Rowton Poplars Hotel

We’d booked a room, restaurant and breakfast in advance through Booking.Com, and had also spoken with the hotel. The pub with rooms and appealing menu seemed ideal for our family birthday, but things had changed by the time we arrived. New signs were going up for an Indian restaurant with B&B, and the only food available was Indian cuisine. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we had guests who don’t eat Indian food to consider. The bar was no longer available, and it was BYO. Breakfast wasn’t offered except as cold snacks for £15 per person. Nobody called us beforehand to discuss the changes, and the hotel hasn’t responded to my calls or Booking. BEWARE!!

The free WiFi worked well, and the restaurant stays open until 10pm. We spent one night here on our way to South West Wales, and this clean, comfortable hotel suited us well. Our room was on the second floor, with no lift. That wasn’t a problem for us, though it could be for some people. The filling station next door has six ultra fast chargers for our electric car.

Paul was very flexible about letting us check in later because of circumstances beyond our control. The staff were attentive without hovering, with good old fashioned customer service. Breakfast was freshly cooked and the portions were generous. It’s a short drive to Chester city centre. Thanks again, Paul, for the flexibility and great service.

We booked a dog friendly room for two nights and left after just one. The double room was extremely small, and its windows couldn’t be opened. The carpet was filthy, the toilet seat broken, and dust and cobwebs covered the ceiling. The bathroom sink was so tiny that filling the kettle flooded the floor. This motel is beside a very busy road, with traffic passing all day and night, and the room shakes when HGVs go by. It seems suited only to drivers who need somewhere to sleep for the night. There was nowhere to keep clothes except hangers on a hat stand, and my coat fell off as soon as I hung it up. There aren’t other places to eat or drink, so we tried the bar/restaurant on the first evening. It felt more like somebody’s front room. A full English breakfast and cup of tea cost £15 each, so we went into Chester for breakfast. The public toilets next to the rooms meant doors were constantly slamming. We emailed management with our concerns and were ignored. When we left early and mentioned the traffic noise, the manager chuckled.