As we pulled up to The Forbury, it immediately became clear why my husband had chosen it. A former government building, the exterior of The Forbury is reassuringly grand – just what you would want from a five-star hotel. It is also tucked away in a quiet corner of the town centre overlooking the leafy Forbury gardens, which is one of the prettiest parts of town.
We were greeted by the friendly valet who took our bags and showed us inside before taking our car keys so he could park the car for us in the hotel’s car park. Valet parking makes me feel a bit like a celebrity, and it’s always nice not having to bother with trying to find a space, but I couldn’t help wishing we’d washed the car first. It was a testament to his professionalism however that the valet didn’t even flinch as he hopped into the driver’s seat.
As we stepped inside, any reservations I had had about coming to Reading immediately disappeared. The reception area was chic and contemporary with swirls of vibrant reds, pinks and burnt oranges in the soft furnishings and eye-catching specially commissioned artwork on the walls, and the welcome was as warm as the colour scheme. The walk to the lifts took longer than it might have done as we kept being distracted by all the pieces of art. Everywhere we turned there was another painting or sculpture to admire. I was especially enthralled by the magnificent chandelier with thousands upon thousands of glass beads cascading like water down the old lift shaft.
Our room was just as opulent as the rest of the hotel, with luxurious soft furnishings in rich jewel-like colours, and a bed piled with soft, inviting-looking pillows. The bathroom was equally impressive with a huge rainfall shower. There was clearly great attention to detail with lovely touches like a Bang & Olufsen TV, Nespresso machine and a bathroom stocked with Molten Brown toiletries. We spent some time just lounging in the room with a cup of coffee, alternating between reading magazines and exclaiming over some new and delightful detail that one or the other of us had just discovered. After a while we decided that we should go and explore, and it was then that we discovered the cinema room and the handsome oak-panelled library, as well as the bar and lounges.
We settled in for a drink before dinner at the stylish cocktail lounge. There’s a terrace for warmer evenings but as there was still a chill in the air we decided to remain inside. Dinner was at the hotel’s Cerise Restaurant, a chic, sophisticated space in the basement with an intimate atmosphere. There was a wide range of mouth-watering options on the menu all based on seasonal produce which made deciding a difficult task. Thankfully, our waiter was full of advice and helpful suggestions to make the decision easier.
As I gushed over how wonderful everything had been my husband looked very smug. I had to admit that he had done a very good job choosing the destination for our weekend and that The Forbury was a very good reason to come to Reading!