The Roman city of Chester, situated on the Welsh boarder in North West England, boasts a stunning cathedral, one of the most photographed clocks in the UK, walks along the city walls, and, right in the heart of it all is The Chester Grosvenor - a 5-star hotel steeped in history.
Visitors to the city centre will be familiar with it's white columned facade, where smartly attired doormen wait to welcome guests arriving for Afternoon Tea at The Arkle Bar & Lounge - something we've done on a number of occasions, or to enjoy a drink and meal at La Brasserie Bar & Restaurant.
It's been on our bucket list to stay at the hotel, and a recent special birthday of a family member gave us the perfect opportunity to do just that. Here we'll review our experience.
Booking
Rooms can be booked via the hotel website, however, we found this wasn't particularly user friendly as we were researching prices for various dates. When the dates we finally settled upon were showing as unavailable on the hotel website, we decided to book via booking.com, which displayed ample availability at the same price.
Rooms
Categories vary from Classic with double beds and seating areas, up to the Presidential Suite complete with King Size Bed, dining area and double ended bath.
We opted for a Deluxe Room, which is slightly larger than the Classic, and has the option to be converted to a twin - exactly what we required.
Each accommodation has it's own marbled floor entrance, with a door to the bathroom, large fitted wardrobe space and another door leading to the main sleeping area. The bedrooms were a great size, housing the twin beds, large desk, TV, chairs and refreshments alcove.
The layout and decoration within each setting are all slightly different, with various soft furnishings adding to the effect. We deemed the decor and seating area of the second bedroom more homely than the classic brown and cream of the first, but they both provided everything we needed.
Within each room is an alcove dedicated to refreshments, where you'll find complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, as well as a delicious homemade shortbread. Fresh milk is provided, which can be located in the fridge, also acting as the mini bar. Be careful which bottle you select when you're searching for the milk, as the mini bar products come with a hefty price tag. A miniature bottle of spirits costs £10, half a bottle of wine is £14.95, while a half bottle of rose champagne will set you back a whopping £50.
The bathrooms are a little on the snug side, with a shower over the bath, toilet behind the door and single sink unit, but they are nicely decorated, and complimentary Elemis products are provided.
Facilities
Dining
La Brasserie Bar & Restaurant
Visible from the front of the hotel, courtesy of a floor to ceiling window, is the recently refurbished La Brasserie Bar & Restaurant. Contemporary furnishings are mixed with an impressively ornate ceiling and a large champagne bar. Here you can enjoy an early evening cocktail, a casual brunch from 11am, or A La Carte meals throughout the afternoon and evening. After our Afternoon Tea, we relocated here to enjoy a couple of drinks whilst sat on one of the comfortable sofas overlooking the front of the hotel. It's a pleasant setting and one we would definitely recommend visiting.
The restaurant also serves as the dining location for breakfast. As a guest of the hotel, if breakfast is included in the price of your room, you can choose from a selection of delicious pastries, yoghurts, fruit and cereals, alongside hot beverages and fruit juice.
Cooked breakfasts, such as Full English, Omelette and Eggs Benedict are available at an extra charge of £9.50 per person.
The Arkle Bar & Lounge
Next door to the restaurant is The Arkle Bar & Lounge, which provides a more tranquil setting to enjoy a drink, thanks to a number of sofas in a cosier atmosphere and a well stocked bar.
It's also where Afternoon Tea is served from 12 pm until late afternoon - something we engaged in during our stay. A selection of impressive looking cakes, deliciously fresh sandwiches, scones and a wide choice of teas are beautifully presented from a silver service.
Read our full Afternoon Tea review here:
Spa
Although we didn't use it, there is a gym and Spa located within the hotel, complete with thermal suite, steam room and salt grotto. As you would expect, a number of treatments and packages are available - from manicures and facials up to overnight spa breaks. Check out the hotel website for more information, including prices.
Parking
The hotel does not have its own car park, however, there is a public car park located at the back of the building, with an entrance to the hotel on Level 2. You simply park your car anywhere within the car park, make your way to the glass doors on Level 2 and press the buzzer, then continue to reception via the corridors and lift. If you're using this entrance, the postcode is: CH1 1DE
Valet parking is also available. As there is a pedestrian walkway directly in front of the hotel, between the hours of 10am and 4pm you can only gain access by driving to the small kiosk at the side of the Chester Cathedral. Once you've confirmed you're staying at the hotel, and the barriers have been lowered, slowly drive to the main entrance, where you will be greeted personally by the doormen who will then unload your bags and park your car for you. Outside of these hours, the barriers will be lowered, so you can directly access the walkway. For valet parking, use postcode: CH1 2EF
Parking is priced at £10 per 24 hours, which will be automatically charged to your room.
Service
With the exception of some of the servers within the bars and restaurants, special mention has to be made regarding the outstanding service of the other, general hotel staff.
From the moment we arrived, everything was performed so smoothly and professionally, whilst maintaining a personal touch. We were all greeted by name, and, although we arrived separately, staff knew who was within our party. Our bags were dealt with in the most efficient manner, we were shown personally to our rooms, the turn-down service and pleasant disposition of everyone we encountered really added to the overall enjoyment of the whole experience.
Cost:
Due to the high standard of the accommodation, plus the central location, we deemed the price to be quite reasonable, especially as it also included breakfast and some complimentary refreshments within the rooms.
Having recently stayed in a rather basic Liverpool City Centre hotel for just £20 less per person, the contrast between the two was significantly more vast than the small price difference.
Prices will inevitably vary according to dates and type of room, however, we would definitely recommend checking them out if you're planning a stay in the city.
Pros:
Central location, high standard of rooms, exceptional service.
Cons:
Additional costs can add up if you're not careful - parking, ordering a cooked breakfast, and taking anything from the mini bar.
Star Rating: 
(4.7 / 5)
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