The Bridge House Henley

We had breakfast at the Henley ice-cream shop, which was lovely, and the rear car park came in handy. The room was comfortable, with a lovely shower and toiletries that smelled great. It was a little small, but this is an old building with character, not a purpose-built, featureless hotel. The place was immaculate. I took my work boots off as soon as I got into the reception room so I wouldn’t mark the carpets. Entry to the property and rooms is by coded keypad, and it was easy to follow the welcome email instructions. Recent reviews since the refit have been excellent, so don’t let earlier reviews put you off. It’s great here.

We had a comfortable, cozy couple of nights here for a wedding, and the decor was lovely. The room was a decent size, though the bathroom was a bit small. It was easy to get in, there’s free parking at the back, and there’s a nice local bakery and places to get food. I’d definitely recommend it. The rooms are close together, so you can hear people walking along the corridor and leaving. Ours faced the street and was a bit noisy, and it was very warm, so we had to keep the window open. That let in more street noise.

We stayed again and the shower was one of the best I’ve ever used. There were loads of extras, including shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand wash and lotion, extra toilet roll and a hairdryer. The refreshments were lovely too, with Yorkshire and fruit teas, coffee, hot chocolate and fresh milk. The kingsize room was strangely smaller than the double, though just as nice. The bathroom was very compact and clean, the hanging space was great, and there were plenty of hangers. My husband couldn’t work out how to switch on the shower because the door covers the button, and he’d like bigger towels. The first time, we were in Room 2. It was beautifully decorated and very clean, with a comfortable bed, cosy bedding, a brilliant shower, fluffy but quite small towels and enough toilet roll and coat hangers. There were only two caffeinated tea bags and two coffees, which wasn’t enough. The road noise was dreadful, and the zebra crossing beeps went on all night. Opening the window was unbearable, so we shut it, though we’d wanted fresh air. A fan was provided. People in Room 1 kept trying our door code, which disturbed our sleep, and the keypad beeps were annoying when a code was entered incorrectly, since they were loud and went on longer. Cars at the lights could see straight into Room 2, so we had to keep the curtains closed, leaving it quite dark. On that first stay, the alarm clock went off at 7am on Sunday, which we weren’t impressed by. We booked another stay and asked for a room at the back. There was some road noise again, but nothing major. The curtains were shut again, presumably because the windows across the road look straight in. I like some natural light, so a voile or frosted film could help. I love staying here; I just wish it weren’t on such a busy crossroads.

I wish we could have stayed longer. Room 1 was beautiful, with a really soft, comfortable bed and a great range of complimentary extras. It’s also within easy walking distance of the high street. Perfect for two, and I’d definitely recommend it. Thanks for a lovely stay!