Luxury hotel group Von Essen has bought the Forbury hotel, a five-star property in the centre of Reading.
Formerly the Berkshire Shire Hall, the Forbury was built in 1911 and has 23 rooms across four floors. Von Essen has also bought the 16 self-contained apartments and penthouse next to the hotel.
The hotel’s lavish interior features a large private art collection. Facilities include meeting rooms, a 30-seat private cinema, and Cerise, a brasserie and bar.
The 23-room property is the first of Von Essen’s “Metropolitan set” of hotels, to be followed by Hotel Verta, a new-build attached to the London Heliport in Battersea. (For more information on Hotel Verta, click here).
Andrew Davis, chairman of Von Essen, said: “We are delighted to have acquired the Forbury hotel, the inaugural member of our Metropolitan set. A key strategic objective for the collection is to acquire properties in the UK’s principal cities.”
Visit vonessenhotels.co.uk for more information.
Report by Michelle Mannion