Last Minute Availability

Posted: Mon 10 March 2014 at 15:51

Check out these incredible last minute deals on one of our most popular apartments.

This great two bedroom apartment has had a complete makeover by an interior designer, with new solid oak flooring and funky new furniture including this great trunk that doubles up as a coffee table. Put your feet up and relax in comfort and enjoy the first signs of spring in the delightful patio garden. This property also benefits from off street parking yet is superbly located just minutes walk from Windsor town centre.

This stunning property is suitable for both executives and small families and is offered at GBP595 per week during March (was GBP700) including all bills and council tax. (Minimum one week stay, Terms & Conditions apply).

If you would like to book this or any of our other properties please call Lisa in Lettings on + 44 (0)1753 833747 or email lisa@almahouse.co.uk

Why book Short Term Accommodation?

Posted: Mon 3 March 2014 at 15:28

Click Here – Lisa Fisher explains the benefits of Short Term Letting

Lisa Fisher

Our Lettings Manager, Lisa Fisher, talks about the benefits of short term accommodation in this quick and interesting video. Space, facilities and price are just a few of the advantages to choosing a short term property over hotel accommodation. If you are located away from home for a period of time there are lots of advantages to booking with Accommodation Windsor Limited. Let us take all the stress out of your move / relocation or short break. Superbly located with fabulous facilities our properties are stylish with all the convenience of your own home. Prices include utilities, WiFi and parking.

You just need to pack a suitcase and we’ll take care of the rest…

Meet the Team Video

Posted: Wed 15 February 2012 at 15:59

Recently the team at Accommodation Windsor enjoyed a taste of Hollywood during the making of our first ever Meet the Team video filmed and edited by Sam Taylor, the winner of our recent video competition “Destination Windsor”. We started with an initial brain-storming session, which got us all buzzing with ideas. After this, we decided to introduce each member of staff by giving a small glimpse of what they do each day, for me this meant a lot of answering the phone, greeting people at the door, doing check-ins and check-outs and taking payments. It was tiring work but also a lot of fun which reflects exactly what a normal day at Accommodation Windsor Limited is really like.

It was tricky to get all our ideas into such a short, two and a half minute video. We wanted to show all aspects of what we do at work including taking bookings, checking in guests, fighting our way through a mountain of paper work, meeting landlords and purchasing fabulous home furnishings. Luckily a number of our landlords are also close friends so were happy to help to get stuck in with the filming.

The completed video will be shown to the world via our website and various social media sites. It was therefore not surprising then that we all came to work on the first day of filming looking our absolute best! The team at Accommodation Windsor Limited have never looked so glamorous. The filming itself lasted just a few days and was a lot of fun and turned into a great team-building exercise. The Meet the Team video is a great way to show potential clients, Landlords and guests how we work together and what kind of a company we are. We recently used the video to advertise a job vacancy and had such a positive response from candidates who all felt we would be a great company to work for!

Working with Sam on this video has been a pleasure for all of us, he has a very professional and creative attitude which filled us all with energy and enthusiasm. We cant wait to see the rest of the videos he will be creating for us in the future which will feature a number of our apartments as well as videos on where to eat, drink and shop in Windsor.

Swans

Posted: Sat 31 December 2011 at 10:52

Swans, a photo by johnbailey1 on Flickr.

Lovely shot from River Thames of the swans.

The Making of a Christmas Card

Posted: Wed 14 December 2011 at 16:40

The idea began in 2009, with an eye on world events and a dread of signing hundreds of Christmas cards, we decided to donate our budget for printing corporate cards to charity and send out an E-card instead. Together with the girls in the office, we donned our sparkliest outfits and popped open some bubbly. Charles Nicholls – friend, Landlord and keen photographer volunteered to come and take the pics for us.

The following year we asked the Housekeeping Team to join in with the photo, even dressing up Ruby with a big red ribbon. This year, the team has grown again and some of our Landlords managed to gatecrash the photoshoot too. We decided to host at our home as a way of saying Thank You to the Team for all their hard efforts throughout the year.

Add in some nibbles and fizzy stuff and the evening took on quite a lively flavour.

As is becoming the trend when we all get together, the Team are keen to share their unique party tricks with their colleagues. Who knew Rosie (an ex-gymnast and trampolinist) could pick up a Champagne cork from the floor using only her mouth? Or that several of her colleagues would then be inspired to see if they could too… Or that together, with Nigel leading on the drums, we would so enjoy “performing” (and I use this term loosely) Stevie Wonder tracks in Nigel’s new music studio, despite none of us being able to sing or play any instruments. (Video footage of this event is currently on lockdown!!)

So the donation we are making this year is to El Rohi Community School in Uganda (the school name comes from the Hebrew for Good Shepherd). We hope that our small contribution will make a difference to the lives of children much less fortunate than our own. A friend at our daughter’s school is an airline pilot and she has become involved with the school over in Kampala, dropping off spare clothing and stationery each time she visits. Food is exhorbitantly expensive in Uganda and it is a constant dilemma for the Headmistress there to juggle the finances and provide a nutritious meal for the pupils – often the only meal that they will have each day. We would like to support the school on an ongoing basis so more info to follow in the New Year.

We hope you enjoy our Christmas e-card and approve of our nominated charity. We’ve had a lot of fun putting it together and feel proud to have contributed in some small way to help others.

We would like to wish all our Friends, Customers, Landlords and Suppliers the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years! Visit our Facebook page to see more pics of our photoshoot.

“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.

Stretch

Posted: Thu 10 November 2011 at 14:32

Stretch, a photo by Bob the Binman on Flickr.

Here’s another one for you – lovely shot of the swans by Bob the Binman!

Top Ten Things to do in Windsor for FREE

Posted: Tue 4 October 2011 at 14:15

Days out and weekends away can be expensive, especially with the kids in tow, so we thought we’d have a look at how much you can do in Windsor for FREE.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD & WINDSOR GUILDHALL

guard change, windsor, serviced apartments Windsor, accommodation windsor, things to do in windsor

CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT WINDSOR

The Changing of the Guard is where the hustle and bustle is taking place late mornings (10.50 am). The parade which can include the Coldstream Guards, Grenadier Guards, Welsh Guards or occasionally the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment and accompanying band, is a real treat for visitors. Lots of information on the guard change can be found on this website: Guard Change at Windsor

Our pick for best view is the Windsor Guildhall in the centre of town. The site of many a famous wedding, including Prince Charles and Sir Elton John, the building has steps which will let you see over the crowds to get a good view. While there, spend some time looking round the impressive building, first built in 1687 and completed by Sir Christopher Wren. You will note that the four columns to the Guildhall do not touch the ceiling above – legend has it that Wren was told he needed to install supporting pillars but he did not agree – he had the last laugh by installing them but leaving a gap of a few inches above – so they do not support anything and are purely decorative!

THE LONG WALK TO THE COPPER HORSE

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The 2.64 miles of stunning, Elm tree lined walk leads from the doorstep of the Castle to the top of Snow Hill, which has the most amazing views over Windsor. At the top of the hill is the copper statue of King George III on horseback. The legend has it that King Henry VIII sat at the top of this hill waiting for news of the execution of his second wife, Anne Boleyn.

This is a fantastic walk and is popular with tourists and locals alike. On the way back you can stop off for a glass of something cool at the wonderful Two Brewers pub located at the Castle gates on Park Street.

ROYAL WINDSOR (WINDOW) SHOPPING

The Royal Windsor shopping area is largely covered and built on the site of the 100 year old railway station right in the centre of town. It boasts an array of top retail brands and chic cafes for a great combination of shopping and relaxing. You can plan what to buy after pay day!

FULL SIZED REPLICAS

hawker hurricane at Windsor, serviced apartments windsor, accommodation windsor ltd Windsor is home to two exquisite full-sized replicas in and around the town. First is the steam locomotive, set in Windsor and Eton Central train station. This is a full size replica of the steam engine that pulled the Royal Train of Queen Victoria between Windsor and London.

The other is the Hawker Hurricane, the legendary WWII Fighter plane – a memorial to Windsor resident Sir Sydney Camm. Both are impressive in their own right and are in great locations. The Hawker Hurricane is along Barry Avenue by the river near the mini golf at Alexandra Gardens.

VISIT ST JOHN’S CHURCH

St Johns Church Windsor

St. Johns Parish Church is located in the centre of town just along the High Street from the Castle. Built in a medieval style in 1822 this grand church contains the Royal Borough’s war memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Second World War and a spectacular painting of the Last Supper. All are welcome to the parish church and it is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm.

The church has a great 360 image of the inside on their website here: Parish Church Windsor

Windsor Swans

FEED THE SWANS

Feeding the swans is an activity which can be enjoyed by people of all ages and there is certainly no lack of swans to feed at Windsor Bridge. We strongly recommend that you purchase a bag of swan feed from the food stall located near the Bridge as opposed to feeding them bread. This is because swans and ducks don’t get any nutritional value from bread as much as they might love it! There is a safe area to feed the swans and this is usually a very popular spot for tourists with young children or for photo opportunities as the best place to feed them is by Windsor Bridge – a footbridge that takes you over to Eton. This bridge was closed to vehicles back in 1970 due to cracks in the ironwork that were caused by constant heavy traffic.

It is possible to drive to Eton from Windsor – you just have to take the long way round!

EXPLORE WINDSOR GREAT PARK

WINDSOR GREAT PARK This beautiful and vast open space provides the perfect setting for picnics, ball games, kite flying and cycling – you can bring your dog too.

ALEXANDRA GARDENS

Take a picnic along to Alexandra Gardens where you can relax in a beautiful setting with a perfect view of the castle, kick-back and enjoy the Windsor Wheel gently revolving in the summer season or watch the ice-skaters throughout the winter months.

QUEENS WALKWAY

The Queens Walkway is a sixty-four-stop walking tour in and around Windsor. The route is marked by Gunmetal Plaques with the Queen’s Seal on. The tour will take you around some of the spots we have on our list and a whole lot more and includes a guide with interesting information about each of the stops.

http://media.wix.com/ugd/241361_156d2f735e6f4bb4b23569f22f2df206.pdf

(credit to The Outdoor Trust, Commonwealth walkways)

ETON WALKWAY AND MUSEUMS

Like the Queens Walkway, the Eton Walkway is a walking tour around the historic town, home to one of England’s most famous and prestigious school. This tour takes you through the town showing off the eclectic range of architecture, the remarkable individual pieces of the school

WALK ALONG THE WINDSOR TRAIL

Enjoy an easy stroll along the River Thames Path in either direction from the Castle to see some wonderful countryside and historic locks and towns. Walking from Windsor to Old Windsor offers wonderful views of the Castle and provides the opportunity to explore Datchet on the way. Keep going past Old Windsor to Runnymede to see where King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215.

WINDSOR CASTLE

jubilee fountain windsor castle

Residents of Windsor can enjoy unlimited free entry to Windsor Castle with their Advantage Cards. Non-residents who don’t want to pay to enter can still enjoy walking around the outside of the Castle where it meets the High Street with lots of lovely photo opportunities.

If you are feeling flush and would like to buy Windsor Castle Tickets please click on the link! Although not free Windsor Castle is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. We get a small commission from the sale of Windsor Castle tickets which helps us to maintain this and other free sites like Royal-Windsor.com where you can find suggestions on places to eat in Windsor and places to stay – from bed and breakfasts to Windsor Hotels.

Thanks for reading!

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.