Stafford Hotel, Chester

...location, I opted for the Stafford Hotel on City Road as it seemed to be in a quite central location and I wanted something more traditional than the typical Premier Inn or Travelodge.

I arrived in Chester as I decided to leave the car behind and travel by rail. I have visited a few times before but normally by car so am not good with the street name around there. When outside the train station, I decided to just get a taxi to the train ...
...seemed to think I was joking as literally looking up the street he pointed to a sign and that was my hotel, so laughing away I realised I should have researched how far from the station it was and decided to drag my case up the road as it was a very short walk.

On arrival, we had to fill out a registration form and then pay for the hotel cash up front. I was quoted the wrong price which caused a bit of a dilemma at first but she settled ... more

I had a week's holiday and decided that for that week I wanted to go somewhere and actually get away even if just in the UK. I decided to go to Chester for a few days as I have never really got to see the town properly and it is a pretty place to visit. I started looking for places to stay on quite a low budget as I didn't have enough to be spending £100 a night. I looked up laterooms.com which came up with a number of options but after narrowing it down judging by price and location, I opted for the Stafford Hotel on City Road as it seemed to be in a quite central location and I wanted something more traditional than the typical Premier Inn or Travelodge.

I arrived in Chester as I decided to leave the car behind and travel by rail. I have visited a few times before but normally by car so am not good with the street name around there. When outside the train station, I decided to just get a taxi to the train station as I couldn't be bothered walking. However, the driver seemed to think I was joking as literally looking up the street he pointed to a sign and that was my hotel, so laughing away I realised I should have researched how far from the station it was and decided to drag my case up the road as it was a very short walk.

On arrival, we had to fill out a registration form and then pay for the hotel cash up front. I was quoted the wrong price which caused a bit of a dilemma at first but she settled and gave it to the price quoted on the phone as with no paper receipt it was our word against hers. We were given the keys and walked through the dining room up the narrow stairs to the room. Once in the room it had a really nice cosy feel for the price paid. We had booked a family room so to the left when walking in consisted a small room with 2 single beds, a TV and a wardrobe and bedside table. This then had a door which walked into a double bed room which was a good size again it had a TV and tea/coffee making facilities, as well as a phone and a wardrobe and a few tables. This then had a bathroom joining onto it which had a shower/bath and toilet. Each room has toiletries free with it and clean towels which is expected but still a good touch.

The decoration in the hotel is homely, and very British, which is what I wanted. Paying cheaper I expected it to be a bit of a dump but on entrance the reception is right in front of you, the only problem is there is not always someone at it and there is no bell to ring. The place had recently been redecorated the staff had told us but it definitely had a nice look, even the dining room all tables neatly laid out and spaced out.

The hotel has a range of leaflets on things to do nearby but the staff happily recommended us to restaurants nearby to eat at as well as places to see. It is literally a 10 minute walk into town from here to see the shops and so on but even on the same street as the hotel are numerous restaurants to eat at. If the walk to town seems too long you can pay £4 for a taxi but unless it is raining heavily it seems quite lazy to do so.

The room was kept warm and a maid came round to clean the room and replace tea/coffee and give a bit of a tidy up and make the beds. She was very friendly and also the beds are comfy enough and the room was the perfect size. Included in the price was breakfast which was served every morning from 8-9am in the downstairs dining room. There is a table with orange juice laid out and a jug of milk with bowls and numerous boxes of cereals. There is also fresh fruit and yoghurts. The staff ask if you want tea or coffee then bring out a fresh pot which is nice. They also ask if you want a full English breakfast or not, I opted for this each morning so they bring out the traditional, eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, tomato and mushrooms cooked promptly and it is really nice. They let you sit after 9am not rushing you out which also made it relaxing as it is the only meal of the day served here.

At night you can sit in the bar which isn't always busy but the drinks were priced reasonably and it does have a nice atmosphere to it if you want a few drinks before going out on the town.

The hotel has wireless in it; all you need to do is ask downstairs for the password which is again useful considering nowadays a lot of places try to cash in on internet usage. The staff in the hotel are very nice, it seems to be family run, only one of the staff members was a bit rude but overall they were happy enough to help and make the stay most enjoyable.

The only fault I have with the hotel is the curtains in the room, I don't know if it was all or just my room but in the bathroom in particular they didn't cover the full window and with it being dark outside and having a shower you don't want to give any passers by a preview so if you can just position it right you should be safe. On a bathroom you shouldn't have to worry like this though so it was a bit irritating fiddling about with it all of the time.

The hotel cost £60 a night for 3 of us in a family room but this was what we were quoted. Their actual price as quoted from the website is on Sunday-Thursday: a single from £28, a double/twin from £48, a four poster from £60 and a family room £65.

At the weekend the rates go up slightly so from Friday - Saturday a single is £45, a double/twin is £70, a four poster is £75 and a family room is £80. I do feel if you haggle though they will take you as they weren't completely full on my stay, they were steady though.

The hotel address is City Road, Chester, CH1 3AE. The phone number is 01244 326052. If you want more information on the hotel then you can go to their official website at http://www.staffordhotel.com/contact.htm 

...less