Thameside Hotel

I was only there briefly two weeks ago, in room #3, and the place should be inspected by health inspectors. It was late when I reached Reading, and there wasn’t much else available nearby. The room was basic, as I expected, but the handle on the window was broken. Then, while unpacking, I heard noises that grew louder, coming from the walls and beneath the floorboards. It became clear they were rodents scratching, so I packed up and told the night porter the room was infested. He didn’t question it or check, as though it wasn’t a surprise or the first complaint. He said my refund would be processed. I rang the hotel the next day to check, got no answer, left a voicemail, and still haven’t had a reply or my money back. An absolute disgrace. This place should be shut down.

The owners really go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable, and you feel like part of the family instead of just a room number and credit card at a big chain. It’s a small, family owned and run hotel, just a short walk from restaurants, pubs, a casino, and the river. I highly recommend the Thameside hotel if you’re visiting the Reading area.

Julie and Brian put so much care into making guests feel at home. I stayed for a couple of nights with my sister, and this family run place was a delight from the welcome onwards, even letting us choose a room. Highly recommended.

The staff were polite, friendly, and helpful, and for the price I’d stay again. It was reasonably clean, though a closer look showed the cleaning could’ve been more thorough. The bed got a bit uncomfortable after a full night, but I still slept okay. Being beside a road meant quite a lot of traffic noise, which kept me up a little.