up for them, but I’d say it definitely caters to all kinds of travellers. Whether you’re visiting Winchester, stopping over on the way somewhere else, or looking for an overnight spa break, this hotel offers a comfy and relaxing place to stay.

Facilities-wise, there’s the aforementioned spa, an open bar/lounge area, meeting and event spaces, a restaurant, and a gym. I’ll review all facilities and rooms in more detail further down the page, but I can’t say much about the gym: despite my best intentions, my gym gear never even left my car! I did get a good view of the gym from the spa, though, and it looked pretty decent.

emily sitting in a bed with pink pyjamas on holding a coffee mug

The Location: Easy access on the outskirts of Winchester

Despite the name, voco Winchester isn’t quite in Winchester. It’s just outside the city on the other side of the M3 – but this isn’t as inconvenient as it sounds, as the hotel is less than a 10-minute drive from Winchester city centre via a single, straight road. So you have the best of both worlds: easy access to the beautiful, historic city of Winchester, whilst staying in a quiet, countryside spot.

It does mean that there’s nothing in the way of restaurants/nightlife in the direct vicinity of the hotel, but this is the kind of place you come to escape it all. The hotel has a restaurant and bar on site, or you can head into the city centre if you want more choice.

Getting Around: It’s about a 6-10 minute drive to the city centre from voco Winchester. A taxi is likely to cost around £10 if you don’t fancy driving. There’s also a regular bus service from the Science Centre next to the hotel to The Broadway (near the Abbey Gardens). Finally, it’s possible to walk into the city via a footpath, which should take around an hour – though I don’t recommend this after dark.

READ MORE: Top Things to do in Winchester

Premium Room Review: Is it worth upgrading?

Hotel bedroom with a large white bed with orange cushions — *Premium room*

All rooms at the voco Winchester are decorated in a similar style. It’s simple, but stylish and relaxing: lots of calming, light blues, with big windows to let in natural light. They all come with the standard modern amenities you’d expect from a mid-range hotel (including a smart TV, complimentary WiFi, aircon, USB charging points, and more).

I stayed in one of the Premium Rooms, which are a little bigger than the standard rooms and have a few added luxuries:

Premium = 25sqm, Standard = 22sqm
Premium = bath with overhead shower, Standard = shower only
Premium = king size bed, Standard = double bed or 2 single beds
Premium = Nespresso machine (as well as tea & coffee making facilities), Standard = tea and coffee making facilities.
Premium rooms also include a complimentary mini-bar, which can be a big perk! It’s not the biggest selection, but there were two cans of wine in mine (one red, one white), as well as a chocolate bar, crisps, and juice.
Extra benefits of a premium room = bathrobes, slippers and dedicated work station for business travellers.

Is it worth the upgrade? If you’re trying to keep costs down, probably not. But when I looked, Premium Rooms were about £24-£28 extra a night (depending on dates), so the price jump isn’t huge, and you do get a little extra space and luxury. So it could be worth the splurge if you want to make the trip that bit more special!

ANA Spa at voco Winchester

interior of a spa with grey tiled walls. There are lounge beds facing a sauna with glass walls.

As I mentioned above, the voco’s major selling point is the ANA Spa: an elegant, modern spa which offers a slice of luxury – for an incredibly reasonable price! Hotel guests can use the ANA Spa facilities for just £10pp for 2 hours Mon-Thurs or £20pp Fri-Sun. Combine this with mid-week room rates from as low as £65, and it’s possible to create a mini spa break for less than £100*, including breakfast! There are often some great spa packages available, so check the website to see what offers are running when you visit.

Just because it’s so wallet-friendly, that doesn’t mean this spa feels budget in any way, shape, or form! I was pleasantly surprised to find it very stylish, modern, and well-kept. It’s fairly small, but the spa has plenty of great facilities. There’s a large Himalayan salt sauna, a steam room, two bubbly foot spas, a sensory shower, and a huge wellness hydro pool with massage jets.

large hydro pool with bubbles surrounded by grey tiled walls

I loved moving my way through the different facilities, alternating the hot (sauna/steam room/pool) with a cool mist in the sensory shower. Sadly, the foot spas weren’t working the day I visited, but everything else was in good condition, and the spa was very clean. It’s perfect for enjoying an indulgent, luxury experience without the typical luxury price tag!

Top Tip: Book early, as the spa can get busy at peak times! If you can visit mid-week, it should be much quieter: I visited from 4-6pm on a Wednesday in January and had the place to myself for the first hour!

*Example price: 15th March 2026, non-refundable advance room rate for 2 persons with IHG member discount = £79 (including breakfast), plus £10pp for Mon-Thurs spa booking.

Food & Drink

plate with sliced potatoes and chicken breast in a creamy sauce

Kitchen21, the voco Winchester’s restaurant, is a fun, casual space with colourful decor and lots of plants dotted around. The big, floor-to-ceiling windows are a nice touch, especially at breakfast – always nice to get lots of natural light with your morning coffee!

Breakfast is your standard hotel buffet: nothing too fancy, but decent enough, with typical hot options and a solid continental range. Dinner, however, was a little more special. Think gastro-pub style offerings, with lots of British classics like slow-roasted lamb shank and fish & chips. Their signature dish is the 21″ pizza, and there’s a good range of options to suit all tastes.

Service at both meals was top-notch. So much so, that I actually made sure to report back to the hotel reception how good my waiter the evening before had been. That’s not something I’d normally remember to do, but I was particularly impressed with his service!

voco Winchester Review: The Quick Version

grey sofa in a large hotel lounge space with different coloured armchairs and a bar

Stylish, contemporary mid-range hotel & spa
Affordable luxury
Great value for a wallet-friendly spa break
Just outside of Winchester, within easy reach of the city centre attractions
Simple, stylish rooms in light blue hues
Premium rooms include a complimentary minibar!
Elegant, modern spa with some great facilities. The huge hydro pool is a particular bonus!
Relaxed restaurant with gastro-pub style menu and excellent service

I genuinely can’t get over the value for money at this hotel and spa. For a mid-week spa break for one in winter, it was an absolute steal! Even weekends are pretty reasonably priced compared with other hotels in the area (outside the summer holidays at least). This is the perfect place to treat yourself to a wallet-friendly spa break for an “affordable luxury” getaway!

This might have been a hosted stay, but I would 100% book this again with my own money. It was quiet, comfortable, stylish, and ideal for a relaxing escape.