A boutique stay with bags of character, a park on the doorstep and a restaurant worth booking in its own right
Chester isn’t always the first place that springs to mind for a weekend away but it’s got more going for it than you’d think. The races are the big draw, the Roman ruins tick the culture box, and if you grew up on Hollyoaks you’ll already know the backdrops. From London, it’s under two hours by train, so it’s an easy one to get to, and Hotel Indigo is a good base to set up camp.
The hotel sits just by Grosvenor Park, with the river at the bottom and the high street around the corner. Rooms are generously sized, especially for the price point, with comfy Hypnos beds, spa-style bathrooms and a free snack bar that gets topped up daily. Ours looked out across the park, which meant a quiet night’s sleep away from the bustle but close enough to walk everywhere.
Hotel restaurants are usually roundly ignored but The Forge deserves your attention. Open kitchen, dry‑ageing cabinet, wood and charcoal grill, this is playing to win in the hotel‑dining stakes. The whole sea bass with hispi cabbage and crispy roast potatoes was exactly the kind of plate worth coming for. British ingredients doing the work, no gimmicks. Worth a dinner reservation even if you rock up to town just for this.
Breakfast the next morning followed suit, with a full English, croissants and endless tea. One gripe though; if you want it delivered to the room, there’s a £5 tray charge no matter what you order. Fine if you’re loading up but annoying when it doubles the price of a bottle of water.
Hotel Indigo Chester nails smartly sized rooms, design with local nods, genuinely good food, solid eco and practical touches, with the only real grumble being that tray fee. It’s central and affordable, central – just keep your breakfast on the move and you’re laughing.
Prices from around £119 per night
Hotel Indigo Chester, Grosvenor Park Road, Chester CH1 1QQ
chester.hotelindigo.com
