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Contact Us
  READING OFFICE, UK    


Location Map

Map image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Sketch Map: relationship to Reading rail station
The Open Group office is on the tenth floor of Thames Tower which is the 
large copper colored building opposite Reading railway station.
Photographs of Thames Tower

<--- West (Bristol, Bath, Oxford) East (London)---->                
                                                           (A41255)
                                                             |   |
     --------------------------------------------------------|   |------
         ~       ~       ~       ~    River  Thames  ~       |   |    ~
     --------------------------------------------------------|   |------
  <<< ----- Holiday Inn                             ____     |   |
                                                         \___/    \
                                     ______________   ___          \____
                                    | British Rail |     \___   O   ____
                                    |   Car Park   |         \     /
                                    |_________    _|__________|   |
                   railway              // |__________________    |
             ==========================//=================================
     North   =========================//==================================
      ^             _________________//          __________   |   |
      |            |________  Rail     |--foot--|          |  |   |
      |       Bus Stops     | Station  |-bridge-|   Apex   |  |   |
                            |__________|   | |  |   Plaza  |  |   |
          Taxi Rank       Railair Bus Stop | |  |__________|  |   |
_________________________________________ /   \______________/     \_____

__________________________    O             O                   O   M4->
|  |    |                  \      ________      ______________       ______
|  |    |Garrard St  THAMES \    /         \    \             \_____/ Abbey
|^ |    |Car Park  ^ TOWER  |   /           \    \                    Gardens
|  |____|_________|^|_  ____|   |            \    \
|^ ___ ___ ___ ____^___ ____    |             \    \                 
|  |                        |   |              \    \                 
|  |                        |   |               \    \
|  |________________________|   |________________\    \________
|                         Friar Street                         \
|   ________________________    __________________ ________     \
|  |                        |   |                           \    \ 
|  |                        |   |                            \    \
|  |                        |   |                             \    \
|  |________________________|   |______________________________\    \____
<-- (becomes Oxford Rd, Renaissance Hotel on left)      Broad Street
_________________________________________________________________________

  
Directions from the aiports
  1. RailAir operates a bus service between London Heathrow and Reading railway station three times an hour in each direction.
    The service is scheduled to take 40-90 minutes, depending on the terminal and the time of day. It calls at Terminals 1,2,3 and 4.
    For fares, see: http://www.railair.com
  2. Taxi Cabs from the rank at London's Heathrow Airport will cost you £60 or more.
  3. Gatwick Airport is considerably further, but there are direct trains which take 80 - 90 minutes to Reading Station.
    For fares, see: The Trainline
  4. Car rental in the UK is expensive... don't hire one unless you really want to explore the countryside.
  5. Parking in Reading: we recommend the British Rail Car Park or Garrard Street car park.

Hotels

IBIS Hotel
Tel: +44 (0)118 953 3500
Fax: +44 (0)118 953 3510
H5431@accor.com

Novotel
Tel: +44 (0)118 952 2600
Fax: +44 (0)118 952 2610
H5432@accor.com

The IBIS and Novotel are next door to each other and are just a few minutes walk from our Thames Tower office. From the train station facing Thames Tower, walk past Thames Tower until you come to the crossroads. Turn right into Friar Street and you will see the hotels on your right.

The Holiday Inn
Tel: +44 (0)118 925 9988
Fax: +44 (0)118 939 1665

This hotel is 15 minutes walk away from the office/station, or if you have bags, a short taxi ride.

If you are driving, you can find the hotel by looking for the two bridges which cross the Thames in Reading. The hotel is beside "*Caversham* Bridge", which is the western one, on the route signposted "Henley and Caversham A4155".

Thames Tower is close to the other bridge, on the route confusingly signposted to "Henley and Caversham (A4155)". The parentheses, which mean "leading to", are the only difference!

From the Holiday Inn, the most pleasant way to walk to The Open Group takes 15 minutes. From the hotel, head towards Reading town center, turn right at the round about where there is a TGI Friday's restaurant, proceed past the Post Office sorting office on the left and under the railway bridge. Turn left into Station Road, proceed to the top of the hill. Thames Tower is the large tall brown building on the right opposite the station. The Open Group is situated on the 10th floor.

The Renaissance ( formerly the "Ramada")
Tel: +44 (0)118 958 6222
Fax: +44 (0)118 959 7842
Toll free (within UK): 0800 181737

Hotel from the station
This hotel is 10 minute walk away from Reading Station and Thames Tower, or if you have bags, a short taxi ride. It is situated on the western side of the town centre, on the Oxford Road. If you decide to walk from the station (where the Railair bus stops), cross the road in front of the Station into Station Road (you are now walking south). Continue across the next road (Friar Street) and the road you are on becomes Victoria Street. You emerge onto a pedestrian mall (Broad Street). Turn right (west) here. Cross West Marys Butts and walk past the Broad Street Mall on your left. The Renaissance is shortly after this, on the left.

Thames Tower from the hotel
If you need to find Thames Tower on your own, it is the large tall brown building opposite the main entrance to the Railway Station. From the hotel, the walk there will take 15 minutes. Turn right out of the hotel forecourt, walking east along Broad Street. Pass the Broad Street Mall on your right. Cross West Mary's Butts into the Broad Street pedestrian mall. Turn left (north) at Victoria Street and walk up two blocks (crossing Friar Street; on the north side of Friar Street, it becomes Station Road). You will emerge in front of Reading Station. Thames Tower is the large tall brown building immediately on your left. Take the side entrance opposite the station (on Station Road).

Alternative hotels we have used and have had good reviews on are:

Marriott Courtyard
Bath Road
Padworth
01189 714411

Rainbow Corner
Caversham
01189 588140

The Red Lion
Henley
01491 572161

Infotel UK offer a hotel booking service.
A country-wide directory is also available at Smooth Hound's Hotel & Guest House Directory

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