The Reading Lake Hotel, in Pingewood, was once a peaceful establishment, praised for its hospitality and tranquil lakeside views. Now it lies abandoned, with its empty corridors filled with eerie reminders of its heyday
Not so long ago, the Reading Lake Hotel, in Pingewood, was a place filled with life and celebrations.
Guests would gather to mark wedding anniversaries, dance at Christmas parties, and enjoy the tranquil lakeside views and spa facilities.
Nowadays, however, it’s an eerie shell of its former self, barely recognisable after a ferocious fire ripped the building apart ten years ago.
It’s believed the blaze, which took hold on November 21, 2015, began in a boiler room before spreading rapidly through the upper-floor rooms into the roof.
The Reading Chronicle reports that it took 10 fire engines filled with 55 firefighters two hours to extinguish the monster inferno.
Thankfully, there were no fatalities or injuries amongst staff or guests following an incident that must have been terrifying to behold. It comes after news that an abandoned UK Butlin’s site is now seaside town’s ‘hell hole’ hotel .
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But sadly, the badly damaged hotel never returned to its glory days and ended up closing its doors for good. The only visitors now are urban explorers, who’ve previously shared creepy footage of the hotel’s now silent corridors,
As seen in a video shared via the YouTube channel Neo Adventures, there are still reminders that this drab and filthy building once offered a warm welcome to visiting guests.
A working fridge is still plugged in, containing items of food. In one cupboard, the explorers came across some long-disused computers, while brass signs directed people to their rooms.
Some of the rooms look almost ready to welcome guests once more, with mattresses still on the beds, and comfy-looking love seats positioned against the walls. On some, bedding is still visible.
In another cupboard, a number of lamps have been placed on the floor in total darkness, waiting to be lit.
Right next to the restaurant, which is still atmospherically lit, the now gloomy kitchen is still filled with appliances for breakfasts that will never be served, from coffee machines to huge cooking pans and bottles of oil.
As detailed in a recent article in The Reading Chronicle, it appears unlikely that the hotel will be opening its doors anytime soon, with no new plans site listed on West Berkshire Council’s planning portal, Pingewood’s planning authority.
This is despite rooms still being advertised on Expedia, in what appears to be a puzzling error. The publication also reached out to the Millennium Hotels group for comment, but received no response.
It’s understood that the hotel didn’t immediately close after the blaze and was functioning as recently as 2018. Sadly, the visitor experience would have been drastically reduced by this point, with parts of the fire-damaged establishment already closed off to the public.
One guest who stayed in 2018 left a review on Expedia: “Unfortunately, I have experienced this hotel at its best. The staff were nice, and my room was upgraded to a suite, which was a lovely touch considering I stayed with my two children.
“The hotel is tired, there were lightbulbs out in the room, wallpaper peeling, and framework missing from the doors. The shower was yellowing, and when used, sprayed from cracks behind the shower head. When on the balcony, you can see the other half of the hotel, which is closed off and unused.”
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