The Great Expectations

Well laid out room with cosy vibes, very relaxing. Helpful team at reception and nice and close to the centre of town. Well-sealed windows that keep the noise out, which is always important to me. The lift wasn't active when I visited, but I had small wheeled luggage so no problems.

Lovely bar and restaurant area. When going to the room these are not to the same standard as the downstairs. The room we had, had a flashing light in the bathroom, moldy shower curtain and handle broken on one of the draws. Bed was comfy enough and shower nice and powerful

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.

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.

While the hotel is older, the rooms are spacious, the people are so helpful with bringing bags early, nice check-in etc. the restaurant is great and breakfast is free. Very nice all round!

The property location is good. However even though it says there is live music on the weekends creating noise in some rooms I stayed midweek and there was music till late. Not very clean. Cheap furniture and fittings and most importantly mattress which wasn’t comfortable. The pigeon in the window woke me at 5 am (not hotel’s fault). Only will stay again if I don’t find anything else.

The DJ wasn't a problem as he stopped fairly early. The hotel is incredibly dated - fair play to whoever photoshopped the room pics. The hotel smells strongly of the Indian food from downstairs. The staff are not particularly helpful. The room (suite) had not been decorated since the late 1970s and was filthy with hairs all over the place and a filthy mattress. Would not recommend.

Decent enough for couple of nights , room was fine and close to town .. , could do with aircon but had a fan , no lift but managed ok

The room wasn’t as clean as I would like, the shower door had evidently not been cleaned in a while, the toilet wasn’t the cleanest and neither was the bathroom sink, the floors look like they hadn’t had a clean in a little while too… and the room decor was very outdated. I paid £170 for 1 night, granted it was whilst a popular festival was on but it was worth £40 at best. I hope they deep clean the rooms better in future! And look at upgrading the decor, as well as looking at their prices, even during popular seasons. The downstairs had a nice vibe though, and the restaurant looked nice.

The reception and bar/restaurant area has been refurbished to a good standard, however the rooms haven't been updated yet. We had a friendly welcome and check in was efficient. The room was not as described as we booked a family en suite and it wasn't until we were looking to rebook that we realised that our room should have had a sofa and bath instead of shower. The room has plenty of storage, but needs updating and a deep clean. Also the room was on the second floor with no lift and the stairs up to the second floor are curved and narrow in places so was a bit of an issue with luggage. Soundproofing could be improved as you can hear plumbing from other rooms and we were unlucky on the second night to have people walking past our room at 11.30pm talking which disturbed us. Bed was comfy enough, but did make a noise when you moved. There were 2 windows in our room and one pair of curtains were lined and kept out enough light, but the pair closest to the bed were unlined and with a building behind with lights on did leave the room light at night, however this was not a problem for us. The continental breakfast was very basic, and they were limited on items on our second morning when we went down about 30 minutes after breakfast started, not sure if they top up items but didn't whilst we were eating. Although this is a fairly basic hotel, it is in a good location.

Sheets smelled musty. Bathroom was awful. Breakfast not available. Empty condom packet on top of wardrobe……..avoid if you can

Friendly reception, even though I was late. Room was filthy, as was the en-suite. Carpet hadn’t been hoovered and there was no spoons to stir a hot drink.

The bathroom really needed some attention. There appeared to be some type of stains on the floor and very heavy black mould on the shower door. Overall the hand sink needed a good clean with hard water scum removed. The shower stall also need a removal of hard water scum. On the floor towel were two very long black hairs. Not mine as I am a blonde. I also could not get hot water for the shower or sink. After speaking to a couple of other guests I was told they did have hot water but they had to let the water run for a very long time in the hand basin before the shower water will get hot. I wish I had known that because I went without a shower. I do have pictures of the mould which was the major issue.

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.

Filthy hotel ending up leaving and paying for rooms elsewhere. Very run down and manager unavailable to resolve ussues

The room was amazing! Great size, very clean and a incredibly comfortable bed. Definitely will be staying there again!

The property location is good. However even though it says there is live music on the weekends creating noise in some rooms I stayed midweek and there was music till late. Not very clean. Cheap furniture and fittings and most importantly mattress which wasn’t comfortable. The pigeon in the window woke me at 5 am (not hotel’s fault). Only will stay again if I don’t find anything else.

Friendly and helpful staff, very clean rooms with daily service, great powerful shower, very comfy bed, close to local amenities

The DJ wasn't a problem as he stopped fairly early. The hotel is incredibly dated - fair play to whoever photoshopped the room pics. The hotel smells strongly of the Indian food from downstairs. The staff are not particularly helpful. The room (suite) had not been decorated since the late 1970s and was filthy with hairs all over the place and a filthy mattress. Would not recommend.

The room wasn’t as clean as I would like, the shower door had evidently not been cleaned in a while, the toilet wasn’t the cleanest and neither was the bathroom sink, the floors look like they hadn’t had a clean in a little while too… and the room decor was very outdated. I paid £170 for 1 night, granted it was whilst a popular festival was on but it was worth £40 at best. I hope they deep clean the rooms better in future! And look at upgrading the decor, as well as looking at their prices, even during popular seasons. The downstairs had a nice vibe though, and the restaurant looked nice.

Small single room with basic furniture.

Central located and walkable. Mattress could be relaced.

Good, spacious room and excellent value. Great location.

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.

While the hotel is older, the rooms are spacious, the people are so helpful with bringing bags early, nice check-in etc. the restaurant is great and breakfast is free. Very nice all round!

Nice staff. My Room was massive and very clean. Nice bed. Very tired decor though. bathroom clean but even more tired. Hotel really needs an upgrade. Has the potential to be somewhere special but needs work.

The room was amazing! Great size, very clean and a incredibly comfortable bed. Definitely will be staying there again!

Comfortable room and bed. Clean bed and bathroom but some cobwebs up high in room and dust on lampshade. Won’t stop me returning

The property location is good. However even though it says there is live music on the weekends creating noise in some rooms I stayed midweek and there was music till late. Not very clean. Cheap furniture and fittings and most importantly mattress which wasn’t comfortable. The pigeon in the window woke me at 5 am (not hotel’s fault). Only will stay again if I don’t find anything else.

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 :)

Friendly and helpful reception staff, clean room with excellent bathroom facilities. Value for money.

No one on reception to give you a warm welcome, had a sign up to go to the bar to check in. Walking into bar area with other guests around & carrying our luggage..... not ideal. Room was booked for 2 people only 1 cup in the room, had to wait for my partner to finish his before i could have a cup of tea. The shower, although warm was leaking from the shower hose which was hitting the top of the bath & back of the wall straight onto the floor causing a pool of water, other than that comfy bed.

Overall a good stay for the price. Staff were friendly however announced our room number out loud upon check in - which is unsafe for two women travelling. Room was nice and spacious, shower was good as well. Our room however had some industrial-sounding drilling/humming noise on and off all night. Unsure if this was the building next door or the hotel itself. If you want a short trip on a budget I would recommend. However if you’re travelling solo might be unsafe as they like announcing your room number out loud.

The room smelled of raw sewage. After going out for the evening my key card would allow me access even though it had worked earlier. There was no one in reception at night so I stayed in a friends room which had a spare single bed. There room was just as grim and the bathroom nearly flooded from the bath. In the morning I went to reception and told the receptionist I couldn’t use my room all night. He didn’t care and just gave me a new card. When I went into the room the smell was atrocious, I’m glad I didn’t stay in there even though I had paid for the room. After complaining I had no response and no refund.

While the hotel is older, the rooms are spacious, the people are so helpful with bringing bags early, nice check-in etc. the restaurant is great and breakfast is free. Very nice all round!

Not clean, odd check in and bad service

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.

It was easy to access. Friendly workers

Friendly and helpful staff, very clean rooms with daily service, great powerful shower, very comfy bed, close to local amenities

The hotel is very close to Reading town centre and train station, so staying here was very convenient. The staff were friendly and responsive to our needs. The bed was soft, and the shower was powerful. The location is difficult to access by car, however, on account of the UK's bizarre addiction to one-way streets.

Lovely welcoming property in a great location. The room had everything I needed and more. Would highly recommend and would stay again!

Well laid out room with cosy vibes, very relaxing. Helpful team at reception and nice and close to the centre of town. Well-sealed windows that keep the noise out, which is always important to me. The lift wasn't active when I visited, but I had small wheeled luggage so no problems.

Central located and walkable. Mattress could be relaced.

Good, spacious room and excellent value. Great location.

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.

It was easy to access. Friendly workers

An old room but very clean. Could leave our bags in the room despite being very early. Close to heart of Reading.

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 :)

The hotel is very close to Reading town centre and train station, so staying here was very convenient. The staff were friendly and responsive to our needs. The bed was soft, and the shower was powerful. The location is difficult to access by car, however, on account of the UK's bizarre addiction to one-way streets.

The reception and bar/restaurant area has been refurbished to a good standard, however the rooms haven't been updated yet. We had a friendly welcome and check in was efficient. The room was not as described as we booked a family en suite and it wasn't until we were looking to rebook that we realised that our room should have had a sofa and bath instead of shower. The room has plenty of storage, but needs updating and a deep clean. Also the room was on the second floor with no lift and the stairs up to the second floor are curved and narrow in places so was a bit of an issue with luggage. Soundproofing could be improved as you can hear plumbing from other rooms and we were unlucky on the second night to have people walking past our room at 11.30pm talking which disturbed us. Bed was comfy enough, but did make a noise when you moved. There were 2 windows in our room and one pair of curtains were lined and kept out enough light, but the pair closest to the bed were unlined and with a building behind with lights on did leave the room light at night, however this was not a problem for us. The continental breakfast was very basic, and they were limited on items on our second morning when we went down about 30 minutes after breakfast started, not sure if they top up items but didn't whilst we were eating. Although this is a fairly basic hotel, it is in a good location.

Sheets smelled musty. Bathroom was awful. Breakfast not available. Empty condom packet on top of wardrobe……..avoid if you can

Lovely bar and restaurant area. When going to the room these are not to the same standard as the downstairs. The room we had, had a flashing light in the bathroom, moldy shower curtain and handle broken on one of the draws. Bed was comfy enough and shower nice and powerful

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.

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.

While the hotel is older, the rooms are spacious, the people are so helpful with bringing bags early, nice check-in etc. the restaurant is great and breakfast is free. Very nice all round!

Liked the Georgian elegance of the building, the entrance and spiral staircase. After complaining about mattress it was replaced and the room was cleaned. Manager was helpful and efficient. Room was a good size. Its best advantage was easy walking distance from the town centre. We were not informed about the disco on Saturday night until booking was confirmed by which point the deposit was not refundable. Disliked the very limited breakfast menu as no breakfast places nearby. The room was airless and looked onto a brick wall. Both chairs were uncomfortable.

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.

The DJ wasn't a problem as he stopped fairly early. The hotel is incredibly dated - fair play to whoever photoshopped the room pics. The hotel smells strongly of the Indian food from downstairs. The staff are not particularly helpful. The room (suite) had not been decorated since the late 1970s and was filthy with hairs all over the place and a filthy mattress. Would not recommend.

The room wasn’t as clean as I would like, the shower door had evidently not been cleaned in a while, the toilet wasn’t the cleanest and neither was the bathroom sink, the floors look like they hadn’t had a clean in a little while too… and the room decor was very outdated. I paid £170 for 1 night, granted it was whilst a popular festival was on but it was worth £40 at best. I hope they deep clean the rooms better in future! And look at upgrading the decor, as well as looking at their prices, even during popular seasons. The downstairs had a nice vibe though, and the restaurant looked nice.

The reception and bar/restaurant area has been refurbished to a good standard, however the rooms haven't been updated yet. We had a friendly welcome and check in was efficient. The room was not as described as we booked a family en suite and it wasn't until we were looking to rebook that we realised that our room should have had a sofa and bath instead of shower. The room has plenty of storage, but needs updating and a deep clean. Also the room was on the second floor with no lift and the stairs up to the second floor are curved and narrow in places so was a bit of an issue with luggage. Soundproofing could be improved as you can hear plumbing from other rooms and we were unlucky on the second night to have people walking past our room at 11.30pm talking which disturbed us. Bed was comfy enough, but did make a noise when you moved. There were 2 windows in our room and one pair of curtains were lined and kept out enough light, but the pair closest to the bed were unlined and with a building behind with lights on did leave the room light at night, however this was not a problem for us. The continental breakfast was very basic, and they were limited on items on our second morning when we went down about 30 minutes after breakfast started, not sure if they top up items but didn't whilst we were eating. Although this is a fairly basic hotel, it is in a good location.