Hare and Hounds Newbury

Stayed here for 2 nights in August as we had booked to visit Highclere Castle. The proximity of this hotel to Highclere is very good and one of the main reasons we choose to stay here. The staff were all very friendly and pleasant. They were very accommodating and provided anything we required quickly. The breakfast was very nice and we also had one evening meal in the restaurant which was good. Unfortunately whilst the room was tastefully decorated it was extremely small and dark. The trees outside the window blocked almost all the natural light which meant the lights had to be on all the time. The stable door was a bit pointless as the top half wouldn’t stay open. We had to prop the whole door open with a chair to let in some air and light. There is very limited storage space in the room due to the size and they only supplied 3 coat hangers which for two people for two nights wasn’t enough. The wall that separated the bathroom from the bedroom is part frosted glass which meant I disturbed my husband when using the bathroom at night because the light shone through. The room has a single glazed sash window which doesn’t stop the noise from the road. As our room was on the front part of the carpark at the side this noise was quite loud which made getting to sleep difficult. On the first morning after not much sleep I was then disturbed at 6.30am with the reverse warning noise of the bin wagon as it reversed onto the car park and then loaded the bin. There was an empty decanter and glasses in our room - not sure if they were left over from previous guests. The lack of a fridge in the room meant we had to store the bottle of milk they had provided in cold water in the bathroom sink. Due to heat this didn’t keep well and therefore we had to throw a lot of it away. I was disappointed overall as we choose to pay a bit more and stay at this hotel instead of others we had seen as it looked so nice on the website - the rooms definitely looked larger and brighter. On reflection I don’t believe it was worth paying more.

I have stopped here a number of times, usually to break my journey home if arriving late into Heathrow. It's very well equipped znd decorated bedrooms are fabulous and a great treat after a long day. Beds very comfy znd road noise is very limited. Staff always very polite, happy and helpful and the food is always very tasty if a little on the expensive side. Good parking!

Our room was very clean and well appointed. We appreciated the tea in the room and the large shower with ample hot water.

Lovely pub/hotel. Very comfy and well appointed rooms. Excellent staff, very friendly and welcoming. Food excellent especially the Sunday roast. Would definitely recommend staying there.