We all love a little weekend getaway, where we can wind down after a long week at work and spend some quality time with our loved ones. We stayed a night at the Hotel Du Vin in Henley-on-Thames and it for sure exceeded our expectations. Read on for our complete guide and review of the Hotel Du Vin Henley, plus some tips for planning your own stay. 😊
We booked directly through the Hotel Du Vin website after reading lots of reviews online. Booking direct also gives you the option of various dinner and overnight stay offers! It’s also usually cheaper!
Why should I visit Henley-on-Thames?
Henley is a small town in Oxfordshire that’s surrounded by beautiful Chiltern landscape of wooded hills and green fields. It’s considered as one of the most beautiful English market towns, with many interesting historical buildings. Its iconic St Mary’s Church, the Town Hall, market square, boutique local shops and an independent theatre all add to its allure.
Henley is best known for its annual Royal Regatta, where it attracts some of the world’s finest rowers. You can even take your own boat trip down the Regatta course in the summer, stopping off at the town’s river and Rowing Museum.
About the hotel:
Hotel Du Vin is a chain of luxury hotels across the UK, located a variety of cities, including Birmingham, York, Brighton and Newcastle to name a few.
The hotel offers tranquillity, luxury, and second to none service. Hotel Du Vin isn’t like your typical hotel, with modern rooms and bright lights. It has more of a countryside, homely feel. Every hotel branch is different and no room is the same, with each of the rooms named after French aristocrats, artists and personalities of the past.
Location:
Nestled at the foot of the Chilterns, the hotel is tucked right next to Henley-on-Thames’ river front and only a 10-minute walk from the train station. It’s centrally located and just a stone’s throw away from the main high street of shops, pubs and restaurants. There are some fantastic independent stores for you to browse whilst you wait to check in 🙂
Hotel Du Vin Henley rooms:
There are different types of rooms available at Hotel Du Vin, increasing in size and amenities, from standard to suite. These include:
- Standard double
- Big double
- Big twin
- Studio suite
- River view suite
- Deluxe suite
Our room:
We stayed in one of their big double rooms and for as far as hotel rooms go, it was by far one of the best Hotel Du Vin rooms we’ve stayed in. From the enormous king-sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, to the roll top bath (that’s perfect for couples for a romantic soak in the evening over a glass of bubbly). It’s simply heaven! Our room also had a separate rainfall shower that was super powerful!
Key room features/ amenities:
- Ironing board
- Safe
- Mini fridge (with small milk)
- Coffee machine
- Air conditioning
- Kettle
- Cups
- Plasma tv
- Mugs and glasses
- Hairdryer
- Fresh towels
- Wi-Fi
- Rainfall shower
- Separate roll top bath
Complimentary ‘luxury’ items:
- Two bottles of still water
- Nespresso pods (x4) (two de-caff)
- A variety of tea bags (English Breakfast, peppermint, coffee, hot chocolate)
- Complimentary L’Occitane shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and body wash
- Slippers
Top tip: Hotel Du Vin offers a ‘Sunday Stopover deal’ which is available across most locations. This offer applies when you spend a minimum of £75 in the bistro, and you can get your hotel room from £50. Be sure to look on their website, or speak to the hotel directly for more information. Browse their latest offers here. Their Friday evening offer is also very good.
The Hotel Du Vin Henley Bistro:
The Hotel Du Vin Bistro is located on the ground floor of the hotel near the main entrance. In the daytime, it’s a chilled-out place for lunch or afternoon tea. In the evening, it transforms into a dimly lit French bistro for you to enjoy a deluxe dining experience. Whilst the menu of Hotel Du Vin’s across the country is the same, each of its Bistro’s are unique! We found the Henley restaurant to be one of the best we’ve visited.
The Bistro is also open to those who aren’t staying at the hotel, so if you fancy dining in style for either breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can pre-book online or by calling up the hotel in advance. Our only criticism for the restaurant was the limited variety of options if staying and dining for multiple nights.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is available from:
- Monday – Friday 7am – 10am
- Sat – Sun 8am – 10am
The hotel offers both a country table breakfast (granola, porridge and pastries) costing £14 per person. They also serve a cooked breakfast option (eggs benedict, full English) costing £18 per person. For those that prefer to spend more time in the hotel room in the morning, you can book a grab and go takeaway at reception.
Pro-tip: Pay for and book breakfast as part of your stay on the website before arrival or at reception the day before. It’s often cheaper than deciding and paying on the day.
Lunch:
Lunch is available from 12pm-2pm Friday-Sunday only.
If you fancy a nice warm meal with your significant other after a long walk around town or a working lunch with your colleague, The Hotel Du Vin bistro has a small but tasty lunch menu. It also serves an extravagant traditional Sunday lunch.
Prices range from £15 – 25 for a meal and the menu is more compact than dining on an evening.
Dinner:
Dinner is available daily 6pm – 9:30pm
Whether you’re out for a romantic evening, a family meal or a business dinner, you’ll have a choice of a la carte and the specials menu, with food such as steak, burgers, French classics and fresh fish. There is something for everyone to enjoy!
Most of the hotels have the same menu more or less. We recommend the chateaubriand to share for two people – it’s delicious.
Overall, dinner at the Henley Hotel Du Vin is something special. Its dimly lit environment manages to be classy but simple and not pretentious. Food is cooked well and you’ll leave feeling full if you go for the full 3 courses. Our only feedback is that the menu options are a little limited if you have a big appetite.
Outdoor area/ courtyard:
There’s nothing nicer than sitting outside on a warm evening during the British summertime. The hotel has a cosy outdoor area where you can do just that! Take a seat in the quirky cabana or dine al Fresco.
The outdoor area is located at the back of the hotel, which you can reach from the bistro or the main street outside the hotel. There are plenty of seats outside for you to make yourselves comfortable. In the evening, the cabana area is lit up with fairy lights, creating a cosy and romantic atmosphere that you can’t resist!
Bar area:
A key feature of the hotel is its impressive and extensive wine list. They have over 600 varieties in their wine cellar and you can sample them at the bar or in the restaurant. Alternatively, take a glass up to your room for a bath (our personal favourite option! 😊).
The bar is dimly lit and has a warming romantic vibe for you to spend a few hours with in the evening after your meal. There are also a few sofas which you can sink into for extra comfort!
We recommend asking the bartenders for their recommendations on cocktails and have them whip you up something special.
Our top tips for staying at Hotel Du Vin Henley-on-Thames:
- Check in is from 3pm. You can leave your luggage at the hotel and they will keep it safe and secure until you check in at 3.
- Book breakfast at reception on arrival if it’s not included in your package. It’s often cheaper than paying the next day.
- If you don’t fancy heading down to the Bistro for breakfast in the morning, you can ask for room service.
- Tables at the Bistro need to be booked in advance. We recommend doing this a few days before you arrive, especially during peak times.
- It’s usually quite cheap to upgrade your room. We paid an extra £15 for a roll-top bath and much larger room. Ask reception for room upgrade deals on check-in. You may get lucky!
- Take advantage of special stay, dine and breakfast offers on the official Hotel Du Vin website. Booking direct is cheaper than using a site such as Booking.com and you’ll get more for your money!
- Check out is at 11am usually, but you can pay a little extra for a 12pm checkout if you wish.
Our overall thoughts/ experience at Hotel Du Vin Henley-on-Thames:
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hotel Du Vin and we highly recommend it for anyone! From the roll top bath, to the delicious bistro food – it surely was an experience to remember!
Positives:
- Each room is unique. No room at Hotel Du Vin is the same in terms of decor, layout and the name of the room. It makes it extra special!
- The hotel rooms come with nice little touches. Two of the main things that we really liked was the fact that each room has a coffee machine with 4 Nespresso capsules, and the complimentary mini L’Occitane toiletries.
- The outside cabana is great for both the summer months to share a glass of Pimm’s in the sun, but also the winter months. Wrap up warm with a blanket over a glass of red wine.
- The size of the hotel. In our experience, Hotel Du Vin Henley isn’t as small as other Du Vin’s. The restaurant is much larger than average, there’s a spacious bar area and the rooms are generally slightly bigger.
Improvements:
- Food choices on the menu. The Bistro has an acceptable number of menu options to choose from, but if you are staying for more than one night, it would be nice to have more variety. The same goes for those that have a big appetite and want more substantial dishes.
- More TV channel options. It would be good to have some additional TV channels available, especially if you come straight back to the hotel room after dinner and want to watch something. Top tip: bring your iPad/ laptop and a pre download a film, or watch something on Netflix.
- Better website pictures and information. The website doesn’t provide you with much detail in terms of what’s included. It would be great to have more photos and information on the different rooms and facilities. More room pictures are a must!
We hope you enjoyed reading our review and guide to the Hotel Du Vin Henley-on-Thames. It’s definitely worth a visit if you fancy a relaxing stay with some fantastic food 🙂 You couldn’t find a better boutique hotel in this historic and picturesque English town.
By Susie
Author bio:I’m is a passionate traveller that loves a sunny beach holiday, but also appreciate the cultural side to a trip and checking out undiscovered destinations. I’m the go-to Toucan Traveller for great holiday stories, cool photos and foodie recommendations.
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