I recently visited The Runnymede on Thames Hotel and Spa to catch up with a good friend – Erica from The Incidental Parent. I hadn’t seen her for a long time so a spa break seemed the perfect excuse for a good natter! It’s in a great location, just 40 minutes by train from London Waterloo on the banks of the River Thames.
Overview of the Twin Bedroom
We shared a twin room with a fabulous view overlooking the River Thames. We visited in January and the view was great, it must be stunning in the summer.
The room was immaculately clean, with twin beds that could be converted into a super-king bed.
There was a large flat screen TV with Freeview. You could also purchase current movies for £8. The TV was also very handy as you could check your bill from here and check out (then just drop your cards into reception).
The door next to the TV that you can see above was an adjoining door – perfect if you want to stay with family or friends. The room also had a well stocked hospitality area (tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits as well as complimentary water in the mini bar). There was a Nespresso coffee maker with four pods.
The bathroom was also new and very clean, with a shower over the bath, large sink and complimentary ESPA toiletries.
Spa at The Runnymede on Thames
After checking in (check-in time is 2pm) we headed down to the spa. Phones are not allowed in the spa, so I don’t have my own personal photos for you, but do have an official one which is an accurate portrayal.
Inside the spa there is a large pool which had an area cordoned off for swimming lanes, as well as a small, shallow children’s pool. As you can see in the above photo, there is also a large round jacuzzi. In the main spa area there is an infra-red room, a sauna and a large steam room.
In the women’s changing room there is another, smaller sauna and a cold plunge pool (I didn’t try this out!).
Before you enter the spa itself there is a large relaxation area with low tables and sofas. Here you can help yourself to complimentary juice and water.
Outside in the summer, there is an outdoor swimming pool which must be fabulous in hot weather!
Dinner
Dinner in the hotel is served buffet style. It’s quite unusual so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be as impressed as I was (and if you follow my blog, you will know that I review a lot of restaurants, so this is high praise indeed!). There was so much choice and the dishes were – without fail – delicious. I tried as many as I possibly could!
There is an area for starters and salads, then the main courses and then another area for desserts. There were also two stations that included ingredients that you put together yourself before passing your dish to the chef to cook a personalised pasta or noodle dish for you.
I tried the above – beef with pepper and mustard – absolutely delicious! I wish I lived closer to try it again! More photos of other dishes below.
Breakfast
Breakfast was similarly impressive with all the ingredients for a full cooked breakfast available.
As well as toast, cereal, pasties and smoothies.
All in all, we had a lovely stay at The Runnymede. Great staff, very clean, good facilities and amazing food – what more could you ask for? (How about a collection of rubber ducks?!)
We were invited to stay and review the Runnymede on Thames. As always, all opinions are my own.