Grosvenor Pulford Hotel, Pulford

...date.

The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel, situated in the village of Pulford, in between Chester and Wrexham was slightly dearer, but did look intriguing. At the point of booking, the rate on their own website was the same as that of laterooms, and therefore, I booked directly on-line with the hotel, in the hope of avoiding the problems I typically have getting a smoking room when using laterooms, HUH!

BOOKING
This was ...
...extra to stay at the Grosvenor Pulford compared to many hotels I've used, but this is compensated by sensible food prices. There is a restaurant, Ciros Brassiere, but there are also bar / room service menus where you can have a high quality meal for under £10. It was here that I sampled a Chicken Passanda whose memory will linger for a long time, nestled in a poppadom and served with white rice, the taste was awesome, rich, creamy, beautifully tasty, ... more

An early morning start and an all day meeting in Wrexham combined with the prospect of getting up and 4am to get ready and drive there was not something I relished. Therefore it was off to trusty old laterooms to see what was on offer. There were deals at the local (ish) Ramada Jarvis and Holiday Inn, although I am getting wise to the fact now that quite often such superb offerings mean the outlets are quite often past their sell by date.

The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel, situated in the village of Pulford, in between Chester and Wrexham was slightly dearer, but did look intriguing. At the point of booking, the rate on their own website was the same as that of laterooms, and therefore, I booked directly on-line with the hotel, in the hope of avoiding the problems I typically have getting a smoking room when using laterooms, HUH!

BOOKING
This was completed on-line at their website: www.grosvenorpulfordhotel.co.uk. The site was easy to use, requiring dates and number of travellers, and then went on to offer you a variety of rates starting at £85 per night bed and breakfast, up to £125 for a family / Bridal room.

There was no capacity to select a smoking / non-smoking room, however there was a comments box, and I clearly stated in there that if they could not provide me with smoking to let me know. A credit card is required to secure the booking and, the cancellation period being 24 hours in advance of arrival.

My verdict: 4/5

GETTING THERE
Ridiculously easy to find, on the B5445 in the village of Pulford, around 3 miles from the A483 and 9 miles from the M53 and M56, there is substantial parking on site, so no worries about arriving late.

Although a colleague did arrive into Wrexham train station around 11pm and discovered there were no taxis, you have been warned. Interestingly, the hotel is only 15 miles from John Lennon Airport, Liverpool and therefore could make for an interesting interlude before your holiday.

My verdict: 5/5

RECEPTION & CHECK-IN
Caution is advised here, main reception is on the far right as you look at the hotel from the front. If you park in the main car park, be warned, or you could do what I did and end up in the bar complete with your luggage. You will enter a stoned area with lots of plants, a water fountain and goldfish, before entering the exquisitely grand and beautifully carpeted main hall. The hall has wide steps leading off to the equally exquisitely decorated bedrooms; there is also a bar and restaurant off main reception, and a high speed internet computer tucked in the corner. I am a little confused as to the origins of the hotel; however, I suspect it was once some form of stately home, which has been sympathetically added to with a range of modern areas.

Check-in did not require a credit card swipe, although did need the completion of personal details, early morning call, newspaper, car registration and signature and the room was magically allocated, creating two instant complaints, firstly it was on the ground floor, and secondly it was a non-smoking room, these hotels must obviously care about the health of their guests as this is the third time in a row this has happened. On complaint, the room was immediately reallocated to an upper floor smoking, and I was despatched with my credit card room key.

The first thing that strikes you about this hotel is that everything is finished to perfection; the carpets are evidently high quality, there is plants about, numerous fire exits, and the bedroom doors and public décor are very modern.

My verdict: 5/5

THE ROOM
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this at first. It did have a double bed, but the shape was a little weird and could have been a squeeze for two people. Again, everything was furnished to the highest standard, the walls adorned with prints, with lights over. The curtains were evidently a high quality and offered complete black out making the room rather dark. There were lots of lights, although no central overhead ones.

The room also offered remote control colour TV and channels I have not previously seen in hotels such as ITV3 and a few other digital ones. The en-suite was the usual fare with a bath and shower over, although in this instance the shower was a large overhead Victorian effect that didn't move, but was extremely powerful. Toiletries were provided in abundance and included shower gel, shampoo, body lotion and mouthwash. Towels were also plentiful and warmed on a very effective heated towel rail. There was a wardrobe, trouser press, desk area plus a small table with an additional two chairs, tea and coffee making area and although there were no overhead lights, there were wall lights in the desk working area, several electric plugs and a modem connection.

The first time I stayed here, I had a standard room, which as already mentioned was beautifully furnished to perfection; the second time was an emergency booking through laterooms en-route from Bolton to Newtown. As I had requested an Executive and Standard room (£80 and £60 respectively) and they couldn't accommodate the standard, they provided us with two Executive rooms for £60 each bed and breakfast.

At first glance it was difficult to work out why my second visit was an Executive room (although it would have been hard to improve on the décor of the first visit and this room was identical), but whereas the first room window opened onto a flat roof, the second room overlooked rambling fields and the hotel tennis courts.

The room had a telephone line, and a card quoting a price of 27p per minute for local calls; needing to do some work I was having horrors waiting for the bill on check-out, only to discover the cost was 27p per unit, and the nightmare bill never arrived.

One the second visit, the telephone system broke down, and on complaining to reception, I was advised that I could take my laptop to reception and use the wireless connection, free of charge. As a result, I discovered that all ground floor rooms and those closest to reception currently have free wireless access, definitely a plus point.

The bed on both occasions was a standard double, reasonably soft and extraordinarily comfortable, combined with the peaceful surroundings and a few cheap drinks it made for a wonderful nights sleep.

The only possible downside (in common with many hotels) is that the first room I used was quite warm (my colleague found his particularly so) but my second room was light, airy and cool; that said, the heat most definitely did not spoil the enjoyment of this hotel.

My verdict: 3½/5 for the standard room
5/5 for the Executive

FOOD
You will pay a little extra to stay at the Grosvenor Pulford compared to many hotels I've used, but this is compensated by sensible food prices. There is a restaurant, Ciros Brassiere, but there are also bar / room service menus where you can have a high quality meal for under £10. It was here that I sampled a Chicken Passanda whose memory will linger for a long time, nestled in a poppadom and served with white rice, the taste was awesome, rich, creamy, beautifully tasty, and offering sufficient kick without heat to remove the taste of the tender white chicken breast. Having visited there twice, I risked the experience for a second time in the bar and found it even better. My colleague enjoyed a 'dinner' special for £9.50 and agreed with me it was one of the best hotel meals he had enjoyed in a long time. Other offerings include typical pub style meals such as Fish and Chips with mushy peas and Guinness & steak pie.

The hotel bar is large and decked out in a dark oak and offers lots of comfortable chairs, quiet music and reasonably priced drinks. It is evidently popular with the locals and I could think of far worse places to while away a few hours with pleasant conversation. A double Gin and Tonic set me back £5.50 and a Pint of lager was £2.60.

Breakfast is typically included in the room price and served in a small secluded area of Ciros, and is self service, offering a range of juices, cereals, fruits, cold meats, cheeses, pastries and the usual hot range of bacon, sausages, hash browns, beans, mushrooms and eggs, washed down with freshly brewed tea or coffee.

My verdict: 5/5

LEISURE FACILITIES
Once again, this hotels purpose is to please its customers. The swimming pool is a modern replica of an old Roman style baths with two pillars in the middle. At 18m in the main swimming area, it is free form and ranges between 3ft 6 and 4ft 6 in depth. The pool has a number of sun loungers around it, and makes for a pleasurable and interesting interlude after a long drive. There is also a hot spa (which is not operational on Sundays), sauna and steam room, the latter of which is without a shadow of a doubt the best I have used. Children under 16 are only permitted to use the facilities during normal daytime hours.

The changing rooms are spacious with individual lockers, showers, hairdryers and toiletries and pleasant background music.

Although I didn't use them myself, the hotel also has a Nikkie Mitchell hair and beauty salon, hi-Tech gymnasium, outside tennis courts and a snooker room for guests and members. There is also capacity of conferences and large meetings which although not confirmed because of their location, I should imagine also benefit from the free wireless internet access.

My verdict: 5/5

MY VERDICT
Long live the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel. This outlet is a rare breed; it is privately owned, and I suspect its superb maintenance, plus carpets and exquisite décor combined with quality friendly service makes it a frequent target for the 'big-boys' in the market, but I for one, hope they don't succumb to financial offerings. With prices starting from £85 bed and breakfast this hotel is reasonably priced, superbly located and decorated, with leisure facilities that beat every hotel I have visited with the exception of the Crowne Plaza in London Heathrow. Therefore for visits to this part of the country, the Grosvenor Pulford will be MY hotel of choice for all business in this area for the foreseeable future, and that is something, that as you probably know from the amount of hotels I visit, is NOT something that happens very often.

For those looking for something different, the Grosvenor Pulford often offers live tribute bands and themed weekends at special rates.

I should say not recommended to keep the secret of this place to myself, but my conscience won't let me, so to find out more for yourself,

The Grosvenor-Pulford Hotel,
Wrexham Road,
Pulford, Chester,
CH4 9DG

Telephone: 01244-570560

Website: www.grosvenorpulfordhotel.co.uk/index.php

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - A DEFINITE 5/5

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