○ IMPTReading
★★★★ Reading Town Centre · Reading ★ 4.1 · 2252
pentahotel Reading
penta Reading Bar
penta Reading Conference
penta Reading Conference Bar
penta Reading Conference +1 photos

pentahotel Reading

Oxford Road, Reading, United Kingdom
from £74

pentahotel Reading is a solid 4-star pick in Reading Town Centre, Reading — comfortable rooms and a base that keeps Greys Court close.

Guests typically choose Reading Town Centre for its balance of location and price; pentahotel Reading is a good fit if you want to be near the action in Reading.

Because pricing is set live by the hotel and its suppliers, the figure shown here is a recent snapshot; check the current rate for your exact dates before booking.

Key facts

Class
4-star
Area
Reading Town Centre
Guest rating
4.1 (2252)
from
£74
Address
Oxford Road, Reading, United Kingdom

What’s included

24 Hour Front Desk Alarm clock Banquet Bar/Lounge Bar/Snack/CafEn' Bars Bath Bathrobe Bathroom Breakfast Buffet Business Center

What Reading hotels actually cost

Budget (£55-85) covers the Premier Inn Caversham Road, Ibis Reading Centre and Travelodge Central — clean, small rooms, breakfast extra, no parking included in the centre. Mid-range (£90-140) is the bulk of the market: Novotel, Holiday Inn, Pentahotel, Crowne Plaza Reading and Voco at Green Park all sit here, with parking included at the out-of-town ones. Top-end (£160-260) means Malmaison in the old station building, the Roseate on the Forbury, or country-house style at Sonning’s French Horn and Henley’s Hotel du Vin.

Rates spike hardest for three fixed dates: the Reading Festival weekend (late August bank holiday, expect £280-450 for a mid-range room), Henley Royal Regatta week (first week of July, £250+ within 10 miles), and Royal Ascot week in June if you are staying anywhere between Bracknell and Windsor. Corporate demand from Green Park, Thames Valley Park and Microsoft’s Thames Valley Park campus keeps Tuesday and Wednesday nights 20-30% above weekend rates the rest of the year.

The Reading Festival trap and other things worth knowing

The single thing catching visitors out is the Reading Festival’s footprint. Richfield Avenue is a 15-minute walk from the town centre, which means every hotel from RG1 to RG4 — including Caversham and Emmer Green — treats the late-August bank holiday as peak. If you are visiting for anything else that weekend, either book six months out or pick Wokingham, Bracknell or Newbury and take the train in.

The other trap is assuming Reading is a commuter dormitory not worth staying in. Caversham has genuine Thames-side pubs (the Baron Cadogan, the Griffin), Reading Abbey Ruins reopened in 2018 after a long restoration and now has the free Abbey Quarter walking trail, and the Blade building’s rooftop bar gives you the Chilterns on a clear day. Skip Whitley and Southcote as bases unless price is the only factor — the connections into town from Caversham or Earley are better for the same money.

Where to stay in Reading: which area suits which visitor

Reading Town Centre (RG1) around Friar Street, Broad Street and the station is the default choice for a first visit: you are walking distance from the Oracle, the Abbey Ruins and Forbury Gardens, and trains to Paddington take 22-27 minutes. Expect the highest nightly rates here, especially midweek when the town fills with business travellers heading to Thames Valley Park and Green Park. Caversham, just over Caversham Bridge, is quieter, sits on the Thames, and usually costs £20-40 less per night for a similar standard.

For business trips, the hotels clustered around Green Park (south of the M4 J11) and Winnersh Triangle suit anyone driving in — Voco and Crowne Plaza sit on the doorstep of the offices, and parking is free or cheap. Earley, Lower Earley and Woodley are residential and best if you have a car and want value; Tilehurst and Southcote are cheaper still but poorly connected without one. For day trips, Henley-on-Thames, Sonning, Pangbourne and Marlow are prettier bases if you have hired a car; Windsor and Oxford are 25-40 minutes by train and worth a night each if the itinerary allows.

Questions, answered

Where is pentahotel Reading located?
pentahotel Reading is in Reading Town Centre, Reading (Oxford Road, Reading, United Kingdom), close to Greys Court.
How much does pentahotel Reading cost per night?
Recent rates started around £74 per night, but prices are set live — check the booking page for your exact dates.
How many stars is pentahotel Reading?
pentahotel Reading is a 4-star hotel in Reading.
Is pentahotel Reading a good hotel?
Guests rate it 4.1 across 2252 reviews. It’s an upscale choice for Reading.
How many nights do I need in Reading?
Two nights covers Reading itself — the Abbey Quarter, the Oracle, the museum’s Bayeux Tapestry replica and a Thames Path walk from Caversham Bridge to Sonning. Four or five nights makes sense if you want to use Reading as a Thames Valley base for Windsor, Oxford, Henley and Marlow, all reachable by train in under 40 minutes. One night is enough only if you are here for a single event at Rivermead or the festival grounds.
How do I get from Heathrow to Reading?
The RailAir coach runs direct from Heathrow Central Bus Station to Reading station every 20 minutes, takes about 60 minutes, and costs around £20-25. A taxi is 40-55 minutes depending on the M4, and priced at £70-90. From late 2024 the Elizabeth line connects Heathrow to Reading with a change at Hayes and Harlington, taking around 90 minutes for roughly £13. The RailAir is still the fastest public option.
Do I need a car in Reading?
No, if you are staying in the town centre and mostly visiting Reading, London, Oxford, Windsor and Henley — all of those are on direct or one-change train routes from Reading station. Yes, if you plan to spend time in Pangbourne, Sonning, Marlow, Ascot or the Chiltern villages, where buses run hourly at best. Parking in the centre costs £15-25 per night at hotels and £3-5 per hour at the Oracle, so a car is a cost if you don’t need it.
Is Reading good for families or better for couples?
Reading works for both, but suits couples slightly better in the centre and families better in Caversham or on the Thames. Caversham Court Gardens, Thames Lido and Beale Wildlife Park in Pangbourne are the family draws; couples tend to prefer the Forbury area, Sonning’s riverside pubs and day trips to Henley. Family rooms are easiest to find at the Novotel, Holiday Inn South and Crowne Plaza. The Reading Festival weekend in late August is not a family event and should be avoided if travelling with children.
What do I need to book early for Reading?
The Reading Festival weekend (late August bank holiday) sells out hotels within 10 miles four to six months ahead and rates triple, so book by March. Henley Royal Regatta in the first week of July and Royal Ascot week in June also fill Reading, Wokingham and Maidenhead hotels. Graduation weeks at the University of Reading (usually mid-July) fill the Green Park and Whiteknights-adjacent hotels. Everything else you can book two to four weeks out.
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