In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Each one of Cliveden’s rooms – named after the illustrious personalities who have been part of the manor’s checkered history – has something uniquely appealing about it. But if forced to pick favourites, the Henry James suite, with its 10-mile view of rolling countryside from its marble bath tub, the Sutherland room with its palette of soft pastels and its astonishingly ornate chimneypiece, and the Chinese room, which is light, airy and impeccably styled in light golds, are all pretty special. Ask for a suite in the main house, overlooking the gardens, rather than rooms on the ground floor, which are located by the car park.
- Packing tips
- Brush up on your Great Brit literature and bring something by George Bernard Shaw, Henry James, Rudyard Kipling or Joyce Grenfell: they all spent time at Cliveden. On a more prosaic note, bring tipping change in case your car is given a clean.
- Also
- Take a pleasure trip by river or air – Cliveden has a flotilla of boats and a fleet of helicopters you can hire.
Current offers
- Smith card offer
- 20 per cent off all spa treatments
More photos
Cliveden
Berkshire, United Kingdom[view map]
- Style
- Neoclassical pile-with-a-past
- Setting
- Bucolic Berkshire riverbank
Ever since John Profumo first laid eyes on Christine Keeler as she basked in Cliveden’s pool, it’s been clear that this Berkshire boutique hotel was destined to be a Mr & Mrs Smith retreat of choice. As well as being a celebrated haunt for politicos and literati, this majestic neoclassical manor, with its air of faded grandeur, is the proud birthplace of the £100 club sandwich – worth every penny, we’re relieved to add.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 38 rooms, including 15 spacious suites. There’s also Spring Cottage, a freestanding summerhouse by the Thames that sleeps up to six.
- Rates
- £240–£1,000, including full English breakfast. Excludes VAT and a National Trust charge of £9.
- Check-out
- 11am. Later check-out is possible, subject to availability.
- Facilities
- Pavilion spa, gym, snooker room, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, boathouse with three boats, helipad, library, DVD/CD selection. In-room amenities: TV, DVD/CD player, roll-top baths, under-floor heating.
- Poolside
- The Pavilion Spa boasts a heated indoor pool surrounded by loungers. The walled garden – the amorous arbour that kick-started the Profumo affair – is home to the heated outdoor pool, where waiters serve drinks and snacks to reclining guests.
- Also
- Pets are more than welcome – dog beds are available and the chef has prepared a special doggy menu for pampered pooches.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- Waldo’s is Cliveden’s romantic fine-dining French restaurant. The chandeliered, portrait-lined Terrace Dining Room offers more contemporary French cuisine, with a fine line in Sunday lunch.
- Dress code
- A dapper ensemble for Mr Smith; something suitably decadent for his mistress. Leave your jeans at home.
- Top table
- Grab a table beside the Terrace Dining Room’s French windows for the stunning views of the parterre. In Waldo’s, go for the added intimacy of a booth.
- Last orders
- Both restaurants take last orders at 9.30pm, but there is some flexibility for hotel guests. Drinks and snacks are available 24 hours a day.
- Room service
- Full meals are available from 10am to 10pm and a snack menu can be served in-rooms throughout the night.
- Hotel bar
- Classical piano music adds a sparkle to the atmosphere in the Great Hall three nights a week, where guests sup signature Cliveden champagne cocktails and marvel at the majestic staircase, imposing fireplace and delightfully vintage furnishings.
Also worth knowing
- Children
- Extra beds can brought into rooms for £50 a night, plus VAT, and children are welcome throughout the hotel. Babysitting can be arranged for £8 an hour (£10 an hour after midnight), with a booking fee of £30 plus VAT. More…
Smith Members offer
20 per cent off all spa treatments
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 travel team
If you'd prefer to talk to someone, or don't want to book online, call our travel team on 1 866 610 3867. We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Cliveden
Taplow
Berkshire
SL6 0JF
