An hour west of central London and 30 minutes from Windsor Castle, the borough of Reading, Berkshire is in a rapidly growing region. Music lovers flock here each August for the three-day Reading Festival. A copy of the Bayeux tapestry and the ruins of early 12th-century Reading Abbey await history buffs. Hiking and sailing on the Thames keep outdoor enthusiasts busy. Hotels along the M4 skirting Reading's southern edge are close to all the area's attractions.
Within a mile of the M4, the Best Western Calcot Hotel has 80 guest rooms. Each of the nonsmoking accommodations has a power shower and heated towel rail. Many also have baths. Other room amenities include free Wi-Fi, satellite television and work desks. The hotel is within three minutes of Calcot Park Golf Club and within 40 of Thoroughbred race meets at Windsor, Royal Ascot and Newbury.
Overlooking the hotel garden, the on-site Wyborn Restaurant features freshly and simply prepared meals with locally sourced ingredients. The Wyborn serves carved meats on Friday evenings and at Sunday lunch. Next to the restaurant is the Old Berkshire bar, serving lunches and dinners as well as drinks. Guests can enjoy their refreshments on the outdoor garden terrace when weather allows.
Best Western Calcot Hotel
98 Bath Road
Reading, Berkshire RG31 7QN
United Kingdom
011-44-011-8941-6423
calcothotel.co.uk
Surrounded by sweeping grounds in a residential neighborhood, the Holiday Inn Reading-South M4-Jct 11 is less than three miles from central Reading. It's also less than five minutes from the M4 and within five miles of several high-tech businesses including Microsoft and Oracle. The hotel offers free on-site parking at a shuttle to one of Reading's premier business parks. All guest rooms have premium cable television with the Cartoon Network, pay-per-view channels and video games, high-speed Internet access, work areas and private baths.
The family-friendly hotel welcomes children with a fun pack. The reception desk provides board games, and family rooms have PlayStations. LEGOLAND is half an hour a way. Guests have access to the well-equipped fitness center, heated indoor pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. The Trader's Restaurant serves light breakfasts and full lunches and dinners. Children 12 and younger eat free from the kid's menu. Drinks and evening snacks are available at Callaghan's bar.
Holiday Inn Reading South M4-Jct 11
500 Basingstoke Road
Reading Berkshire RG2 0SL
United Kingdom
011-44-087-1702-9067
holidayinn.com
Just over three miles from the M4's Junction 11, the Copthorne Hotel Reading is in a quiet rural setting overlooking a 33-acre lake. Each of its 81 generously proportioned guest rooms has a lake-view balcony, dataport Internet access, refrigerator and flat-screen satellite television. Wi-Fi is available in the hotel lobby. The lakeside restaurant serves breakfast, prix-fixe dinner and Sunday lunch.
Copthorne Hotel is within 30 minutes of the Coral Reef Water World Park, with water slides, a volcano and whitewater rapid rides for the whole family. Adults can relax in the sauna and steam room. Fifteen minutes away, on the Abbey grounds in central Reading, are the public Forbury Gardens. This ancient archaeological site is now restored to its Victorian-era splendor.
Copthorne Hotel Reading
Pingewood
Reading, Berkshire RG30 3UN
United Kingdom
011-44-011-8950-0885
millenniumhotels.co.uk
