Thames Riviera Hotel Review

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Disclosure: We were invited on this break for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

Last weekend I was invited to enjoy a break at the Thames Riviera Hotel in Maidenhead and couldn’t wait to explore somewhere new and have some much needed time out with a friend in a gorgeous location.

Where is the Thames Riviera Hotel?

The Thames Riviera Hotel is on the edge of Maidenhead, sitting happily along the River Thames just next to Maidenhead Bridge. It’s a great location for spending time in Maidenhead or Taplow, enjoying the river or just relaxing with fantastic views.

Staying at the Thames Riviera Hotel

We arrived at the Thames Riviera Hotel about an hour before check in time and were able to park easily on site and leave our bags with reception until our room was ready. We went out to explore and our room was ready for us when we came back.

When we checked in we were shown to our room and had our first glimpse of the communal areas of the hotel as we walked through the building. It was so much bigger than we expected and really nicely decorated too.

Our room wasn’t in the main hotel building, instead being in another purpose built building just across the car park from the main hotel. We were on the second/top floor and loved the room as soon as walked in, immediately appreciating the fantastic views along the river.

The Classic Double room was nice and spacious, with a good size and comfortable bed, plenty of storage space and a balcony where we could stand and appreciate the river in all its glory. Best of all, it had air con that worked fantastically well given the heatwave we were experiencing during our visit.

Our room also had tea and coffee making facilities – with refills of anything we needed available from reception. There was a hairdryer, safe and ironing facilities as well as free wifi – which worked really well for us during our stay.

The room had a great size en suite shower room, with one of the best showers I have ever had in a hotel. There were also enough towels – with more available from reception – and complimentary toiletries too.

The room was really lovely and the view was definitely the icing on the cake. We happily relaxed in the room for a couple of hours before dinner, whilst getting ready and watching TV. It was comfortable, spacious, bright and suited our needs perfectly.

We both slept so well at the Thames Riviera Hotel and the added bonus of air conditioning meant we slept with a duvet for the first time in what felt like weeks. The bed was comfortable, the bedding was great and the hotel was really nice and quiet overnight too.

The Thames Riviera Hotel location

The location is the real selling point of the Thames Riviera Hotel. Before checking in we went for a walk along the river – away from Maidenhead, towards Taplow and Cookham. It was so lovely and green, with lots of birds and wildlife all along the route.

Staff at the hotel recommended we walk to Boulters Lock, where we could cross the river and walk back – around a 45 minute walk in total. However, we discovered The Boathouse at Boulters Lock and stayed for a drink and some nibbles before the walk back to the hotel to check in. It was a wonderful way to pass some time and such a nice walk from the hotel too.

You can also walk the other direction from the hotel, into Maidenhead. With so much in the local area to explore, as well as a train station and underground station to venture further afield, this makes the Thames Riviera Hotel a great place to stay for a weekend away.

Dining at Thames Riviera Hotel

We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, didn’t need to book a table and could choose where to sit – with the outdoor deck being a popular choice, overlooking the Thames and watching the wildlife whilst dining.

We had a Mezze Board to start which came with bread, hummus, olives and other dips and was a nice start to the meal. It arrived quickly and went nicely with the gin and tonics we had ordered!

For our mains we both chose the Caesar Salad – I had chicken and bacon on mine and my friend had prawn cocktail – a request that the hotel were happy to agree to. The salads were a really good size, delicious and just what we needed on a hot day. You really can’t beat a well made Caesar Salad. We also had a side of chips which were beautifully cooked and a great addition to the meal.

We were a little disappointed with the size of the dessert menu – just five items, one of which was ice cream and no cheese option – however, we both found things to try that we loved the sound of – Chocolate Fudge Cake and Pecan Tart.

Both desserts were fantastic, warm and full of flavour. They were a great end to a really lovely meal. We did also try to order cocktails, as knew the hotel offered buy one get one free cocktails between 6pm and 9pm on weekdays but they were only offering Aperol Spritz when we visited.

Our dinner was lovely, with a great view, being able to watch the ducks whilst we ate. The service was spot on and really, the only thing that would have made it better would have been some more music or atmosphere during our meal.

We finished our stay with breakfast before checking out the following day. Breakfast is served buffet style in the main restaurant and we loved the variety on offer. There were all the cooked options you’d expect – scrambled eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon, beans and sausages, as well as a small continental selection.

We both really enjoyed the fruit salad – and when it was refilled it was lovely and cold from the fridge. It’s one of the best breakfast fruit options I have ever seen at a hotel buffet. We also both had croissants with Nutella which was a lovely, indulgent way to finish a really nice breakfast.

Our breakfast was spent just a couple of tables along from where we’d sat the previous night for dinner and it was lovely to watch the wildlife whilst we ate as well enjoying as all the boats going by. The Thames Riviera Hotel really is in the most wonderful of locations.

We checked out of the hotel after breakfast which was a really painless experience. Overall the Thames Riviera Hotel was a lovely place to stay, in a fantastic location and with great food on the menu. We’d definitely stay there again.

You can find out more about the Thames Riviera Hotel over on their website and for reference the address is: Bridge Rd, Maidenhead SL6 8DW