After a bit of a rushed journey from the office to the Macdonald Berystede we had a nice refreshing glass of pimms and some amazing canapés consisting of some indulgent mini burgers, interesting chilli popcorn and delightful asparagus wrapped in Parma ham waiting for us on the terrace, along with the lovely Mathew Turvey and Melissa Moore. The hotel looks very historical from the outside with a horse led theme inside due to being so close to the famous Ascot racecourse. The function rooms are beautiful and have some great private bar areas for drinks receptions and versatile spaces to accommodate a gala dinner at a Masonic Ladies Festival. For your leisure time the hotel has the most fabulous spa with numerous treatments on offer, as well as an unusually large swimming pool (for a hotel) with the added bonus of an exit to a small pool outside and a gym.
We were then transported to a different era when we arrived at the Macdonald Frimley Hall hotel, with its air of grandeur and the wonderful design of the exterior of the building. It has a selection of different room types all well appointed and decorated nicely. The regal feature rooms add a hint of luxury, with old English style shutters on the windows and glorious giant bathrooms each with a special unique feature. They had arranged a barbeque for us on the lawn outside the hotel, however this was moved in to the cosy private dining room due to it being a bit chilly. The food was fantastic, with seasonal ingredients sourced from the UK where possible, which adds to the dining experience in my opinion. The room that we were in would be perfect for private dining for up to 20 people; however the hotel does have a variety of larger function rooms, which are gorgeous, that would be ideal for a Masonic Gala dinner.
We travelled back to the Berystede and had a quick drink before going to bed. The rooms in the Berystede are lovely, with huge showers and baths too. The bed was comfy and the soft furnishings in the room complimented the décor wonderfully.
After a good night sleep we all met for breakfast then travelled to the Macdonald Compleat Angler where the view is spectacular, beyond all expectation, with the water around the weir sparkling in the sunshine, it was beautiful. We had a show round of the versatile conference and meeting facilities, which would be great for private dining and conferences and then we saw the hotels well appointed bedrooms. The hotel also has a three AA rosette restaurant called Aubergine which is beautifully designed with a fantastic menu on offer. After we had seen all of the fantastic features that the hotel has to offer we were offered a fabulous array of options to eat for brunch ranging from egg and bacon baps to smoked salmon and kedgeree.
We then went to the Macdonald Windsor Hotel where we entered through the quiet back entrance of the hotel, a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of the street running in front of the hotel. We were shown around the surprisingly large facilities, considering it is in the centre of Windsor and seemed to be just an average sized building wide from the outside. A great location for a Ladies Festival Weekend as there is so much to see and do during your leisure time with it being so close to the magnificent Windsor Castle and a great shopping centre. The bedrooms are all of a high standard, well decorated and modern with all of the amenities that you would expect.
All in all a fantastic weekend with lots of lovely food and great company.
For more information or assistance in planning your Masonic Ladies Festival please contact Matt Devine or the rest of the team at Square Events by phone on 01202 400 855 or by email to [email protected]