In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- The fabrics throughout are beautiful, from Nina Campbell, Designers Guild, Kenzo and so on; floors are American walnut. There are at least three specially commissioned artworks in each room. All the bathrooms have stone floor and walls, six-inch monsoon showers and baths big enough for two. Luxury rooms are particularly spacious, and the suites all have something really special about them: a glass bath, a steam room, a copper bath in front of the fire…
- Packing tips
- Walking boots and binoculars for Thames Valley twitching.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- Complimentary cocktails on arrival, and pudding on the house when you book dinner in Cerise restaurant on a Sunday evening
The Forbury
Berkshire, United Kingdom [view map]
- Style
- Decorative opulence
- Setting
- Grand civic redbrick
The reception of this Berkshire boutique hotel is a swirl of pinks, reds, burnt orange and silver, creating a slick European-style ambience; commissioned contemporary art on the walls and the world’s biggest chandelier add up to a stylish stay with a decadent, playful air.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 24, including four Luxury Rooms, four suites and a Grand Suite.
- Rates
- £230–£440.
- Check-out
- 11am but flexible when possible.
- Facilities
- Bang & Olufsen audiovisual, free wireless broadband, custom-woven satin sheets, welcome bag with Molton Brown products, tealight candles, herb and spice balm and a rubber duck. 30-seat cinema, library, Moroccan-inspired Secret Garden.
- Also
- No pets, but guide dogs are welcome. Smoking in the bar only. There are 16 serviced apartments available for short lets.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- In Cerise restaurant, you'll eat simple, well-executed dishes made with seasonal produce, 80 per cent of which is sourced from within 40 miles of Reading.
- Dress code
- Retired raver (this is M25 country, after all).
- Top table
- The Secret Garden, weather permitting.
- Last orders
- Lunch, 3pm; dinner, 10pm, except for Fridays and Saturdays, when last orders are 10.30pm.
- Room service
- 24 hours.
- Hotel bar
- Cerise has a long pewter bar where you can snack on 'global tapas' and sample fine wines, malt whiskies and cognacs.
Other facilities
- Children
- Cot available at no charge; extra bed, £30 a night. Babysitting, £10 an hour. Children's menu in the restaurant.
Smith card offer
Complimentary cocktails on arrival, and pudding on the house when you book dinner in Cerise restaurant on a Sunday evening
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Smith concierge
If you’d prefer to talk to someone, or you’re having trouble booking online, ring our travel team on 0845 034 0700 (+44 20 8987 4312 from outside the UK). We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
The Forbury
26 The Forbury
Reading
Berkshire RG1 3EJ