A RIVERSIDE hotel has been voted the best in the country in a new Sunday Times survey.
The Great House at Sonning is the winner of the best budget location category of The 2017 Sunday Times Best Places to Stay guide, which will be published this Sunday, October 15.
The guide aims to offer the best places to rest your head while travelling – and 21 South East locations are included in the top 100 places; five places in the South East won six of the 10 categories.
Judges felt that The Great House, where rooms start at £60 for the night, was the best place to find big value for small prices.
They praise its Coppa Club bar/diner, which has “an addictive ‘martini time’ ambience from breakfast until well past a sensible bedtime”.
They add: “The pewter bar is as long as a runway, and from the fireside sofas and battered leather banquettes, you can enjoy views over the lawn and down to the riverside willows.
“Breakfast on the fairylight-festooned terrace is an option deep into winter, thanks to woolen blankets.
“If you’re lucky, you might spot a kingfisher as you down your eggs and avocado. A rarer sighting still is George Clooney, who has a house nearby.”
The Sunday Times said that its brief to its writers is simple: comfort, service and value are essential, but to be included, a hotel also needs to have qualities that are less tangible, including personality and warmth.
And The Great House is delighted with its top placing.
Rodney Hicks, CEO of The Great House, told The Wokingham Paper: “We could not be more delighted to receive this accolade from The Sunday Times.
“The positive response to The Great House from both the local community and those who visit us from further afield has been overwhelming and we are thrilled that this has been recognised in such a prestigious national newspaper.
“We strive to create memorable yet affordable experiences for everyone, whether you are joining us for a drink at Coppa Club or booking your wedding with us.”
The 100 places to stay slot into one of 10 categories: country, seaside, family, posh pubs, foodie, city, spa, romantic, budget and B&B.
This year’s list includes 35 new hotels and 40 have made it onto the list again from previous years.
The overall winner – the best place to stay in the UK – is The Pointer, a stylish, award-winning restaurant surrounded by the Buckinghamshire countryside; the showcase for a 200-acre ethical farm; a proper boozer with 16th-century beams, nooks and open fires; a boutique butcher’s shop.
Stephen Bleach, Travel Editor for The Sunday Times, said: “The South East stood out this year for the quality of hotel openings.
“Hoteliers here have shown inventive approaches to dining, imaginative designs and ability to create spaces that appeal as much to locals as visitors and so have that elusive essential, ambience.
“Best of all, they are often excellent value, making a wonderful weekend away affordable.”
