Castle Hotel Windsor – A classic Windsor Boutique Hotel
Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied Castle in the world and as the Royal Standard was flying freely from the Castle’s Round Tower I knew that Queen Elizabeth II was in residence over the Easter weekend I was visiting, so I decided to stay at the next best accommodation in the heart of town at The Castle Hotel on the High Street. The Castle Hotel was first registered as a hotel as The Mermaid Inn in 1525 making it one of the oldest Inns in Windsor providing hospitality in the town for over 500 years.
The Castle Hotel – Windsor is an elegant Georgian building with a rich past and unique location directly opposite the world – famous Castle. No trip to Windsor would be complete without a visit to the amazing Windsor Castle, the family home to the British Monarchy for over 1,000 years. The size of the Castle (5 hectares/13 acres) is breath taking. The town’s cobbled streets and superb Thames side location offers the visitor much to explore with a rich mix of history, culture and heritage. With year-round events, excellent shopping and dining, the area has something to suit all tastes.
On arriving at The Castle Hotel I was greeted by smiling and efficient reception staff and my luggage was taken from the car up to my room by a young bell-boy. With parking at a premium in Windsor I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Hotel had plenty of parking at the rear of the hotel.
Having checked in smoothly I was then told about the `sensory story telling` which the hotel offers. I was given the option to choose one of three scents or fragrances for my room. I was invited to continue the journey with an afternoon tea experience and specially created cocktail later in the afternoon. The Hotel interior was beautiful with many authentic features and lovingly restored decoration.
The Georgian elegance of the Hotel downstairs continued upstairs to my bedroom. My Superior bed room was beautifully decorated with a clean contemporary design. The King Size bed was simply enormous covered with the finest Egyptian cotton sheets. The shower room was smart and offered a full complimentary range of luxury Lanvin toiletries and two much appreciated fluffy bath robes.
My large 22SQM bedroom also offered free High Speed Internet, a 48inch TV, Mini Bar with complimentary soft drinks and a Nespresso machine along with other tea/coffee making facilities.
The `Hart in the Park` afternoon tea was the best I have ever had and the waiting staff looking after us were very professional anticipating our every need whether it was a request for more napkins, side plates or tea! The afternoon tea began with a generous amount of salmon on toast topped with small round capers. A wonderful start to a fantastic afternoon.
We then enjoyed a collection of finely cut sandwiches including cucumber, egg and ham on red bread. We had deliberately not eaten lunch so that we could fully appreciate the whole of the afternoon tea and as the tea progressed we decided we had made the right decision. The warm scones, jam and clotted cream were tasty and filling and the Jasmine and Vanilla mini – sponge cakes delicate and refreshing.
I was unable to complete the chocolate Ganache as I had eaten so much! A wonderful afternoon tea of the highest quality enjoyed in a beautiful Georgian lounge dining room.
A visit to our table from the chef ensuring that everything was to our satisfaction was appreciated and he was more than happy to talk about his preparation of the tea and answer any questions we had.
We were offered a cocktail called `The Windsor Dynasty` which we decided to enjoy later that evening in the comfortable library area of the hotel. The cocktail was a strong alcoholic combination of smoked vodka infused with citrus peel and zest, Gin infused with fresh lavender blended with bergamot, lemon balm, freshly squeezed orange juice and Acacia honey syrup. A truly stunning cocktail which completed our `sensory` journey perfectly!
The staff went above and beyond our expectations during our stay always attentive but not intrusive at any time.
From our room, we could see The Guildhall and parts of the castle walls. Next morning, I stood outside the Hotel and watched the Changing of the Guard. The Coldstream Guards, a Regimental Band, Corps of Drums and a Pipe Band marched past the hotel from the Victoria Barracks at the bottom of the High Street and back again about thirty minutes later. It was a colourful spectacle of British pageantry I felt fortunate to have witnessed at such close – proximity.
There is a Marco Pierre White Steak House restaurant in the Hotel but we were unable to book a table as it was fully booked the evening we were visiting.
We both enjoyed our stay at the Castle Hotel enormously and look to return soon. An amazing Hotel with a great deal of character, history and ambience with well trained and respectful attentive staff.
Castle Hotel Windsor
18 High Street
SL4 1LJ
WINDSOR
UNITED KINGDOM
Type of cuisine: Brasserie
The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill pairs hearty grill dishes with a wide selection of wines & cocktails from the bar. The menu is filled with old British classics, ranging from steak, warming pie dishes & nostalgic desserts.
With simple, elegant and inviting decor, the Marco Pierre Bar creates an ambient atmosphere with contemporary lighting. The intriguing artwork brings the rich history the Castle Hotel to life. We offer a wide selection of wines & cocktails.
Jim Davis:
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