The four-star Lensbury Hotel in Teddington is in a fabulous location on the banks of the River Thames in south-west London. It sits on 25 acres of manicured gardens and grounds, stretching from the river, mostly used as tennis courts, squash, and football.
I was there one cold and rainy December day and while I was contemplating an afternoon at the pool and sauna I watched tennis-playing die-hards out on the courts from my bedroom window.
The Lensbury Club was first formed in 1920 as a sports and social club becoming Shell’s head office and sports club. It was bought by London & Regional Hotels who acquired the hotel in 2019 and now one hundred years later The Lensbury remains true to its sporting vocation with more plans for further investment.
The Lensbury is located on the Thames surrunded by lush grounds
The Lensbury has another string to its bow. A staggering 42 conference spaces of all sizes including a theatre style space. So as a result the hotel tends to be busy year-round.
The approach is impressive, an expansive, lovely red brick building, a small reception, an impressive staircase, and a lounge area with a couple of cosy areas with fireplaces, and a spacious restaurant that spills out to a terrace when the sun is out.
Cosy fireplace in the lounge at The Lensbury
Every day, the lounge area and restaurant are full of people tapping away at their laptops while others are on the tennis courts or getting fit in the swimming pool and gym. It’s a nice vibe.
The decor though pleasant enough could do with a revamp here and there in the bedrooms. This I am told is already in the works.
Who for
The Lensbury is all about sports and well-being. Go there with the family – kids are welcome – or with sporty friends. It’s great for business people, too.
Accommodation
Bedroom 255
There are 152 spacious bedrooms, some with a bath and others like mine (room 255) with just a shower. They are spacious, double beds are comfortable with several types of pillow styles. There is a TV, Nespresso, coffee and tea facilities, a mini bar with full-size bottles of water that are free to take and other mod cons.
Food and Drink
There is a bar in the lounge area and Lounge restaurant and Terrace were spacious and tables were plentiful. Food is an eclectic range of pub grub well prepared – I enjoyed the Chicken Makhani served with rice and nan, though other dishes included rib-eye steak, Cumberland sausage and mash, fish and chips, burger and lamb shawarma and a couple of vegetarian dishes.
In the summer there are bbqs on the grounds and al fresco dining and pop-up bars. The Dunbar restaurant serves the spa area.
Facilities
The Olympic size pool at The Lensbury
The Lensbury has a private members club with a state-of-the-art gym, and an Olympic-sized pool as well as saunas. On sunny days their private boathouse opens and offers the opportunity to have a go at watersports or to hire a boat and enjoy a boating day out on the river.
For those whose one love is tennis, the advantage is a staggering 25 tennis courts both clay and astroturf. Or there is pickleball and squash.
The Lensbury tennis courts
It’s the elite-level sports pitches that make this hotel unique. Football and rugby pitches are used regularly by greats such as Manchester United who stay and practice here, the Springbok rugby team and All the Black from New Zealand.
How much
Classic Doubles start at £114 per night.
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What’s Nearby
The pretty Teddington village has a variety of pubs, restaurants and independent shopping. The station is a 20-minute walk or a five-minute drive away and within reach is Richmond, Hampton Court Palace and central London. Get there in spring or summer and combine a relaxing riverside break with fun day trips on the river.
VERDICT: The Lensbury has a really good vibe. Clean, friendly, with happy people milling around. The sporting – especially tennis – and business facilities are hard to beat Though the interior is pleasant enough, I understand there will be a refurb happening soon. This will make The Lensbury a top-notch destination hotel for leisure, sports and business.