Crowne Plaza Chester by IHG

The hotel itself is beautiful and stylish, with a lovely atmosphere, but I left disappointed by the room and service. I'd booked a two-queen-bedroom and got a double instead. Since it was only one night, I let that go at the time. The meal was generally very nice, although the dessert tasted canned rather than freshly made. That's probably a matter of taste. Drinks arrived well after the food, and there was confusion when we got to the restaurant because it seemed reception hadn't passed on our table booking. One waiter was pleasant and attentive. Another seemed dismissive and rolled her eyes when we asked for another drink, which was disappointing as paying customers. The bill came to over £200, including a £30 service charge, which I removed because the service didn't meet expectations.

After years of travelling around the UK for work and staying with IHG, including at Crowne Plaza hotels, I chose the Crowne Plaza for my first trip to beautiful Chester. The lobby and reception were lovely, as you'd expect, and the staff there were polite and attentive. Finding the entrance was awkward, though, as it's tucked under a dark underpass. Then I got to the room. The change from the reception was startling. The lift area and room felt like a different, very dated hotel. I decided within five minutes that I wasn't staying. The furniture was chipped and tired, corners were grimy, and there were cobwebs by the window. The bathroom was grim too, with a yellow, sludge-covered rubber bathmat, dirty corners and dusty surfaces. Maybe some people would consider those details minor, but for the money, and with IHG presenting Crowne Plaza as premium, I expected a certain standard. I've never had this experience at another Crowne Plaza. There wasn't even a breakfast card to leave outside the door for room service. You had to call reception, and there was no menu in the room to show what breakfast was available. I left and booked the indigo hotel instead. It was much better and worth every penny, absolutely faultless. I raised the issue with IHG customer service that evening and was told a manager would contact me then, but that didn't happen until the following day. After what felt like a back-and-forth email battle, nothing was resolved, and I'm now contacting my bank to dispute the transaction. A very poor hotel and very poor management. I'm a very disappointed IHG member. Never again.

The hotel looks great at first, but room 135 was a letdown, and parking was terrible. There was dried blood on the bathroom wall. The photos of the bathroom speak for themselves. I can't understand how this place charges what it does while claiming four stars. The room is well overdue for refurbishment. The coffee table legs looked ready to give way, and although the curtains had been updated, the old track was still there and they weren't secured at either end. Old wall plugs were left where fixtures had been removed. The sheet didn't fit the bed, the pillows were lumpy, and the quilt cover was inside out.

The room was still spacious and lovely, as it usually is, but the bathroom had dirty cotton wool tucked behind the bin and a cracked sink. There was also a handprint on the ceiling above the bed. Friday night was noisy, with doors banging repeatedly until late. I’ve stayed here for years and love the hotel, though I thought it had slipped a bit on my last visit in 2025. This time was a real letdown. Parking has gone from £10, to £12, and now £20 a night. How is that justified? It’s shocking.