Malmaison Hotel, Reading

Malmaison Hotel, Reading
Malmaison Hotel
Malmaison Hotel, Reading (3).jpg
Malmaison Hotel in 2007
Malmaison Hotel, Reading is located in Reading Central
Location Reading, Berkshire, UK
Address Great Western House
18-20 Station Road
Reading
RG1 1JX
Hotel chain Malmaison
Coordinates 51°27′26.64″N 0°58′18.35″W / 51.4574°N 0.9717639°W / 51.4574; -0.9717639Coordinates: 51°27′26.64″N 0°58′18.35″W / 51.4574°N 0.9717639°W / 51.4574; -0.9717639
Opening date 1844[1]
Rooms 75
Suites 6
Restaurants 1
Website malmaison.com/hotels/reading

Malmaison Hotel (formerly Great Western Hotel) is a grade II listed hotel in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. It is situated opposite Reading railway station across Forbury Road. It is thought to be the oldest surviving railway hotel in the world.[2][3]

According to English Heritage, the building is likely to have been designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was GWR's Chief Engineer at the time of its construction and who incorporated similar features in the Royal Station Hotel at Slough (which was demolished in 1938).[4]

History

When the Great Western Main Line from London to Bristol was completed in 1841 a hotel was needed for people visiting the town.[2] The building was completed in 1844 and was used until a fire in the 1960s.[5] Subsequently the building was used as offices until it was renovated by the Malmaison hotel chain and in 2007 reopened as the Malmaison Hotel.

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