MacDonald Hotel, Windsor – Review

A stay at a hotel can be for so many different reasons – family, business, or pleasure – but whatever the occasion it is undoubtedly true that the staff and surroundings should make one feel special – and this is certainly true of the new Macdonald Windsor.

On arrival my husband and I parked our car in the very handy underground car park and were then shown to our room which overlooked Windsor high street and was large enough to sleep our whole family! Thankful however that the mother in law had agreed to keep our three little angels for the night we decided to make the most of our freedom and situated ourselves at the bar before dinner. The wine list at the hotel was truly magnificent – all wines have been specially selected by Master of Wine Beverly Tabbron according to our knowledgeable barman – and we arrived at our table slightly merrier than anticipated.

The hotel may be part of the Macdonald Hotels Group but each course contains only the finest ingredients – with beef from Scottish farms, free range chickens and the finest wild white fish caught from sustainable sources – you can taste the dedication to detail with each mouthful. Not surprisingly I ate slightly too much and (as opposed to dancing the night away at a local disco) rolled my way back upstairs to our bedroom for a very restful, uninterrupted night`s sleep.

Macdonald Hotels have commissioned the multi- award winning Amanda Roas Interiors and the result is a stylish retreat which complements the quintessentially English surroundings. Our room was comfortable and traditional in its decor – but equipped with all the necessary mod cons which ensure a break away from the norm (breakfast in bed with TV on and no child jumping on us?! Unheard of).

We were woken to the sound of a brass band outside our window which was absolutely magical! My husband and I lay in bed with balcony doors open listening to the music approaching and then fading away again and (once dressed and fed) embarked upon the enormously tiring two minute walk to Windsor Castle and then onto Windsor Great Park – before starting our trip home.

I suspect this hotel will do very well in Windsor – it effortlessly seems to provide a little bit of something for everyone and I can imagine would be a perfect destination for corporate trips as well as family. There is so much to do and Windsor itself is a little pocket of history that manages to envelop you – albeit for a short time – in its regal arms.