GREAT WESTERN HOTEL

Rating: 3 out of 5.

73 Station Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 1DH
http://www.thegwhotelswindon.co.uk
$203 for 2 nights

This hotel was so conveniently placed and so beautiful that I have to stay here! It also had a pub at ground floor which I couldnt say no to

It was a 1min walk from the train station, literally right outside, so it was nice and easy to find – I like the pub area downstairs so I was sitting there for a while typing up my blog on my laptop and having a beer

The interior is very contemporary comared to the usual traditional english hotel, it has beautiful oak floors and designed to feel open and spacious

I chose this hotel becuase of the beautiful exterior! (oh and also it was a 1min walk from the train station)

HOTEL HISTORY

The Great Western Hotel was first built as a pub back in 1869 – apparently the station porters were really happy about this as the Queens Tap Pub (across the road to this day) were over pricing their beer, which back then were 2 dimes for a pint and local competition was born!

The hotel proved an instant success, later stables were added and the bulding enlraged between 1896-1904 with the large wing of additional bedrooms added and all was well for the hotel until 1973

In 1973 the hotel was converted into a steak bar and restaurant and renamed The Noah’s Ark and remained so for 10 years – after this it was converted back to The Great Western Hotel but then re-fit in 1991 changed its identity again to The Flag and Whistle – in 2000, another overhaul and it got its old name back and opened again as the Great Western (GW)

The room was very compfotable and neat and it had all the basics that I needed
Modern and clean bathroom with a warming rack (which I love in winter!)
My room was in the back of the hotel in the newly built building (not the original main building)
The back area of the pub which filled up and was packed from 4pm onwards

Negative:
The only negative I had for this place was the proximity of my room to the back beer patio (image above), I took this photo from my room, my window was literally 10cm from the person sitting on the bench outside so as you can imagine the noise was LOUD – lucky I was out and about for both days and wasnt back until late also I ended up joining them for a drink at the pub (cant beat em, join em!)

Overhead view of the hotel