The Windsor Castle Hotel

Due to some more family business, my wife & I travelled back to Maitland, of course we could have done the 2.5 hour trip each way in one day, but hey, we WANTED to include the WCH in our trip. It was so good last time, we had to go back. As we were late to check in, and arrived at peak dinner time, we had to park down the very back of the carpark. This is ok during the day, but quite a challenged at night. There is no lighting at all in this bottom car park area, so please be careful.Some lighting like the rest of the well lit parking lot would be fantastic.We booked the room, and it happened to be the same room we stayed in last time, the rooms are so comfortable, well finished and spacious. The tea & coffee making is great and the fasted boiling jug/kettle I have seen.The fridge for your drinks to travel with is a bonus.Hot water in the shower was a real problem on Saturday night, but no issue Sunday morning.As with last time, we had to be sure to pre book a table. On Friday & Saturday nights it is a MUST. But you will need to ring and book a few days ahead to avoid disappointment. This place is surely the busiest place in Maitland at dinner time.The customers start rolling in en mass around 5:45-6:00pm. If you haven't booked, forget it until about 7:30 when tables start to free up a little.So if you are a late eater no booking needed.The food comes out thick and fast, and where we were sitting we had a great view of the kitchen. The staff all dress in a very smart uniform right down to the same flat cheese cutter caps, they look very tidy indeed.The boys out back, and the girls on the counter all work very hard to get food out quickly, and quick it is, but for some customers I heard at the pass & the bar, no matter how quick the food was delivered, it still wasn't good enough.The hard working staff do not need customers like this complaining about food delivery times, when the customer CHOOSES to come at their busiest time!!!!!C'mon people, give the staff a break and the credit they are due. Plus the nice staff don't need to listen to whingers like you. Come later if you don't want to complain.Young workers in this fantastic place do not need to be abused, they are simply doing their best.As we were also there at the busiest time, we chose to sit down, enjoy a few drinks, play some Keno and watch the world go by. A great place to sit and relax.When the dinner queue thinned out a bit we ordered dinner, and the entre came out within 10 minutes of ordering, and the place was still quite busy, so this was good. Not quite 15 minutes later, all dinner orders were ready, and steaming hot on the pass.I had the crumbed cutlets, and they were some of the best I have ever had.Terrific food, terrific people, a terrific place. Do not miss it!Great job guys.We are already planning our next visit to the WCH, but we will be bringing quite a few family members with us.

Average food, average atmosphere. Food is quite expensive also. Not impressed definitely won't be back for dinner.

Pub grub is always good but the pizzas are a must - they also do take away for convenience Friendly service

Our meals were better than expected after reading other reviews about 'typical pub grub'. The thai beef salad and pan fried salmon with chats were both good dishes well presented and seasoned. The salmon was slightly over cooked but that was the only fault. There was a selection of roasted tomatoes, beans and chats served under the salmon and presentation was well above 'typical pub grub'. The menu did contain a lot of the usual favourites but that doesn't mean there aren't more interesting meals available.

We liked the welcoming atmosphere, the people and the general good feel of the whole place.It makes you smile when you walk in.Locating the Windsor Castle Hotel, is a piece of cake.Just over 1 minute off the main road, the carpark is easy to find. Be careful, as it is a one way carpark, enter the carpark from Lawes St only, exit is onto George St, next to the bottle shop.Once in the carpark, it isn't very well signposted, but we only saw a couple of cars trying to exit the in gate, but no accidents.If staying at the WCH, access is from the large covered walkway and steps that are just in, and to the right, as you access from Lawes St.The carpark is massive, so there is no issue here.Accessibility for the elderly & disabled is fantastic with good low angle ramps for easy walking, or pushing a wheelchair. It is very inviting, and quite pleasant to access the pub from this rear entrance, considering the front is the original façade, and it just does not appear to be hiding this Aladdin's cave behind.Once inside, you will notice this place is HUGE, very popular & very busy.We arrived Friday afternoon, and was asked if we were planning to dine in. We were planning this, and was promptly advised to book a table, which of course the young lady (Rhiannon), promptly did for us. She was very helpful, and pleasant, and could not do enough for us. A great first encounter here.When we came back down for dinner, at around 6:30pm, WOW. EVERY table had a reserved sign on it, and boy does this place have lots of tables.I highly recommend dining here, as the food is sensational, and of course is very popular with the locals.They have daily specials as well.Just be sure to book a table to avoid missing out. Yes, it is THAT busy and popular.We preferred to sit near the bar / dance floor area, as the very packed dining area, is very focused towards children, and large groups.Activities are supplied to the kids, so they are occupied. Well done.The bar staff are fantastic, very well mannered and pleasing to talk to, however a few of them, don't watch when customers walk up to the bar, and it seems the loudest, tallest and inconsiderate of others, get served first, for a quiet & short person as I am, waiting in line and "trying" to get noticed, & served seemed to be a chore on the Saturday night. Friday night with the staff on duty then, was not an issue. The Saturday bar staff seemed quite young and inexperienced, and a bit out of their league. They will learn quickly I am sure.The food is fantastic, our meals were amazing, absolutely no complaints or issues here. Order your meals at the food area, get a buzzer, and even on Friday night, which seemed to be the busiest, food was quite quick, hot, fresh and very tasty.Meal sizes are HUGE, you will not leave the WCH hungry that's for sure. A great selection of condiments are available at a central location, so no issues here.Sometimes when you pay extra for a gravy, or a sauce, you get a small plastic container for the $1 or $2 extra you pay. Not here, for the asking price of $1 extra for a sauce or a gravy, you get a massive stainless steel gravy boat of what you wanted. AMAZING!Some of the food we saw on the pass, or being taken to the tables were stunning. The basic old reliable of "fish n chips" was epic in proportions. I always like to say, "you can gage a restaurant by its garlic bread & its chips".I am happy to say that the garlic bread & the chips, were some of the best we have ever had.We have eaten all over the world, so this was a great surprise, but very welcome.A lot of places do these basic things badly, but here it was fantastic.Our food on both nights (Friday & Saturday) was nothing short of fantastic. This shows great consistency, and I am sure the locals wouldn't arrive on mass as they do, if there were food related issues. Top notch food, that's for sure.We really enjoyed it, and have already recommended this to our friends in Sydney who would like to go to Maitland for a visit.There is also a huge gaming & betting area in the pub, which was very well attended.Plenty of casual seating, inside & out, you will always find a great place to enjoy your night here.I booked our room on line, through booking.com and nothing could be easier, I was even sent a txt reminding me if I had to cancel or alter my booking, that I only had 24 hours left to do it.A great and easy to use way of booking a room.The day before our arrival, I rang just to confirm, and spoke with the General Manager Helinka. This young lady was very professional, but also understanding, helpful and extremely pleasant.One of the best phone manners I have encountered, and in no way in a rush. I felt like I was her only and most important customer. I mentioned to her that it was my wife & I wedding anniversary, as the purpose of us traveling to begin with (plus doing family tree research)Upon arrival, our room was decorated with flowers, wine & beer, and a lovely message that was from the "Windsor Castle Crew" This young lady & her staff went out of their way, above and beyond, to make someone she has never met extremely welcome and happy. This was completely unexpected, and it was a huge and fantastic surprise to us both.VERY well done guys!This is what country people do, and it is just something us here in Sydney have not seen for years.The rooms are very modern, comfortable and well appointed.The air-conditioning works very well, the hot water didn't run out, and the shower head was generous. The very large window also opens to get some of that great country air.The TV is great, tea and coffee making is in the room, and a big bar fridge is also provided.However, there is no mini bar, but hey, you are staying in a pub, so you don't need one.2 small flights of stairs will get you to the upper floor, but there is no lift. If you are elderly, or disabled, please be sure to book a ground level room ,as access is perfect here.I am so glad that the Windsor Castle Hotel is the way it is, and it is all due to the General Manager Helinka who has made the feel of the WCH the way it is. It is a great place, great vibe and very well run.We will defiantly be returning, and I do know that others who we have already recommended the WCH to will be staying here as well.Well done to all, and what a great anniversary weekend we had. 10/10 guys!The only negatives:We didn't like that the accommodation sign near the bar, is not lit up or working, and the other sign that says "motel reception" is not really visible to a first time visitor, in what is a very busy & successful bar, and eating area.Including ourselves, we witnessed many people with suitcases wandering around endeavouring to find where they check in.Next time it will be a breeze, as we know exactly where to go :-)We also didn't like the thousands of cigarette butts in the car park, and as it was raining, us non smokers had to be very careful where we stepped, as I then brought a horrible & soggy cigarette butt into my vintage car floor on the bottom of my shoe.Not good.