Elephant Hotel

The Elephant made us feel completely at ease with our dog, which let us relax and enjoy the stay. Our annex room opened straight onto the garden, so there was plenty of space for roaming and sniffing. It came with a dog bed, two bowls, treats, a map of local dog walks, poop bags, and a tennis ball. At breakfast, they even had sausages for our dog. Probably the best dog-friendly hotel we’ve stayed in. The hotel is lovely, the staff are great, the food is top tier, and the beds were really comfortable, so we slept well. Plenty of places call themselves dog friendly but only tolerate dogs in certain areas. The Elephant really goes above and beyond. Any dog owner knows that when you’re not worrying about your dog, you can relax and have a good time. We’d absolutely recommend it for a getaway with your four-legged friend.

The old building has a lot of charm, and its quirky bedrooms suit it. Don’t expect a modern furniture layout, though; I suspect every room is different. Ours was on the ground floor at the front, so we heard occasional traffic from busy Pangbourne, but we soon stopped noticing it. We sometimes managed to park in the hotel car park, and on other nights used the neighbouring car park, which was convenient and very inexpensive. The hotel is lovely and sits in the pretty village of Pangbourne. Staff were welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Our room was spacious, well equipped, and spotlessly clean. Breakfast was excellent, with a good continental choice and cooked dishes made fresh to order. Delicious!

We had a wonderful stay for an early Valentine’s treat. Jesse arranged surprise flowers for us, and we were upgraded. Every staff member was amazing, the whole hotel was wonderful, and the steak was the best we’ve ever had.

The hotel has a lovely atmosphere, and the themed rooms feel cozy. I especially liked the elephant pillows, and breakfast was superb, particularly the eggs benedict. Staff were really friendly, and the bar was nice too. One room warning: Mandalay sits right above the kitchen extractor fan. It can become a very handy 05.30 alarm, depending on whether you sleep like a corpse or a princess. I’d definitely come back, just maybe not to that room.