Wetherspoon hotel review by The Hotel Inspector for The Daily Mail

Below is the article from The Daily Mail online.

Published Wednesday 22 November 2025.

Or use this link to read the article on The Daily Mail website

Inside Britain’s best Wetherspoons hotel, where rooms cost just £50-a-night and a fry-up is less than a fiver

The latest port of call for our undercover Hotel Inspector is a Berkshire Spoons…so, what will our eagle-eyed reviewer make of the low-cost pub chain’s accommodation offering…

TRIPADVISOR should never be trusted. Even so, I couldn’t resist casting an eye after booking a room at The Hatchet Inn, a Wetherspoon hotel in Newbury, Berkshire – and it wasn’t encouraging.

‘The place has sunk to an all-time low,’ was one comment; ‘whole experience was a shambles,’ was another; ‘staff were rude,’ said a third.

There are more than 800 Wetherspoon pubs in the UK but what a lot of people don’t know is that there are also some 55 Wetherspoon hotels.

This one, an 18th century former coaching inn, has a vast downstairs area with long bar, fruit machines, conservatory, high tables, low tables swirly-whirly carpets, bottles galore of ketchup and brown sauce – and pints from £1.29.

Of the 16 rooms, I had read that 105 should be avoided as it’s next to the women’s loos and horribly noisy.

The friendly young man checking us in suggests we should stay on the second floor in room 205. ‘It’s quite nice, actually,’ he says.

More than quite nice when you consider we’re paying £50.40 for a double room on a Friday night. I’ve paid far more for a lot less.

The bed is comfortable; the shower powerful; the paintwork new; the TV user-friendly. We even get two bottles of water. No complaints whatsoever.

Downstairs, the place is heaving. We find a table by a window, next to two elderly men who are playing cards, and peruse the menu – which has more than 100 options (including 20 ‘sides’).

My wife wants a chicken jalfrezi which comes with rice (or chips), a plain naan, poppadums and a soft drink; I can’t resist the cheese nachos smothered in guacamole, salsa, sour cream and chillies, plus a ‘chicken bites basket’, which comes with chips, coleslaw and BBQ sauce.

Throw in a £13.86 bottle of perfectly drinkable Argentinian Malbec and our whole feast costs just shy of £40. No wonder every seat is taken.

We tuck in with gusto. I can’t say it’s the best guacamole in the world and the coleslaw is inedible – but it does the job.

I’d never had breakfast at a Wetherspoons so wasn’t aware that tea or Lavazza coffee is included (with refills) if you order something cooked. Even if you don’t eat anything, a flat white costs just £1.29.

My ‘three’ scrambled eggs on buttered white bloomer toast comes in at £2.99, while my wife’s blow-out ‘traditional breakfast’ with all the trimmings costs less than a fiver.

On leaving, I’m almost tempted to post something on Tripadvisor. ‘The place is on an all-time high’; ‘whole experience was a triumph’ and ‘staff were nothing but polite and helpful’ is what I would write.

The Hatchet Inn 12 Market Place Newbury, RG14 5BD Tel: 01635 277560, jdwetherspoon.com Doubles from £50 (room only)