Very enjoyable and i highly recommend staying here

Review of all issues

First impressions were very good, it was downhill after that. Our dinner on our day of arrival was included in the package, it would have been very disappointing if we had to pay! The pool, sauna and steam room were good, the sun loungers left a lot to be desired, some of the pads were torn and very badly stained

Customer service was very poor, we called for room service and got no reply, to order food by room service we had to go to reception to find no customer service assistant at the reception desk, we had to knock on the office door to which a man looking half asleep appeared! He took the order and apologised. This is unacceptable for a four star hotel

Also upon arrival we were asked to present a bank card so a holding fee of 100 could be secured. It was explained to us that this holding fee would appear on our bank account the next day, 7 days later we are still waiting for this 100 to be repaid, it would be interesting to see how much interest the Crown Plaza have accrued on this 100 along with every other guests holding fee!!! I may do a freedom of information request

Also, we wanted to book a table in the restaurant on the Friday night of our stay only to be told there was nothing available, however it was very clear from where we were sitting in the bar area there were plenty of spare tables, it would seem it was due to lack of staff and poorly trained staff

Brilliant Birthday Weekend

I purchased this package as a last minute stay for my partners birthday. I had initially found a similar deal elsewhere, but stumbled on OPL with this deal which was cheaper and a better type of room.
Prior to booking I had emailed the hotel to ask a few questions with regards to their menu and facilities. From the outset a fantastic hotel, very easy to drive to although there is a train station close by. The parking is free which was a bonus, we stayed in an Executive Room, which was a lovely size, they operate on a minimalist base, so you have everything you need in your room, but no added clutter. The room was clean, the bathroom was nice and clean, a few signs of wear with silicone etc in the bathroom, but nothing detrimental. The breakfast was lovely, served in their bar/restaurant location, its a nice place to sit. The tea & coffee service was great, the buffet was small, but had everything you could think of there, it was fresh and you would see the cooks, tending to keep the food coming. We had the Eggs Benedict made to order each day, which was lovely! On the first night we had a dinner booked at the restaurant. This was absolutely lovely, our servers were on alert if we needed them, friendly, happy to make a bit of small talk and knowledgeable on the food being served. We got a choice of two fixed menus to choose from, but were allowed to mix dishes from the two which was great. Every dish we had was brilliant, cooked, presented and tasted brilliant!!! The fitness/gym area is very well maintained, kept clean, tidy with someone always there for towels, info etc. The bar again fantastic, drinks were made well, and with the lovely weather we sat outside as most guests did. On a general this hotel surprised me, it was a great stay, if you are driving, things are local to get to, the only thing we noticed is that life is slower paced, so you may be waiting for service a tad longer.

Relaxing stay

it was very relaxing and it was value for money

Mostly very good

Modern hotel which seemed very new. Lots of people staying which meant the swimming pool and loungers were overcrowded. The pool water was cold. Robes were not allowed in the bar/restaurant which was a pain. Prosecco and chocolate dipped strawberries were lovely. Evening meal was Ok
But some of the portions were very small. My beetroot starter had hardly anything on the plate.
Staff were very helpful. Good location for going shopping in Reading. Nice to have car park under the hotel.

Perfect for a family reunion

We organised a family reunion for 22 people and chose the Crowne Plazza East for its central location.
The hotel is clean, stylish and well maintained. One of the lifts was out of order but this did not bother us.
The rooms were comfortable and we all had a bottle of prosecco and macaroons in our rooms on arrival.
The spa and pool facilities were good and the children had fun swimming.
The restaurant was very nice with a relaxed atmosphere and we were able to sit at the table until it closed. The food was very good. We had to preorder as there were so many of us and all the meals were correct, we had name cards with our meals on, which was a great idea.
The staff were friendly and attentive. Our only complaint was that the drinks took quite a long time as the bar was so busy due to a wedding.
We had a noon checkout which was fuss free.
Overall a very enjoyable weekend and a great hotel only a.short train ride from Reading Town centre.

Had a great time!

lovely rooms, however looking out onto a roof top, this was ok for us though as we wasn't in the room too much. restaurant food was lovely, however we was surprised at the service charge as we had paid for everything before we had arrived. the onsite bar was very expensive, but the ambience was lovely. staff were very helpful. Onsite pool was a nice touch with the sauna and steam room being an added bonus. my only complaint was the breakfast, as i found more than one hair in my chosen food. but i am not sure how this could have been prevented as it was a self serve and continental. was very happy with the location, right on top of winnersh station, which took us right into reading within about 10 minutes, just a shame the bridge was closed on the 2nd day upon return, but this is not something the hotel could do anything about. Overall we had a nice time and i would recommend.

Thank you

Just a quick note to thank you and the team for a lovely break last week. Your attention to detail gained via a pre travel phone call had demonstrably been noted and replicated by the excellent and attentive hotel staff, e.g. accessible parking and dietary advice. We particularly enjoyed the relaxing pool and spa area, and proximity to the rail station made it easy to travel around the area.
Thank you again for your very welcome personalised attention
Kind regards
Sharon