“Windsor as a Destination” Video Competition

Posted: Mon 5 December 2011 at 14:46

Accommodation Windsor Limited is proud to announce Sam Taylor as the winner of our “Windsor as a Destination” video competition. The competition was launched back in September to the BTEC media students at East Berkshire College to provide a 90 second video representing Windsor and everything it has to offer. We launched the project in partnership with the College in the hope of finding some raw talent to showcase Accommodation Windsor Ltd, our Executive short-let Properties and Windsor to its best advantage on film. The idea was initially thought up by Managing Director Nigel Holder, recognising the benefits of video footage on various social media, he thought it would be great to invite local cinematographers to enter our competition; a great experience for the students and what fantastic results! The videos were judged by a team at AWL who were blown away by the level of talent on their doorstep.

After vigorous viewing of all the submissions, it quickly became apparent that Sam’s video was the clear favourite, but the standard of entries was so high that we ended up creating two runners’ up prizes for Cory Thompson and Jack Smith to recognise their efforts.

Sam wins £250 together with a contract worth £2000 with Accommodation Windsor Limited to produce further videos of our short-let apartments and houses. This week Sam has completed filming the first video “Meet the Team” and a photoshoot for our Xmas Charity E-card. The video in itself has been a great team-building exercise and we are all really excited to see the results… more details to follow.

Sam shared his thoughts about winning first prize, “Nigel from Accommodation Windsor approached my college to produce a ninety second video entitled Windsor as a Destination. It was a fantastic opportunity for me and my peers as aspiring videographers to enter this competition and extremely beneficial to be given a chance at a corporate brief from a real client.

I was extremely nervous on the day Nigel came to announce the winner. I wanted to win so badly as the possibility of working on similar professional briefs was just too great a prize to miss out on. When Nigel announced that I had won I could barely speak! It was such a mixture of emotions; I was happy, excited, nervous and relieved all at the same time. Im so excited about working with Accommodation Windsor in the future and really thankful for the opportunity that they have given me.”

We have been delighted with the feedback from Sam’s prize-winning video “Windsor as a Destination”, it really does show Windsor at its finest and amazingly was completed in just three days! Sam is 18 years old and has already won a Young Bafta Award, he hopes to attend University when he finishes his course in Windsor and we think that he has a very bright future ahead.

Visit our Website to view Sam’s video “Windsor as a Destination” https://accommodation-windsor.co.uk/Windsor-Berkshire-Destination-Video.htm and let us know your thoughts.

Windsor Great Park Sunrise

Posted: Thu 17 November 2011 at 14:55

Windsor Great Park Sunrise, a photo by Matt Peters Photography on Flickr.

Beautful photo of the Great Park.

Windsor Castle

Posted: Thu 17 November 2011 at 14:53

Windsor Castle, a photo by davewilkins1979 on Flickr.

Great photo!

What’s on in Windsor this Christmas

Posted: Fri 11 November 2011 at 16:43

There is so much going on in Windsor this Winter here’s a list of the best events to add to your diaries.

Firstly the Windsor Contemporary Art Fair which is taking place at the Windsor Racecourse on 12^th and 13^th November. Here you can expect to see a wonderful range of artwork including paintings, photography and sculpture from both well established artists and new talents. Pieces start from just £40 so it’s the perfect place to kick start your Christmas shopping.

On Saturday 19^th November you can make your way to Windsor Town Centre to watch the switching on of the Christmas Lights. The festivities start with a traditional handmade lantern procession followed by live music on the main stage in front of the Castle. This year the lights are to be switched on by the stars of the Theatre Royal’s magnificent pantomime, Sleeping Beauty. The production of Sleeping Beauty runs from 7^th December until closing night on the 7^th January and stars Tony Christie and Brit Ekland. Tickets are now on sale.

You can also take the children for a truly magical Christmas experience on the 3^rd of December when Santa will be visiting complete with sleigh and real-live Reindeer! Enjoy the marching band while the children have their photo taken with Santa.

Finally, Alexander Gardens will once again be transformed into a Winter Wonderland this year with the arrival of the Christmas Ice Rink on 10^th December until 2^nd January. A gentle skate around this beautiful park is the perfect way to end a day of Christmas shopping in fabulous Windsor.

Whatever your plans, AWL wishes all of our customers a wonderful start to the Christmas season. www.accommodationwindsor.com.

Who Let the Dogs In…?

Posted: Wed 9 November 2011 at 14:36

If you visit Accommodation Windsor Limited here on Alma Road you will find everything you would expect in an office; desks, computers, a photocopier, paperwork… but there is also something (or someone) you probably wouldn’t expect – Ruby the Miniature Schnauzer.

Ruby is 3 years old and comes into the office everyday to play, sleep and greet our customers. Since moving away from home I have been missing my own dog so it is lovely for me to have Ruby around each day. She greets everyone with a wagging tail in the morning before snuggling up in her bed for a long morning snooze. That is until someone opens a package that might be food, then she’s up in a flash to scout out potential treats!

When our customers arrive they are often surprised and delighted to be greeted by Ruby who, although shy at first, loves meeting new people and having a fuss made of her.

It is often late afternoon that Ruby really wakes up and starts investigating what’s going on in her office. She likes to follow us to the kitchen and investigate the comings and goings at the front door. This has earned her the respectable title Head of Security. Having been entrusted with such an important role we thought it was only fair that Ruby featured on the Meet the Team page of our website along with the rest of us. She is after all a very important member of the team here at Accommodation Windsor Limited!

DIY Knowing When to Call in the Professionals

Posted: Tue 4 October 2011 at 13:14

DIY seems to sit neatly alongside the manly pursuit of BBQing; “No help required thank you. Just stand back and let me show you how it’s done.”

It is hard to ignore the manly instinct that tells us DIY is good and we can do it without professional help. Maybe we just want tools, or perhaps its some kind of homo sapiens nest-building urge, but we do need to recognise our limits.

I recently went to do a bit of work in a friends house, and it took a lot of persuasion from his wife to convince him to call me in to help. He is very handy himself and could have easily managed the jobs I did for him if he had the time. A new job and a second baby doesnt leave much time for DIY sadly, and although it was a slight dent to his pride to get me in, I know it was a great relief.

I was in the same position myself recently, confronted with a large DIY job at home which I just didnt have time to do. It is funny how a small job can slowly gain momentum and snowball into a huge one. The light bulb blew in our landing light and we decided that wed change the light fitting we had been thinking of doing this for some time, and the bulb blowing was just the catalyst required to push us into John Lewis lighting department. The only problem was, the light we bought looked rather good, and made the crack-filled, scuffed landing look even more unacceptable now we needed to redecorate.

Changing a light bulb swiftly turned into a full redecoration job and all went well. That is until, after stripping away the wallpaper, I realised that the entire hallway needed lining paper prior to painting. At that point things ground to a halt. We were by now quite accustomed to the walls in their rustic if rather unfinished state. My mother-in-law said they looked quite Provencal which was perhaps stretching the truth a touch, but at least she didnt say they had character. Suffice to say, I surrendered and the decorator was duly called to finish the job.

There are lots of reasons why people need help with jobs in their properties, and it isnt always a lack of know-how, but often simply a lack of time or a realisation that time could be better spent doing what we know best and letting other people take the pressure off.

Joe White works full-time for Accommodation Windsor Limited as Maintenance Manager. If you require help with maintenance, redecoration or design advice at your property, please do not hesitate to contact us at www.accommodation-windsor.co.uk on 01753 833747.

My First Week at Accommodation Windsor Limited

Posted: Thu 23 June 2011 at 13:31

With the end of my degree looming and the promise of final year exams soon to be over I decided it was probably a good time to start thinking about life after university; or as we like to call it the real world. Luckily I stumbled across a job advert on Facebook of all places. This advert stated that Accommodation Windsor Limited was looking for an Office Junior to help with administration, marketing, accounts, sales and much more besides. I thought what a great opportunity that would be to try my hand at a bit of everything. So I responded with my CV attached and waited patiently, but not altogether optimistically!

I didnt have to wait very long, the next day I received a call asking if I would be interested in having a phone interview for the position, which of course I was. Fifteen minutes later, the friendly woman on the other end of the phone told me that she thought it had gone really well and I would hear shortly about having an interview in person. A week later I was in the office of Accommodation Windsor for an interview, which was (to my relief!) very relaxed and informal and 2 weeks later I began working as an Office Junior.

When people ask me what Im doing now Ive finished my degree they usually expect me to say either one of 2 things, looking for a job or doing something related to the environment, my degree being a BSc in Geography. They are always surprised therefore when I tell them that I am working full time for an accommodation company. When they ask why I was interested in the job I tell them that I wanted to gain experience of working in a busy office environment where I could learn as much about the different aspects of running a company as I can. And I definitely picked the right job for that!

My first week at Accommodation Windsor was a blur of new information and new faces. I was shown how to check people into the Bed and Breakfast, how to work the databases, how to create, pay and file invoices, how to check the keys back in everyday and so much more that Im still trying to remember! Now I have a long list of daily tasks, my favourite of which is checking people into Alma House B&B because I get to chat to so many different people from all over the world.

Each day I walk into the town centre during my lunch hour and see that it is always buzzing with people either shopping or sight-seeing. As far as places to sit and eat your lunch on a sunny (or even rainy!) afternoon youd be hard pressed to beat the benches outside Windsor Castle. I am curious how long it will take before I stop feeling amazed at how beautiful a place Windsor is!

I am still getting to grips with some aspects of the job and learning new things everyday and of course I still make some mistakes now and then but I always go home at the end of a long day feeling satisfied and happy that I was lucky enough to get such a lovely job in such a lovely place.

Before & After at the Courtyard, Windsor

Posted: Fri 18 February 2011 at 16:00

Looking for a new property to add to our portfolio back in 2007, we were excited about viewing the Penthouse apartment at The Courtyard. Set back from the High Street in a charming and secluded courtyard, yet just moments from the bustling shops, restaurants and Castle, it couldn’t be better located.

Big too, with two bathrooms AND allocated parking. There was only one problem… the hideous décor…

The apartment had been a bolt hole for the owners who lived in Dubai, and on viewing the property we surmised that the last time it had seen a paintbrush was circa 1988. However, it was spacious, light and superbly located – with parking. We never met the vendors, dealing solely with the agent; and the only sticking point was their insistence that all contents were included in the price, so our first job was to hire a man with a van… and it was out with the chintz.

Money was short and time precious, so we painted, replaced as much furniture as we could afford and rented it out within a couple of weeks of completion.

Courtyard Before Refurbishment After Refurbishment Courtyard Apartments Windsor

Our first guest was a dream – he booked initially for a few weeks but ended up staying for over a year.

Our guest travelled regularly and was relaxed about us having access to the property whilst he was away. During each of his extended trips, we nipped in and blitzed another room. His only concern was raised when we told him about plans to knock through from the lounge to the kitchen to create a breakfast bar. He was worried that with the new open plan layout he would be disturbed by noise from the washing machine / tumble dryer when he was relaxing or working in the lounge. Good point! So with the help of our builders, we sourced and installed a Miele super silent model.

Windsor Short Lets Makeover Project Accommodation in Windsor

The photos featured below show the process from 80’s disaster zone to stylish flagship property.

We started with the main bathroom; clean but old-fashioned, It had to go. With stylish new tiles and a funky white suite, it’s now a haven for relaxation.

before bathroom makeover after bathroom makeover

We knocked through from the lounge to the kitchen opening up the space and creating a new breakfast bar. The lounge was dreary and dated with dark grey carpets and lots of swags and tails at the windows. We laid solid wood floor throughout the lounge and hallway and soft, neutral carpets in the hallway and bedrooms. We ripped out the melamine units making the lounge appear instantly bigger.

Out with the old and in with the new fitted kitchen. We fitted an integrated silent washing machine / tumble dryer, dishwasher, fridge and freezer. Granite worktops and black ceramic floor tiles add drama.

Peach walls, velour headboard and white melamine furniture. It must have been stylish at some point. We re-decorated, re-carpeted bedrooms, added oak flooring to hallway and living room, replaced the furniture and put in a new en-suite – that’s better!

ensuite before makeover ensuite after makeover

This apartment was awarded 4 GOLD stars by Visit England in subsequent years. Modern and stylish but with a homely feel, the property is spacious with lots of natural light, and delightful views to both Bachelors Acre and Windsor Castle; just about as close to town as you can get. We’ve installed flat screen TVs and top spec SKY+ package, ensuring high occupancy and lots of happy guests. To find out more about pricing and availability at the Courtyard Penthouse apartment please contact us on 01753 833747 or stay@accwindsor.co.uk.

The Courtyard penthouse Windsor self catering Bedroom Penthouse Apartment Windsor

Accommodation Windsor – a small company with big ideas…

Posted: Tue 8 February 2011 at 10:54

There are a number of accommodation providers in Windsor; from Guesthouses and Hotels to private Landlords and Agents, offering properties to rent on short or long-term agreements.

So why choose Accommodation Windsor Limited?

We are unique in this area providing a fantastic variety of properties available for short-term lets from a minimum of one week and we will always be open and honest in our dealings with you.

We focus on Windsor and Eton – we love this area and think it has a lot to offer to both visitors and those relocating to the area. We have a wealth of experience and knowledge of Windsor and have an office superbly located in the town centre. Easy to find and best placed to provide you with all the advice you need on your property’s location from schools to supermarkets. Check out our article on What Makes Windsor Special.

We know our properties – a handful we own, but the majority of the sixty or so properties in our portfolio we manage on behalf of our Landlords and we know each and every one.

We know how the heating works and how to turn on the TV.

We regularly visit our properties and strive to improve the standard on an ongoing basis. We also provide a comprehensive information pack which contains everything you need from local maps to appliance user guides.

We know about accommodation – having been in the town since we bought Alma House Bed & Breakfast in 1998. Whatever your accommodation needs we can help; from providing one night accommodation in our B&B to short listing properties for rental or purchase. We have previously bought and sold property in Windsor for ourselves and clients.

We regularly introduce buyers and sellers and are often approached for advice on buying property in Windsor, whether as an investment or a home.

We’re here to help – with a friendly and innovative team. Our office is open from 8:30am to 6pm Monday to Fridays and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays. Outside of these hours we have an emergency mobile and call-out staff for those situations that simply won’t wait until the morning.

We’re flexible in our approach – we tried to standardise things but you are all so individual! For this reason we have learnt to adapt to your needs. Whether it’s an awkward flight time or you want some flowers and champagne on arrival – we’ll do our best to find a solution that makes your stay with us as smooth and stress-free as possible.

We have great relationships with our Landlords – many of whom have become personal friends.

We love to work with positive and professional Landlords who are keen to maintain and improve their properties recognising that this is beneficial not only to you, the client, but also to their investment.

We employ a full-time Property Manager and Handyman – to ensure that any unfortunate problems are dealt with quickly and efficiently. If we can’t fix it, we have a long list of people who can. We work hard to anticipate problems in advance and seek to replace or renew before you’re inconvenienced.

We employ a full-time housekeeping team – in order to maintain a consistently high standard of property cleanliness and presentation. Our cleaning team works directly for us ensuring excellent communication. The team takes responsibility for cleaning, laundering, basic maintenance and weekly servicing where requested.

We’re friendly – having built up great relationships with other agents and short-term providers in the town, if we can’t help you, we’ll find someone who can. Many of our clients use short term accommodation as a stop-gap to purchasing or renting a home longer term and we are well placed to find an agent who can help find the right property for you.

We provide a personal service – by being local and available. We’re not a faceless online entity that you’ll never get to meet; our team is friendly and approachable and the office is centrally located near all our properties so you can call in if you need to.

We give you peace of mind – by ensuring that our properties are compliant with health and safety regulations. We know the rules and check all properties have working smoke alarms, compliant lighting, annual gas safety checks and regular boiler servicing. That way we all get a good night’s sleep!

We listen to our customers – if you’re not happy nor are we.

It might be that the property failed to meet your expectations or maybe you loved the curtains; either way we want to know. We provide feedback forms for each customer in every property and if you are kind enough to let us know what you think, we’ll listen and learn – good or bad.

We have lots of happy customers – but that won’t stop us from looking to further improve the services and property that we provide to you. Please see our Testimonials page for some of our customers’ comments.

Call Accommodation Windsor Limited – for all your accommodation needs contact us on 01753 833747 or Book Online here: www.accommodation-windsor.co.uk