The Castle Hotel in Windsor is a boutique 4-Star hotel located in the centre of the Market Town close to Windsor Castle

In this report, I will be reviewing the Superior King Room, hotel amenities, Marco Pierre White Steakhouse,  breakfast and the service provided by the staff at the hotel.

I booked the hotel through the Accor Hotel Loyalty Programme, but I am only a Classic Member. However, I still got a 5% discount on the standard rate advertised on the hotel’s website. The Superior Room cost £209.00 per night, which included breakfast. 

Hotel Website: Castle Hotel Windsor – MGallery by Sofitel

The town’s cobbled streets offer much to explore, and you’ll have the best view possible for the pomp and grandeur of the Changing of the Guard.

Check-in

I arrived just after 12.00pm on Friday 12th April 2019 and parked my car in the hotel’s car park at an advance rate of £30.00 per day. The standard car park rate is £25.00 per day, but on a first-come, first-served basis, and in hindsight, I could have taken the chance. However, when I parked up, there was a space with my name and registration number reserved, which was a nice touch. The Check-in process was quick, and a £100.00 room charge was taken for any expenses during the stay, but the room was not available until 3.00 pm.

The Room

The Superior Rooms are not much bigger than the Classic Rooms in the hotel. The benefit of paying the extra money is that the rooms are in the main building and have king-sized beds and not queen beds. The soft drinks in the fridge are free, and you get soft bathroom robes each, coffee and tea facilities, an ironing board with an iron and a safe.

The room was located on the second floor and overlooked the main street with parts of Windsor Castle visible, so quite a good view, which was better than the rooms overlooking the car park. The King Size bed was comfortable, and extra pillows were available if need. However, the television by the window was a bit of a funny location to the bed and, like most UK hotels, only offered the basic Freeview packages.

I have a bugbear with air conditioning in UK hotel rooms, and unfortunately, the Castle Hotel was no different in that it was useless! So the windows were left open all night, and thankfully, there was nothing outside disturbing my sleep.

SUPERIOR ROOM, 1 KING SIZE BED – HOTEL WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

From 22 SQM – Recently refurbished with contemporary touches, the spacious Superior rooms provide supreme relaxation with king size beds covered in soft Egyptian cotton. Complimentary fluffy bathrobes as well as a personal Nespresso machine are provided.

Bathroom

Unfortunately, the bathroom did not have a bath, only a shower which was a bit disappointing but not a major issue. There were plenty of towels available and branded shampoo and body wash but unfortunately, I cannot recall the name, but it smelt nice and did what it said on the tin.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Restaurant

I booked a table on the second night as a treat for myself and my wife. I have eaten at Marco Pierre White’s Restaurant in Liverpool and the Hilton Doubletree in Bristol, and on both occasions, I was unimpressed with the food and service. Like most restaurant’s in the UK, Cava is never on the drinks menu, and I don’t understand why Prosecco is the only option available. So, the only options were to go for a Champagne and, on this occasion, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV at £75.00, which was not as expensive as I thought it would be.

Neither of us had starters, so as it was a steakhouse, we both opted for steak. I had the GRILLED CENTRE CUT FILLET 8oz at £30.95, Classic peppercorn and brandy sauce for £3.25 and a side of crispy onion rings for £3.50. I couldn’t fault the service in the restaurant as it was excellent and the whole bill with tip came to £165.00, which I thought was reasonable for the location. However, on the downside, I asked for my steak to be cooked medium-rare, but it was medium, not a great advert for a steakhouse.

MARCO PIERRE WHITE STEAKHOUSE – HOTEL WEBSITE DESCRIPTION

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.

Bar

The hotel bar was located in the main building and just behind reception and offered a food and drinks menu. We didn’t eat in the bar, but we did have drinks on several occasions, but the wine was expensive by the glass, and the draft beer selection was limited.

Breakfast

Breakfast was served in the Marco Pierre White restaurant, and there was a wide selection of bread’s, fruits and cereals. On Saturday morning, you had a full English Menu Option, which was cooked to order. On Sunday morning, the menu option was not available, but scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, mushrooms and beans were available as a buffet option.

Staff and Service

On the hole the service was good, and the staff were extremely helpful. The only issue was getting the room cleaned on the second day, and had to ask twice for the room to be made up.

Tips

  • Book a Superior Room it’s worth the extra money for being in the main building and views of Windsor and not a car park.
  • If you are driving and want to guarantee a parking space book in advance (Summer months).

Summary: Casstle Hotel in Windsor

Overall I enjoyed the hotel stay and would book again. There were a few issues but nothing major and an excellent location for the sites of Windsor.