Mr & Mrs Smith

When I told people I was taking my wife to Reading as part of her surprise birthday they said 'it would be'. I had the last laugh though. The Forbury is fantastic: nice quiet location (bit of a pain via Sat Nav to drive to) and the wife loved it. Lovely suite overlooking the front and very well appointed. The guy behind the bar was excellent and makes a wicked cocktail. I had already booked dinner at the London Street Braserie which was busy considering it was a wet night in early Jan. Food was ok with a few bargains on the wine list. Next time we are going to try the Forbury Bistro, which is over the square from the hotel – the food looked very good.

What a fantastic two-night stay in The Forbury. I took my girlfriend to celebrate her birthday and the two of us were treated fantastically. Decor is old-fashioned with a modern twist: bright colours splashed on the walls and furniture. The staff were friendly and attentive throughout and, being a small hotel, the staff were able to remember who we were and greeted us by our names every time. The room was spacious, especially the bathroom, and we had a great view overlooking the local park. Dining out both nights we had mixed experiences. First night we opted for the local restaurant called Forburys Restaurant, which we felt was slightly overpriced as the food was rather poor. Second night, we opted for London Street Brasserie which was delicious.  Situated on the riverbank, the food and service were excellent – highly recommend to anyone who finds themselves in Reading. During the day I highly recommend the Oracle shopping centre: a mixture of high street and independent shops to suit everyone's taste. Overall, we had a lovely weekend away. I have to admit I had reservations about Reading, but following Mr and Mrs Smiths trusted recommendation of The Forbury I thought I would give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The riverside bars and restaurants have a modern vibrant feel and I came away full of praise for Reading.

The afternoon tea included as a benefit of being a Mr & Mrs Smith member was excellent. It was sufficient for me, my partner and our baby daughter! Lovely hotel, great staff.

The Hind's Head in Bray (Heston Blumental) has pub food 'as tasty as it could be' and it is only 20 mins drive from the Forbury. I must mention that the free afternoon tea at the Forbury itself is a delight from start to finish - an excellent way to start our holiday. The Oracle shopping centre with its Riverside bars and restaurants is only a few minutes walk from the peace and quiet of the Forbury area. It has John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams as the main stores with Jamie's Kitchen heading up the food outlets.

Stayed here for the weekend and have to say that the hotel is fantastic. It's been maintained immaculately and is everything I've come to expect from Mr & Mrs Smith hotel. The location is great for a quick stroll into town, but yes, this is Reading so there is little in the way of unique shops. We ate at the restaurant in the hotel (Cerise) and the food was very good. They have a strong cocktail menu too.

We drove 20 mins to Henley-on-Thames, which even without the regatta is a lovely town to visit. They had market stalls on the Sunday that we went and the River and Rowing Museum is a really nice piece of design by David Chipperfield. Well worth the visit

Loved it.