- Malmaison Hotel, Reading
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Malmaison Hotel Malmaison Hotel in 2007 Location Reading, Berkshire, UK Address Great Western House
18-20 Station Road
Reading
RG1 1JXHotel chain Malmaison Coordinates 51°27′26.64″N 0°58′18.35″W / 51.4574°N 0.9717639°WCoordinates: 51°27′26.64″N 0°58′18.35″W / 51.4574°N 0.9717639°W 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.
References
- ^ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 115. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
- ^ a b "Building the Great Western Railway". Reading History Trail. http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/radstock/rht/themes/transport/gwr1.html. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "Malmaison Reading, Reading, District of West Berkshire". Escapio. http://en.escapio.com/hotel/malmaison-reading. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "LIST ENTRY: GREAT WESTERN HOUSE". English Heritage. http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1113591. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
- ^ "The Essential Guide to the Malmaison Hotel Reading". Essential Hotels. http://www.e-travelguide.info/England/Berkshire/Reading/Hotels/the_Malmaison_Hotel_Reading/. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
External links
Grade I Grade II* Reading Abbey · Reading Town Hall · Royal Berkshire Hospital · St Mary's Church, Castle Street · St Peter's Church · Watlington HouseGrade II Abbey Mill, Reading · All Saints' Church · Bath Road Reservoir · Battle Library · Broad Street Independent Chapel · Brock Barracks · Caversham Park · Coley Park · The Forbury Hotel · Foxhill House · High Bridge · Highdown School · Kendrick School · King's Meadow swimming pool · Leighton Park School · Maiwand Lion · Malmaison Hotel · New Town Primary School · Prospect Park · Queen Anne's School · Reading Old Cemetery · Reading railway station · Reading School · St Giles' Church · St James's Church · Reading Town Hall · Vachel Almshouses · Wantage HallThis article about a hotel or resort in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This article about a Berkshire building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.