London certainly isn’t lacking in lavish hotels. There are plenty of fancy spots to have a snooze, scattered across the city. But considering that ‘London’ and ‘cheap’ are two words that are rarely found in the same sentence; it will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one that on a recent list detailing the cheapest five-star hotels in the worldour capital city was nowhere to be found. It’s not all bad news, though. Because a hotel that did earn itself a comfy seat at the affordable five-star table is a mere hop, skip, and a jump ride on the Lizzie Line away from London.
The research was conducted by consumer champion, Which?, who scoured the length and breadth of the planet to uncover the varying prices of five-star hotels, in order to determine the biggest (and boujiest) bargains. Hotel rates from across 76 different countries were put under the microscope, and although there’s no exact formula as to what makes for a five-star hotel, they excluded any properties with a rating of less than 8/10 to make sure only the best of the best were in the running.
Credit: @RoseateReading via Instagram
The Roseate Reading
Topping the cheap-and-cheerful charts as the most affordable five-star hotel in the UK (and one of the most affordable in the whole darn world) is the Roseate Reading. And look: I know that Reading isn’t exactly the first place you’d head to in the pursuit of luxury – but it turns out that it should be. The Roseate Reading is a Grade II listed building that dates back to 1911, when it was used by Berkshire County Council.
Offering rooms for just £135 a night (including breakfast), this very reasonably-priced spot serves up a slice of luxury without breaking the bank. Just a five minute walk from where the Elizabeth Line conveniently drops you off, the Roseate still boasts many of the building’s original features and oozes old-school opulence. Think vaulted ceilings, big columns, plush furnishings, marble floors and big old fireplaces. There’s also a chandelier made of 86,000 beads – and if that doesn’t scream fancy, I honestly don’t know what does.
With decent-sized rooms, even more decent-sized bathrooms (complete with bath tub and Penhaligon’s products), a small spa, a gym, and a hotel restaurant serving up seasonal British produce; you really can’t go wrong with a stay at the Roseate Reading. It’s a certified five-star steal.
Find out more and plan your visit to the Roseate Reading here.
📍 You’ll find the Roseate Reading at 26 The Forbury, Berkshire, RG1 3EJ.
🚇 The nearest station is Reading which can be reached very speedily via the Elizabeth Line.
