Once a somewhat prosaic structure in a great location, a multi-million, refurbishment has transformed the Runnymede into a dazzling building.
Now significantly more up-scale, the hotel has also been "opened out" by clever use of glass walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, plus new riverside terraces adjoining each of its restaurants.
What owners Daniel and Stuart Levy – owners of Runnymede's sister hotel, The Grove – have not refurbished they have refreshed.
The sibling relationship is evident in the exceptional service, the clever planning of all the public rooms and the quirky art like the huge metal robot, wooden geese, and an apple core sculpture next to the main entrance.