The Great House at Sonning, Coppa Club

The Great House at Sonning was the first Coppa Club venue – a kind of members’ club without membership needed. It’s a bar and restaurant as well as a venue for business meetings and celebratory get-togethers, a place where you can plug your laptop in and get to work or meet friends to simply hang out. And while this multi-purpose venue has many functions, they all share the same stylish face and riverside location. Now the vogueish vibes have been carried through to guest bedrooms offering the chance to stay in style in riverside Sonning on Thames.

Spread across several buildings, there are 49 guest rooms and suites. Each is unique and has been individually designed to fit the heritage buildings they occupy, but all carry through the contemporary feel of The Great House’s public spaces. That means plush button-upholstered headboards, chairs and sofas, white linen, exposed brick walls and modern lighting. Little touches like robes in every room and fresh milk for your tea and coffee elevate the experience of staying here further, whichever room you choose.

There are cosy doubles and more spacious ones, dog friendly rooms and well-thought-through family options with cute cabin beds for younger kids. The top pick is the deluxe river view room with a bath as well as the powerful shower that comes as standard in the other rooms, which are, of course, all en-suite. There’s good wifi throughout but there are no TVs – except in the self-catering apartment, which offers a kitchenette and living space too.

Downstairs, there’s room inside and out to eat and drink from what Coppa Club calls an “unfussy” menu. Expect small plates, bowls of pasta, sourdough pizza and salads, with options for vegans and those who are gluten-free. The bar menu has a good range, including cocktails with seasonal specials. You might say the menu, like the venue, offers city-style in a country setting; somewhere to work and play that offers the best of both. It’s an idea that’s carried across Coppa Club venues which are typically (but not exclusively) found in London and the home counties. This one, in Berkshire, on the outskirts of Reading, with its relaxed riverside setting, might feel far from the buzz of the city but is an easily commutable hour away from the heart of London.