The Queen at Chester Hotel, BW Premier Collection

It’s a shame Had booked twin bedded room and found when going to the room at 3pm, two single beds were together making a double bed with bedding for double bed.Went back to reception and they said someone would come and make beds up as two singles. We decided to go for a walk and returned to our room about two hours later. Nothing had been done. My companion decided to see if he could separate the beds and started to take the duvet, sheets and mattress protector off. To our dismay the protectors had blood stains on and the mattresses had stains on. We went back to reception and said no one had been up and we had now found stains on the bedding and mattresses and wanted new mattresses and bedding or a change of room. Again told someone would come up and sort out. We went to dinner and came back to the room about 9pm to find all the bedding on a heap on the floor with no explanation or message to explain what had happen. We went back to reception, informing them that nothing had been done and receptionist said some one would come up. We waited in the room and a staff member appeared and we showed him the stained mattresses and bedding and he offered to find us another room (time now getting up to 11pm). He came back with keys and took us to a room down the corridor. My companion reasonably wanted to check these beds before agreeing to the room and the staff member said “if you look for dirt you will find it” My companion asked him if he would have slept on the soiled mattresses and bedding and to our surprise he said yes. It made us wonder what his standards of cleanliness were and the hotel’s. We were on the Christmas break package and found the dining room very cramped with little room between tables, with the waiting staff finding it difficult to serve between tables. As we were with a coach party there were 10 of us on a table which looked like it was meant for 8 people. So meal times were not the relaxing experience it should have been. In fact it felt like too many people had been booked in the hotel for the Christmas break with not enough staff to serve the meals. There were long gaps between courses as the staff seemed to have too many people to serve. The waiting staff were pleasant and well mannered but appeared to need more training and support and more staff for the number of guests . The food was good and plentiful when it did arrive at the table. The afternoon lunch/tea was good and the evening buffet on Christmas Day but unfortunately a long queue of guests to get to it. I liked the cocktails they gave us when going into dinner, which was a nice touch. On reflection our second bedroom was well laid out but with no drawers , just a small wardrobe. There were tea and coffee making facilities but biscuits would had been nice. Our bathroom was fine and good supply of hot water but we couldn’t get over the stained bedding and mattresses which seemed to be acceptable for the hotel to provide for their guests and made you consider what the standard of cleanness and hygiene was. In our second bedroom my companion didn’t feel he could unpack his clothes into the wardrobe. We enjoyed exploring Chester whilst at the hotel but less mobile people may find the walk into the centre a bit too long as there were no buses running on Christmas and Boxing Day. I estimated the walk was about 15 to 20 minutes . Overall we enjoyed our break but the situation with the condition of the mattresses and bedding on the first day and it not being finally sorted till 11pm at night was a bad start, and receiving no apology from the hotel. Then the over crowded dining room, waiting staff trying to serve food in cramped spaces ,long gaps between being serve courses all made a not very relaxing meal times. .

Quirky. We have stayed here before as we were part of a convention of a few hundred souls. Queuing for reception was a bad start. Only one person on duty, but plenty of staff flitting into and out of the room behind reception who I am sure could have stepped in to help. Room was good with plenty of drawer space, but the bathroom was poor. The basin was too high and too small for my wife, the shower sprayed water all over the floor even with the shower door closed, and the loo flushed hot water - never experienced that before. Shower was reported to reception, but nothing done. Restaurant service was poor, especially on the Friday night - the first night of our convention. It didn't improve much on the Sunday when the convention finished. Having said that, the quality of the food was good, especially the mushrooms at breakfast. Always judge the food offering by the quality of the mushrooms. You won't go far wrong. Bar service was generally good, but £6.25 a pint is too much. Basically, when things went well, they were very good, but when things went wrong, it was not a pleasant experience.

Awful experience Bad experience at this hotel from start to finish, from not getting the correct grade of room, to stench of drains in the bathroom/bedroom, cheap quality breakfast items, toasters that didn't work, unwelcoming staff, bar staff who didn't understand their food or drinks menu. We often go on weekend breaks and have stayed in many hotels. This is the first hotel that we have ever had to complain about. Avoid!

Excellent Hotel The recent money spent on the refurbishment was well worth it! The bedrooms were modern and very comfortable and the public rooms were also very spacious and relaxing. The meals were excellent and varied, with good portions! ALL the staff were very friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. Sadly, the only downside was the litter on the side of the hotel, which distracted from such a lovely and grand hotel, which is situated in a good location of Chester. Will most definitely return to this lovely Hotel!

Lovely hotel, great staff. The hotel is in a great location with a convenient car park (can be booked and paid online) at the back. Since I was there for a conference, that is so helpful. The decoration is lovely and there’s lots to appreciate while walking around: statues, fountains, artwork, costumes. It’s rambling in places, which I liked. Quirky. The staff were lovely and helpful, always saying hello and offering to assist. We were a large crowd (~450) so keeping us all fed and watered is no easy task. Plus, we like to stay up to drink and chat. They accommodated us, stayed totally professional, and didn’t run out of alcohol (it’s happened at many of our conferences before, despite advanced warning). Breakfast ran smoothly, was always well stocked and the staff obviously knew what they were doing. This hotel also has a cat, Queenie, who was awesome, despite not falling in love with me as deeply as I did with her, but that’s cats for you. All hotels should have a cat! My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the room. It was spacious, which I really liked. I hate tripping over my case in a cramped room. No danger here. So, why the lower rating? The pillows aren’t great, so I couldn’t get comfy, and a slightly bigger duvet would make a difference. The shower curtain isn’t suitable, so water goes everywhere, making the bathroom floor treacherous. Loved the bath, though. Very comfy, with a wee foot rest. Great! A small fridge in the room is a suggestion, as I like to keep my water cold. Air con makes the room dry, so it’s easy to get thirsty. Overall, this hotel is worth a visit, and Chester is a lovely town. Highly recommend a walk around the wall. I’ve been to many conferences at hotels and this was one of the best. Wouldn’t hesitate to attend here again.