Reading hotels

Reading may not have that many historic buildings, but this Edwardian townhouse – once council offices – is a beauty. Many of the original features have survived, such as the wood panelling, marble floor, lift shaft and large fireplaces, which gives this hotel real character.

I like its grandeur, but also the way it’s become a gallery for contemporary art and design, from sculptures and impressionist paintings to the distinctive chandelier made of thousands of beads that runs up the staircase.

The restaurant is one of the best in town, with a creative tasting menu (try the seared scallops with apple beignet). Meanwhile, the afternoon tea is a nice nod to local biscuit maker Huntley & Palmers. It’s one of the best hotels in Reading for a luxury stay – choose one of the rooms in the original building over the new addition. Close to Forbury Gardens and Reading Museum, it’s also handy for Ascot Racecourse.

This is one of those cosy 18th-century coaching inns where you can stomp in after a walk along the Ridgeway, pull up a chair by the fire and settle down with a pint of local ale. It was taken over in 2014 by a couple who have poured a lot of effort into the kitchen and the guestrooms.

There are 14 upstairs, many with brass beds or four posters, all with painted floorboards, antique furniture, blooms of floral wallpaper and smart Ren bath products. My favourite is the one right in the attic, with exposed beams like the ribs of a boat.

The menu, meanwhile, hits all the right comfort food notes, with halloumi fries, tempura prawns, traditional pies and fish and chips. It’s certainly one of the best hotels in Reading for walkers, and very handy for Basildon Park – Goring itself is a lovely village worth exploring.

Railway hotels are one of the Victorian era’s great legacies to the modern world. This one lays claim to being the first ever built in England, designed by none other than Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1844. As you’d expect, it’s right by the station, so it’s one of the best hotels in Reading for those arriving by train.

But I also like the way Malmaison has riffed on its history without being too trainspotter-ish. Behind the striking white facade are snug bedrooms named after famous locomotives, each decorated with wallpapered feature walls, oversized pendants and rich greys, blues and yellows.

The restaurant and bar has exposed brickwork and montage-style artworks inspired by vintage tourism posters and maps, along with an on-trend menu including black-truffle arancini, beetroot-cured salmon and decent steaks. It’s popular with locals (the bottomless brunch is a hit) so there’s usually a lively atmosphere here.

Reading FC may not be in the Premier League anymore but there’s usually plenty of action at the Madejski Football and Rugby Stadium, which you can see from Voco. It’s one of the best hotels in Reading for sports fans – and only two minutes from the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre.

But with all the space here it’s also a good option for families, who should book one of the corner rooms, which are open-plan and get lots of natural light.

I really like the pool here (there aren’t many hotels in Reading with one) and the newly refurbished spa uses seaweed in its treatments. Expect brasserie favourites like Thai fried salmon and beef ribs in the restaurant. The immediate surroundings are quite ‘business park’ but there are some lovely walks to be had nearby along the Kennet canal and the nature reserve made from former gravel pits.

Just outside Reading, the Thames rolls along and time seems to slow down at villages such as Streatley. With its own private island – reached by a little bridge – The Swan feels quintessentially English and quite romantic (hence the number of weddings held here).

Now part of the Coppa Club group, I think it’s one of the best hotels in Reading for summer, with water gardens to roam, deckchairs on the lawn and towpath walks along the river. Though it’s cosy enough in winter too, with nooks for a cocktail and sofas by the crackling fire.

Built around a 17th-century inn, it includes a yoga studio (book ahead) and a centrepiece restaurant lit by rattan pendants with a well-priced menu for pizza, beef tataki and chalk stream trout. Over the bridge is the pretty village of Goring; a little further is the National Trust estate of Basildon Park.

This was once a bank but has let its hair down since and is probably the most laid-back and entertaining hotel in Reading. That’s mainly down to the can-do attitude of the staff and the informal design, which ranges from neon signs and cascading foliage to vintage chairs and a mezzanine decorated in old Reading Festival posters.

The sense of fun continues in the games area, with shuffleboard and ping pong, while the menu serves up loaded fries, burgers and pizzas, with several plant-based options.

Guestrooms are an impressionist flurry of colour with distinctive details such as embroidered rugs and gold-leaf bedside lights. I like the fact you get filtered water and fresh milk without asking – a real rarity. Close to the station, Abbey ruins and the shops of The Oracle, this is one of the best hotels in Reading for location.

This is one of my favourite little villages along the Thames, only five miles outside Reading and just the place for picnics and summer boating. No wonder George Clooney chose to buy a house here. The Great House is a former Elizabethan coaching inn right on the river, but is now part of the Coppa Club group, which has created a members’ club ambience without the fees.

The hotel features a warm mix of original details – wood panelling, brickwork – with jewel-box colours, leather banquette seating and vintage touches.

Four see-through igloos on the lawn provide a cosy private dining spot all year round. The menu features flavours such as truffle and ricotta ravioli, Padrón peppers and – my favourite – the Coppa mess pudding. One of the best hotels in Reading for an indulgent weekend stay, families should book the coach house apartment, spread over three levels.

There’s nothing very fashionable about The French Horn, but that’s the point. This restaurant-with-rooms has been owned by the Emmanuel family since the 1970s and while it doesn’t feel dated, it has a certain reassuring quality.

There are valances on the mullioned windows, four posters in the suites, and timeless views over the lawns to the Thames (ask for a river view, though some prefer the nearby cottages, owned by the same family).

But it’s mainly about the food here: as you’d expect from a family that owned the Wheeler oyster bars, seafood is a strong point. This is a place for lobster and crab salads, and classics such as sole meunière and chateaubriand to share, followed by creme brulee to finish. Walk it off with a riverside ramble after. It all comes at a price, of course, so this is the best restaurant in Reading for a special occasion.

Set a little out of the town centre on the Bath Road, this gabled redbrick house was once a Victorian family home and retains a lot of the original character and charm. A clock ticks, fresh flowers scent the air. The stained-glass windows are intact, a framed portrait hangs above the fireplace in the entrance hall, and a polished bannister staircase leads up to the 15 guestrooms.

Some are a little on the small side, so check the size before you book. But all embrace the period history of the house, decorated with wooden antique furniture and striped wallpapers in yellow, blue and cream. Quilted bedspreads make them all cosy.

With an extensive garden outside, this is one of the best hotels in Reading for a weekend break or a mid-week stay for business.

This place has a nice history to it, having been mentioned in one of my favourite comedy novels, Three Men in a Boat. There it was described as ‘a veritable picture of an old country inn’, and it still looks the part. Its fame now extends to the US, as sometime neighbour George Clooney has been known to bring Hollywood friends here when they’re in town.

It’s very much a pub with rooms, so don’t expect a quiet night in. Instead, it’s better suited for those walking the Thames Path, which passes nearby – I like the walk up to Sonning Lock and past the Mill Theatre, which has its a bar and restaurant.

One of the best hotels in Reading for a walk and a pub lunch, the guestrooms are pretty standard but have character, with brass beds and rustic wallpaper.