Last Minute Accommodation in Bracknell

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It is a rare occasion that my husband and I get to spend some time alone just the two of us, and so to my great pleasure a few weeks ago my parents came to visit and offered to look after the children for a night! Brilliant! My husband and I got thinking of what we could spend the day and night doing as we thought we should make the most of it! We knew we wanted to get away for the night, however we were not too keen on going far either, the other issue we faced was we had two days to organise it, so it was a very last minute arrangement. 

We looked at a lot of the hotels in Bracknell our hometown, but they all seemed to be very business like and not really what we had in mind. So we widened our search slightly too possible places just outside of Bracknell, and that is when we came across the Country House Hotel. From looking at their website it looked to be a very cosy looking place and at such a reasonable price! So I immediately called them up to check if they had availability and they did, we were thrilled. I spoke to a very helpful Receptionist who explained for us it might be better if we were to book a Dinner, Bed and Breakfast rate. On arrival to the Stirrups Country House Hotel we were met by a wave of friendliness, check in was very quick and the room we had been given had a beautiful view across the gardens. I was very quick to jump into the bath and began to unwind. It was heaven! We had booked a table in the restaurant on arrival but got down slightly early and had a drink at the bar. 

The staffs were all so friendly and we were sat at a lovely table next to the fire, however I was certainly not expecting the food to be as tasty as it was! It was the perfect night away, right on the doorstep of Bracknell - who knew! It exceeded our expectations for such a lastminute accommodation in Bracknell get away! One thing I found great about the Stirrups Hotel was the small size of it meant that the experience was that bit more personal and although we were only there for the night the staff very friendly and it is always nice to see the same faces. My husband and I would most certainly come back, maybe next time it wouldn't have to be such a last minute rush! I would recommend the Stirrups Country House Hotel to anyone who is looking for somewhere close to Bracknell, but with all the beauty that comes from being in the countryside!

Hotels in Bracknell

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When we received an invite to our friends Golden Wedding Anniversary celebrations at their house in Bracknell in a few months time, we had a brainwave to do a little bit of research about Hotels in Bracknell, to save us the journey back home late at night after the party. We didn't want to ask to stay at our friends as they already had a large family, so a Hotel was our only option. We wanted to stay in a Hotel that was close enough to the centre of Bracknell so that we would be able to get taxis to and from the party without huge expense, and also in a nice location outside of town so we could have a peaceful weekend away from home at the same time. Living in the city, this is a rare opportunity. 

After staying in many Hotels in Bracknell due to a great deal of my business travel being situated in the Bracknell area, I already had a good idea of the range of different Hotels in Bracknell and none of which really suited the cosy, small and homely Hotel we had in mind for our visit. However, we soon came across Stirrups Country House Hotel. Due to Stirrups Country House Hotel not being a chain Hotel, it has not been somewhere I had stayed before due to my company always picking the big corporate hotels. The location was perfect! Less than a 10 minute taxi journey into Bracknell Town Centre and with someone at Stirrups all night, there was no rush to end our celebrations early in fear we would be locked out! The location of Stirrups Country House Hotel also meant we could end our weekend away with a lovely visit to Windsor Castle the next day (and a spot of shopping for my Wife!). The location, cosy atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff definitely makes Stirrups a top choice. When returning to Bracknell on business travel next, I shall definitely request Stirrups as my top choice when staying at Hotels in Bracknell. The home from home feel at Stirrups would definitely make the Hotel a top choice for Business customers travelling away from home regularly, I'm sure. My wife and I shall definitely recommend to family, friends and colleagues. 

Easter Holiday Breaks 2013

With the Christmas Holidays seeming a long time ago, and the weather beginning to get warmer it is looking as if Spring is on its way. When Spring is upon us we know Easter is near, and along with this comes the School Holidays which my children believe to be an excuse to sit around and eat their chocolate eggs all day. Last Easter I wanted to do something with them, take them away for a couple of days. I did however not want to go abroad as the prices just shoot through the roof. So I started looking at different attractions and possible day trips to do. My children are at the perfect age that Legoland would be the perfect amusement park for them, and only having been once before they were keen to go again; with this in mind I thought Windsor would be a lovely area to visit, we had not visited the castle and from what I had heard it was beautiful sat by the River Thames. I then began to look for hotels in Windsor, and near Legoland but most of what I came across did not look very family friendly and too business orientated. So I thought to look a bit further afield and that is when I came across Stirrups Country House Hotel. From the website I was highly impressed, it was not too big, it was close to Legoland and Windsor; as well as having beautiful grounds (perfect for the children to burn off some energy.)

I called the Stirrups Country House Hotel and spoke to a very helpful receptionist, who told me of the special offer the hotel run for Easter Holiday Breaks, they had a variety of family rooms and all these rates included breakfast. She also told me they had numerous train stations close by which went straight into London, I thought- perfect! It will almost be like killing THREE birds with one stone! After I gave the hotel some details about my children they said they had the perfect room for me, and they were right! It was a great size, my children were thrilled to see Activity Packs on their beds when we arrived (as was I after the journey.) On our first two days we went to Legoland which is much closer than I expected it to be, then we ventured into Windsor and on our final day we went into London. Due to the fact we enjoyed ourselves so much last year we have already booked for our Easter Holiday Break again this year, the children, my husband and I cannot wait to return to Stirrups Country House Hotel and we would recommend it to anyone!

Venues for Weddings in Bracknell

My best friend got engaged recently, and I was just overjoyed that she asked me to be not only a Bridesmaid, but a Maid of Honour! What a privilege; we've been best friends since we met in the playground at the age of 5, and while other friends have come and gone, we've always been there for each other. I think her sister was a bit miffed that I got the honour but never mind, hey..!

I knew one of my duties as being Maid of Honour was to organise the hen party. I have had lots of time to think about this - always knowing that I was going to be involved - so I already had plenty of great ideas. What I wasn't expecting is that the Bride wanted my help in choosing the Wedding venue! Her job often requires her to work evenings and weekends so asked if I would go and check out venues for Weddings for her, and then she would go and see the ones I liked. She knew she could trust my judgement, and her fiancé was able to accompany me on occasion too.

Both the Bride and Groom's families are very local, and being real family people they were both keen to have a local wedding to ensure that everybody could come. So I was pretty much limited to looking at venues for weddings in Bracknell.. Now I wasn't exactly spoilt for choice. A lot of the Wedding venues in Bracknell double up as conference centres, with the emphasis being on conference centre.  I knew this was not the sort of atmosphere my best friend would like, so I carried on my search and looked for something a bit different.

After taking many wasted trips to conference centres (isn't the Bride lucky she didn't have to waste her time doing that!) I found the perfect Wedding venue in Bracknell. Just north of Bracknell and near to Ascot, lies Stirrups Country House Hotel. This bespoke 19th century property has been beautifully renovated, keeping aspects of its original Tudor origins while bringing it up to date with modern features and fittings. Every element of the Hotel is just ideal for creating the perfect atmosphere, and being licensed for Civil Ceremonies it means that the whole day can take place there - no need for the family to travel far and wide!

I was completely sold after one trip there and urged the Bride and Groom to both go at their first opportunity. They arranged to visit this perfect Wedding venue in Bracknell that was hiding away, and fell in love with it instantly as I had done. They met with the Events Organiser and paid their deposit within a week of my first visit. Both she and I couldn't believe that I had managed to find this wonderfully perfect venue for a Wedding in Bracknell, never has a Maid of Honour outdone her duties so well!

Mother’s Day Lunch/ Mother’s Day Meal

Every year I treat my Mum to a special lunch on Mothering Sunday. I’ve tried cooking it in the past, but trust me, it’s much more of a treat when I take her out! She appreciates the effort I put in taking her out, but that doesn’t stop her from finding little niggles to complain about. I swear, this woman is impossible to please! 

I tried many places over the years for our Mother’s Day Lunch, but I found it hard to please my mum in every aspect of the day. If the food was nice then she didn’t like the setting, if she liked the setting she didn’t like the staff, if she liked the staff the food was a let down... Like I said she is simply impossible to please! I don’t know why I kept trying, but I’m so glad I did persist in my search to find the perfect venue, because I did find it. And the woman, who was impossible to please, suddenly had nothing to complain about. 

We’ve now been having our Mother’s Day meal at Stirrups Country House Hotel every year for the last 3 years, and it’s something Mum looks forward to as soon as March begins! The setting is simply beautiful; a country house hotel set in the Berkshire countryside, close to Windsor, Ascot and Bracknell. With perfectly manicured lawns and gardens the spring flowers are a delight to see, while the atmosphere and service from the staff is simply unrivalled. Everybody is so friendly and wanting to go out of their way to make everyone’s Mother’s Day lunch exceptional. And the food, well what can I say... It is always expertly cooked and you know you can rely on it to be delicious every time. 

With all of this combined, our Mother’s Day meals at Stirrups Country House Hotel are always a joy and completely surpass my Mum’s expectations. And now that she has nothing to complain about, spending quality time together is all the more a nice experience! 

Stirrups Hotel- 2013 Valentine’s Breaks

I am a big romantic at heart, so when it comes to Valentine’s Day I really like to go all out to show my loved one just how much they mean to me. I know, I know, I could do that any day of the year... But there’s just something special about the 14th February. It’s the combination of the cold and often snowy weather that just encourages you to get cuddling, and offers and discounts on chocolates and wine from the beginning of February which I take full advantage of in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, perfect to put you in a good mood!

My partner and I have been together for 9 years now, and each Valentine’s Day has been special in its own way. Quite often we’d just go out for dinner or take a day trip, and most thought would go into the gifts we gave each other. But this year, 2013, I wondered if I could combine the gift with the outing on a special Valentine’s Break. I fancied a night away in a romantic hotel, just the two of us. I wanted a peaceful location, a friendly and intimate atmosphere, good food and wine – all for a good price. 

I started doing some research and found that many hotels in the Windsor & Ascot area were offering packages for 2013 Valentine’s Breaks, but the best one I found that was perfect for us, was at Stirrups Country House Hotel. This country house hotel is the perfect countryside retreat, in a tranquil and romantic setting. Their package offered for 2013 Valentine’s Breaks is a fantastic deal; Dinner, Bed & Breakfast for £160.00, including a bottle of Champagne and Chocolates in the room on arrival! I paid to upgrade to a Junior Suite – with a 4 poster bed! There’s nothing more romantic than a 4 poster bed... This sorted the outing, gift and thought, all in one special combination.

I’ve managed to arrange all of this without my partner knowing, he thinks we’re just going out for dinner to our favourite local restaurant. I can’t wait to surprise him with our special Valentine’s Break to Stirrups Country House Hotel!