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Great Expectations


Amenities

  • Restaurant

  • 24-Hour Reception

  • WiFi

  • Coffee Shop/Café

  • Wheelchair Accessible (Limited)


Property description

Hotel with restaurant and coffee shop, conveniently located in Reading City Centre.
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From

$61
/ night

Guest reviews

What guests think

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Great Expectations offers a central base with a lively atmosphere, but guest experiences are mixed: many note dated rooms and inconsistent cleanliness, while others appreciate spacious beds and helpful staff, alongside recurring noise from music or other guests.

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Facilities

Mixed

Cleanliness

Inconsistent

Rooms

Dated

Service

Mixed

Location

Central

Dining

Mixed

Was this helpful?

6

Dave

IAN-logo

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Friendly place but woke up at 3am with maintenance on a ladder trying to fix something, tv didnt work so changed room's and then half hour later asked to change again. Hair gel under bed wasnt mine and cleanliness definitely not great. Good location if you are parking a van though as carpark with no height restriction close.
Friendly place but woke up at 3am with maintenance on a ladder trying to fix something, tv didnt work so changed room's and then half hour later asked to change again. Hair gel under bed wasnt mine and cleanliness definitely not great. Good location if you are parking a van though as carpark with no height restriction close.

8

Sophie

IAN-logo

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel was good, clean and comfortable, but noisy because of a Karioke club on Tuesday nights. There is no sign of eco awareness and indeed, coffe/tea was served in platic cups; not very good at all.
The hotel was good, clean and comfortable, but noisy because of a Karioke club on Tuesday nights. There is no sign of eco awareness and indeed, coffe/tea was served in platic cups; not very good at all.

4

Laura

IAN-logo

Jul 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

To be fair the downstairs area was very nice modern and chic, the upstairs.... Was like staying at grandma's, was clean and the bed was comfy but everything else was old, dated, and tired and a bit fusty, shower made awful noise. Carpet was all wrinkled= tripping hazard. The staff were very nice and to be fair u get what u pay for, would i stay again? probably!! just needed a bed and a quick shower no time for a cuppa or tv but was available in the room. Was close to station so very handy. Maybe change carpets and curtains and less lights in the room and remove wallpaper just stick to plain walls cheap fix will make it look better and brighter :)
To be fair the downstairs area was very nice modern and chic, the upstairs.... Was like staying at grandma's, was clean and the bed was comfy but everything else was old, dated, and tired and a bit fusty, shower made awful noise. Carpet was all wrinkled= tripping hazard. The staff were very nice and to be fair u get what u pay for, would i stay again? probably!! just needed a bed and a quick shower no time for a cuppa or tv but was available in the room. Was close to station so very handy. Maybe change carpets and curtains and less lights in the room and remove wallpaper just stick to plain walls cheap fix will make it look better and brighter :)

4

Jon

IAN-logo

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Don’t be fooled by the opening picture, this place is like a mullet: business in the front (restaurant), chaos in the back (hotel). The restaurant photos are legit, but the rooms? Think student digs meet 90s time capsule. My room had... character. By "character," I mean the shower looked like it had seen some things, the toilet had trust issues, and there were crumbs under the bed sheets. Not on top. Under. Who is snacking in the bed linen? No lift, just stairs, so if your knees make that Rice Krispie sound like mine do, pack your climbing gear. Breakfast was a minimalist affair: white bread (nothing whole about it), a few pastries that looked like they'd lost the will to live, some yogurt, and hot water that already was tea. Fancy porridge? Hope you like it with a splash of Earl Grey. I stayed here for business, but if you're just after a bed after a night out and have low expectations (and a strong immune system), it’s probably fine. The Wi-Fi had commitment issues, it would connect for 2 minutes, then ghost me like a bad Tinder date. And the fan in the room? As helpful as a chocolate fireguard. Melts under pressure and makes everything worse. To be fair, the staff were lovely and the restaurant food was genuinely excellent, the kind of meal that made me forget I had to sleep in a crime scene.
Don’t be fooled by the opening picture, this place is like a mullet: business in the front (restaurant), chaos in the back (hotel). The restaurant photos are legit, but the rooms? Think student digs meet 90s time capsule. My room had... character. By "character," I mean the shower looked like it had seen some things, the toilet had trust issues, and there were crumbs under the bed sheets. Not on top. Under. Who is snacking in the bed linen? No lift, just stairs, so if your knees make that Rice Krispie sound like mine do, pack your climbing gear. Breakfast was a minimalist affair: white bread (nothing whole about it), a few pastries that looked like they'd lost the will to live, some yogurt, and hot water that already was tea. Fancy porridge? Hope you like it with a splash of Earl Grey. I stayed here for business, but if you're just after a bed after a night out and have low expectations (and a strong immune system), it’s probably fine. The Wi-Fi had commitment issues, it would connect for 2 minutes, then ghost me like a bad Tinder date. And the fan in the room? As helpful as a chocolate fireguard. Melts under pressure and makes everything worse. To be fair, the staff were lovely and the restaurant food was genuinely excellent, the kind of meal that made me forget I had to sleep in a crime scene.

8

Geoff

EXP-logo

Jun 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Attentive and friendly staff. Historic building, lots of character. Breakfast was croissants, muffins, toast, juice and great strong coffee! The bed was huge and comfy, no street noise. Close to restaurants in town. Definitely recommend this hotel, it’s different and quirky with a big personality.
Attentive and friendly staff. Historic building, lots of character. Breakfast was croissants, muffins, toast, juice and great strong coffee! The bed was huge and comfy, no street noise. Close to restaurants in town. Definitely recommend this hotel, it’s different and quirky with a big personality.

33 London Street, Reading, England, United Kingdom

Location

With a stay at Great Expectations Reading in Reading, you'll be within a 10-minute walk of Hexagon and Reading Central Library. This hotel is 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from St. Giles-in-Reading Church and 0.6 mi (1 km) from Progress Theatre.

More location info

Property Policies

Check-in

Check-out

Check-in from 15:00

Before 11:00


FAQs

Yes, a daily breakfast buffet is available, featuring a variety of options made from fresh, local ingredients.


The standard check-in time is 15:00 and check-out time is 11:00. Early or late check-in/check-out availability and costs are not specified.

The hotel is conveniently located on London Street, within close proximity to Reading Abbey Ruins (0.3 miles), Reading Museum (0.4 miles), and Reading Train Station (0.8 miles), providing easy access to London.


The hotel does not have a swimming pool.


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