The best cheap hotels in Windsor

As far as alluring hotel locales go in and around Windsor (the area’s in no short supply), De Vere Beaumont Estate is up there with the prettiest. Situated on 40 acres of parkland, the 414 (no, really) guestrooms take up what used to be a public school. And with prices starting at £71 a night, they can be a steal. About the only trade-off is the 13-minute drive into Windsor’s town centre.

It might look like your average two-up two-down, but Charles House is a four-star guesthouse with a bit more in the way of character. Access to the house and rooms is by keypad and personal PIN, so no worries if you’re the sort of traveller who misplaces their keys. Each room is equipped with free wi-fi, an icebox, Freeview TV, and iPhone docks, among the usual.

After something that offers a happy medium between luxury and affordability? First built in the 1830s as a comfortable temporary residence for Queen Adelaide (yes, the Australian city’s also named after her), Adelaide Hotel is designed to be literally fit for royalty. It also starts at £74 per night. The catch? High speed wi-fi provided by the hotel isn’t free.

Each of the five rooms at the Alma is kitted out more like those of a luxury hotel than your everyday B&B. Think large upholstered headboards, spacious bathrooms, and comfy work stations. Still, things like filled-in fireplaces and the showroom kitchen remind you you’re not in some stuffy high-rise. Alma House also has the virtue of being a 2-minute walk to the middle of Windsor.

With its narrow pavements and overhanging timber-framed frontages, Eton is just as pretty a picture as Windsor on the other side of the Thames. The Eton Mess sits on the high street close to the river and, with the restaurant’s British-oriented menu, it’s as much of a dining destination for locals as it is a tranquil place to stay among visitors.

Being in such a central location, Travelodge’s Windsor branch is within easy reach of the famous castle, Windsor Museum, and Alexandra Gardens; not to mention Windsor’s main collection of shops. Sure, it may be equipped with only the most basic of amenities, but then again very few other hotels in the area will put you up for £64 a night.