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Start at Cliveden House for a walk through the National Trust woodland, then follow the estate paths down toward the River Thames.

What makes it special

Ask about a vintage boat trip to Bray for a view of Cliveden’s wooded slopes and the house from the water.

Room to consider

Choose a Deluxe Terrace Hot Tub Room in the Garden Wing for a private hot tub and an outlook over the spa garden.

Insider tip

Leave time for the Parterre below the house, where the formal garden gives you a different kind of walk from the riverside paths.

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Cliveden House

Cliveden House stands on a high terrace above the River Thames at Taplow, with 376 acres of National Trust grounds around it. The present mansion is a hotel, but its gardens, sculpture and old rooms still carry the scale of a country estate. London is close enough to make the change of setting feel unusually abrupt.

The house has a more complicated history than its 1666 origin suggests. George Villiers, the 2nd Duke of Buckingham, established the first mansion here; fires destroyed that building and its successor. Charles Barry designed the present house after the 1849 fire. Buckingham's South Terrace remains from the earliest house, a physical link between the hotel's different centuries.

Ultra Luxury
4.6/5 66 Member Reviews 80% Upgrade Rate

Rooms

  • 48 48

Hotel Style

  • Charming Charming

Leisure

  • Fitness Fitness
  • Pool Pool
  • Spa Spa
  • Sauna Sauna

Experiences

  • Culture Culture
  • Romantic Romantic

Facilities

  • Pet Friendly Pet Friendly

Rooms & Suites at Cliveden House

Bobbie Shaw Room
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Bobbie Shaw Room

215 sqft
From 461 USD

The room is on the second floor at the rear of Cliveden House. From the windows you can look towards the Berkshire countryside. The 20...

Club Room
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Club Room

258 sqft
From 568 USD

The room sits in the East or West Wing, with antique furniture and period details that vary with the layout. The hotel lists an average...

Classic Room
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Classic Room

344–377 sqft
From 635 USD

On the first floor, the room looks into the courtyard. Antique furniture and period details vary from room to room, with a sitting area beside...

Club Terrace Hot Tub Room
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Club Terrace Hot Tub Room

258 sqft
From 716 USD

These rooms sit in the Garden Wing and look over the spa garden. Their individual interiors have period details and names drawn from the house’s...

Classic Terrace Hot Tub Room
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Classic Terrace Hot Tub Room

377 sqft
From 836 USD

Individually styled rooms in the Garden Wing look over the spa garden. Their interiors retain period details from the house, with a sitting area beside...

Deluxe Room
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Deluxe Room

431–484 sqft
From 869 USD

These rooms sit on the first or second floor in the wings of the house. There is a sitting area near the bed, with a...

Junior Suite
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Junior Suite

646 sqft
From 1’170 USD

High ceilings and period features shape these suites, which were refurbished in a traditional classic style. The lounge may be a separate room or part...

Mansion Deluxe Room
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Mansion Deluxe Room

463 sqft
From 1’291 USD

The main mansion places these rooms on its first or second floor. Traditional and modern classic interiors both retain period features, with a comfortable sitting...

Deluxe Suite
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Deluxe Suite

678 sqft
From 1’538 USD

High ceilings frame antiques and original works of art. The suite has a fireplace and a lounge with room to sit away from the king...

Deluxe Terrace Hot Tub Room
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Deluxe Terrace Hot Tub Room

463 sqft
From 1’551 USD

A private hot tub sits on the terrace in the Garden Wing. The terrace looks into the spa garden, with the historic pool within the...

Mansion Deluxe Suite
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Mansion Deluxe Suite

678 sqft
From 1’692 USD

In the main mansion, high ceilings and antique furniture frame an open lounge. Original art and a fireplace are part of the interior. The suite...

2 Bedroom Deluxe Suite
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2 Bedroom Deluxe Suite

699 sqft
From 2’040 USD

The Inchiquin Suite sits on the East Wing’s first floor. Fine European fabrics and antique furniture shape its traditional interior, with a large living room...

Lady Astor Suite
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Lady Astor Suite

807 sqft
From 2’334 USD

From the first floor of the mansion, the private terrace looks across the Parterre and gardens towards the River Thames. There is a table for...

Prince Of Wales Suite
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Prince Of Wales Suite

807 sqft
From 2’589 USD

On the main mansion’s second floor, this suite has high ceilings, antiques and original works of art. A large hall and dressing area sit beside...

2 Bedroom Spring Cottage
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2 Bedroom Spring Cottage

3,089 sqft
From 3’511 USD

Set on the Thames, this cottage began as a summerhouse and tea room for the Countess of Orkney in 1813. Queen Victoria and the Duchess...

Cliveden's south-facing Parterre unfolds below the house, while woodland and other gardens occupy the wider estate. The formal layout makes the terrace an architectural viewpoint as well as a place to walk. From parts of the grounds, the river is visible far below the height of the mansion.

The gardens have several distinct histories. The Earl of Orkney developed an earlier Parterre; later, John Fleming created innovative planting beds for the Sutherlands. William Waldorf Astor added the Long Garden and the East Asian-inspired Water Garden. Sculpture acquired across different ownerships gives the paths and garden spaces more to discover than planting alone.

The estate is owned by the National Trust, while the house operates as a hotel. Hotel guests and public visitors share the historic property, with access arrangements applying to the grounds.

Cliveden's rooms are individually styled. First-floor Classic Rooms have courtyard views, handmade king or twin beds and period bathrooms. Deluxe Suites add high ceilings, antiques, original art and spacious lounge areas; all of those suites have fireplaces, while only some overlook the Parterre.

The Lady Astor Suite has a more specific setting on the first floor of the main mansion. Its private terrace overlooks the Parterre, with views across the gardens toward the Thames. Antique furniture and original art sit alongside a large bathroom with a separate bath and shower. The terrace has a table for six and sun loungers.

Hot Tub Rooms have private terraces with their own hot tubs.

Spring Cottage is separate from the mansion, on the banks of the Thames. Built in 1813 as a summerhouse and tea room for the Countess of Orkney, it now has three bedrooms, a country kitchen with an Aga, lounges with a real fireplace and a private rear garden. A boat-launch mooring connects the cottage directly to the river.

Its garden retains the original spring and a small lake, while a veranda recalls the cottage's earlier use for tea. Queen Victoria and the Duchess of Sutherland once took afternoon tea here.

The Cliveden Dining Room was once the mansion's drawing room. It faces south toward the nineteenth-century Parterre, the gardens and the Thames, with artwork and classical detailing still part of the room. Modern British cooking is served here, with a la carte and tasting-menu formats built around seasonal British produce.

Afternoon tea is served in the Cliveden Dining Room, with Sunday tea in the French Dining Room or the Great Hall, where there is lounge seating.

The Astor Grill occupies the former stables, where Lord Astor once kept his prized fillies. Equestrian details shape the interior, and the menu brings American influences into familiar British dishes. It is a different physical setting from the Dining Room: the stable building gives an informal meal its own connection to Cliveden's past.

Cliveden also has a French Dining Room whose mid-eighteenth-century wall panels came from the Chateau d'Asnieres near Paris. William Waldorf Astor brought them to the house in the 1890s. The panels are a reminder that the interiors were assembled and altered by successive owners, not preserved unchanged from the original mansion.

The Cliveden Spa has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool in the garden, with hot tubs, a sauna and steam facilities. Its gym looks toward the outdoor pool, and the fitness studio is another dedicated space.

The outdoor pool has a particular place in Cliveden's history. Bill Astor installed it in 1961, and it was beside this pool that Christine Keeler and John Profumo met. The present spa was opened later, in 2017, so the pool's story and the current spa facilities belong to different periods of the estate.

The indoor and outdoor water spaces offer contrasting views of the property: one is enclosed within the spa, while the other opens to the garden. Tennis is available on an indoor court and two outdoor courts, with pickleball also available. The spa is accessible to hotel guests and Cliveden Club members.

Cliveden's boathouse holds restored vintage launches for private trips on the Thames. The river is more than a distant view from the terrace: a cruise brings the wooded bank and the high house into a different perspective. The hotel's boat program also offers picnic arrangements, with dietary needs handled on advance notice.

Named river destinations include Marlow, Henley, Windsor and Bray, and all destination trips are one-way. Boarding arrangements make the boat trips unsuitable for people with limited mobility.

William Waldorf Astor bought Cliveden in 1893 and reshaped parts of its interiors and grounds. He later gave the estate to his son Waldorf and daughter-in-law Nancy. Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons in 1919, and Cliveden became associated with political and literary gatherings.

The estate also served as a Canadian Red Cross hospital during the world wars. A memorial garden contains the graves of soldiers and nursing staff who died here. In 1942 the Astors decided to leave Cliveden to the National Trust, though they continued living in the house for years afterward.

Another episode entered public memory in 1961, when Profumo met Keeler at Cliveden. Stanford University later leased the mansion, before it became a hotel in the 1980s. These changes did not erase the older estate: the South Terrace, Barry's mansion, Astor-era interiors and the gardens remain legible as different layers of one place.

Why we love this hotel

Why we love this hotel

The Cliveden Dining Room occupies the former drawing room, so you can dine with the Parterre and River Thames in view.

The outdoor pool sits inside the walled garden, giving you a place to swim away from the open lawns around the house.

The Astor Grill gives families a relaxed place for dinner after exploring the estate together, without having to leave Cliveden’s grounds.

Location of Cliveden House

Cliveden House, Taplow, Maidenhead, SL6 0JF, United Kingdom

What to Know About Cliveden House

Is Cliveden House a good luxury country house hotel?

Yes. Cliveden House is one of England's most famous country house hotels, with a grand historic setting, formal gardens, river access, and strong service. It is a Grade I-listed stately home set in 376 acres of National Trust grounds near Taplow. The hotel works best for travelers who want history, romance, gardens, spa time, and a special-occasion mood close to London. It feels more like staying inside a grand private estate than booking a standard countryside hotel.

Where is Cliveden House located?

Cliveden House is in Taplow, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. The estate sits above the River Thames and is close to Windsor, Bray, Marlow, and the western edge of London. The location is practical for guests flying into London Heathrow, planning a London-and-countryside trip, or adding a stately home stay before or after the city. A car or private transfer is the easiest way to handle arrivals, dinners outside the estate, and nearby sightseeing.

How many rooms and suites does Cliveden House have?

Cliveden House has 47 spacious rooms and suites in the main mansion and wings, plus Spring Cottage on the banks of the River Thames. Room categories range from more contemporary Club rooms to grand mansion rooms, suites, and private cottage accommodation. This is a small hotel by resort standards, so the exact room choice matters. Book early for weekends, summer garden season, holidays, and special occasions, because the most characterful rooms and suites are limited.

Which room should I book at Cliveden House?

Book a Club Room if you want a more contemporary room and easier value within the estate. Choose a mansion room if you want the historic-house feeling, period details, and a stronger sense of staying in Cliveden itself. Suites are best for anniversaries, honeymoons, and guests who want more space, garden views, or a grander layout. Spring Cottage is the choice for privacy, a river setting, and a more residential stay.

What is Spring Cottage at Cliveden House?

Spring Cottage is Cliveden's private riverside cottage on the banks of the River Thames. It has three bedrooms and is often chosen by families, friends, or guests who want more privacy than a room in the main house. It is a strong option for a special gathering or longer countryside stay. Choose it when you want the estate's service and facilities, but also want your own cottage setting away from the main hotel flow.

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