Monkey Island Hotel

Monkey Island Hotel

Monkey Island Hotel sits on its own island in the River Thames at Bray, reached by a footbridge, where the surrounding gardens and water views set the pace before anyone reaches the door. The two heritage pavilions here were commissioned in 1723 by the third Duke of Marlborough as a fishing retreat, and the Grade I listed Monkey Room still carries its original 18th-century ceiling frescoes of monkeys punting and fishing, a detail no comparable countryside hotel near London can claim. Thirty rooms keep the place intimate rather than corporate, with bathrobes, slippers, minibars and indoor fireplaces in the rooms, and a spa, sauna and fitness room for guests who want more than a walk along the Thames. There's a bar with a fireplace for evenings, a restaurant and terrace for dinner with river views, and a picnic and barbecue area for slower afternoons. Business travellers get a conference hall and event facilities, and the hotel will arrange an airport transfer for 75 GBP one way. Breakfast isn't automatically included at the English standard; it can run to GBP 25 per person, so it's worth checking what's bundled into the rate before booking. Staff speak English, Spanish and Italian, and the property is wheelchair accessible, including access to the restaurant. This suits someone wanting a genuinely private, historic setting within an hour of London more than anyone chasing a large-scale resort or a city-centre base for sightseeing, since Bray's centre is a kilometre off and the appeal here is the island itself. Few hotels can put you to bed on a fishing pavilion built for a duke, three centuries on. Monkey Island Hotel occupies a private island on the Thames at Bray, its Grade I listed pavilions built in 1723 for the Duke of Marlborough. Thirty rooms, a spa, and a river-view terrace suit a slower, historic break rather than city sightseeing. Breakfast costs extra.