The old Forte Heritage group of hotels had very variable quality, in buildings with history. I must admit to an interest here, having worked on a number of them in my days as an active participant in a design practice. The task of managing and upgrading a disparate collection of hotels varying from the decrepit to the decent was a difficult one. I remember on one occasion being told that one group acquired as part of the collection was so poor that all the corridor carpet was replaced in one go, resulting in an order for 61 miles of carpet being placed! The rep that swung that order must have gone home with a big smile

I have looked at a number of these hotels since their takeover by Macdonald Hotels, as the group has been selling off those properties that did not fit with its operational profile (see, for example, the George in Rye or the White Horse in Romsey). Wisely the group has retained the Compleat Angler in Marlow, a historic Inn in an historic Thameside location. This successful hotel still carries the unmistakeable signs of the Olga Polizzi touch. Many readers will know of my admiration for Mrs. Polizzi, who as one of the Forte family headed their design division and had the key task of design managing the upgrading of the Heritage Group. MacDonald continue to upgrade this hotel, but the bones laid down by Mrs Polizzi still show through, whilst the lady herself now works with brother Rocco on developing the luxury Rocco Forte luxury chain (see the Charles Hotel for the latest example of her work).

Upgrading, extending or further developing hotels this old is no cheaper than knocking them down and re-building, but the rewards in the form of buildings with character, interesting interiors and an attractive quirkiness repay the effort – and avoid conflict with planners and the local community. Externally it is possible to trace the various development stages and internally the complexity of different levels has needed some creative interior design to make sense of the layout. It has resulted in some very quirky rooms that work successfully over several levels, whilst the public areas make maximum use of the location on the banks of the Thames.

A constant in this hotel is the river, and the adjacent weir provides a firm aural and visual reminder of the power of the river. The restaurants have both external seating areas and terraces allowing guests to eat and drink with the backdrop of the river and its wildlife (the hotel also owns fishing rights along the bank, an attraction to some guests).The hotel also helps to support the cost of the external lighting of the opposite bank with its superb Victorian church, and which enhances the view at night. Internally the design balanced a contemporary feel with traditional panelling, resulting in a very comfortable interior. Balanced with a good food offering, including the recent introduction of the Aubergine Restaurant, this becomes a very pleasant place to spend a few days.