Novotel Reading Centre

We stayed here because we have found Novotel perfect for our needs before, as a stop over on the way to Heathrow. Nice clean room with good shower. Quiet. 5 minute walk to RailAir bus stop. Will use again.

We chose this hotel over another (cheaper) hotel, because this one had a pool, sauna and steam room. Which we thought would be great after a weekend of Spartan races nearby. However the pool was really cold, and the sauna wasn’t hot. The thermometer in there read 45°. On the other hand, our hotel room was very hot, we needed the window open to let in a small breeze, but it wasn’t enough, so we didn’t sleep very well. Also, at around 3:30am, some sort of loud fire alarm went off and we were all woken up by it. As we had to have the window open, all we could hear was the town centre nightlife, it was very loud and hard to fall asleep listening to the shouting and screaming of people out on the town. This was all very disappointing. The hotel was clean, the bed was very comfortable and it was perfectly situated near shops, food outlets and the car park we used wasn’t far to walk to and from. We used the Broad Street car park, which the hotel discounted to just £7 for 24 hours use, rather than paying £21 for their own Carpark overnight. Check in was smooth, the receptionist was professional and knowledgeable.

We stayed in a standard double room, which was spacious, very clean, with a super comfortable bed! I slept like a log! The staff were all friendly and helpful. We had a swim in the pool, which although small, was excellent for swimming lengths and was a nice temperature. We ate at the restaurant, which served pub grub and was very tasteful. So why not 5 stars? The toilet in the room was separate to the shower and bath, and also the sink. It would have been nice to have a little sink in the toilet, as in the night you had to feel around for 2 rooms! There was no room service at all. There was a page on the app but in the restaurant the server told us you'd have to order downstairs and take the food up yourself. Most concerning, the pool was unmanned. No one was in that area at all. We had to sign a waver form before using it, so don't use the pool on your own. There was a panic pull outside the sauna but if you had an accident or you needed help away from the pull cord, I'm not sure how long it would be before someone found you.Lastly, there is a small amount of parking on site but you need to phone in advance to book this at £21. Overall a lovely hotel and we would stay here again.

Ok, business trip - Theale office reachable fast

Convenient location.