The Queen at Chester Hotel, Handwritten Collection

The staff were genuinely lovely. When I called reception about the noise, they apologised, responded straight away and rang back to check on us, which I appreciated. The bed was comfortable, and because we booked at the last minute, the stay was reasonably priced. For a quick night in the city, I think midweek might be a better choice. We stayed at The Queen at Chester on a Saturday night. The reception and lobby looked recently refurbished, clean, modern and stylish, with gorgeous lights and chic décor. The room didn’t live up to that first impression. It seemed average at first, but the carpet was stained, the paintwork tired and the bathroom grubby, including a stained bath. Most disappointing, the toilet wouldn’t flush properly unless we held the button down. Some noise in an older building, like squeaky floorboards and echoes, is understandable. But we were woken several times by guests coming back after nights out. Banging, shouting and antisocial behaviour were the worst part. Hearing neighbours move around or talk is one thing, but loud shouting and screaming between midnight and 1am made for an unpleasant night. I first thought it was a one-off, but after reading other reviews, it seems to be a recurring problem.

The location worked very well, just steps from Chester Train Station, and I had a lovely, clean room with a nice view over part of the city. The shops and post office are a good walk away, though quite doable if you enjoy walking. Reception staff were warm, efficient and welcoming. I’d stay here again and recommend it to other travellers. One improvement would be electrical outlets beside the beds for people like me who need to sleep with a CPAP machine.

My fiancée and I enjoyed every minute of our stay. We were pleased with our room, and the service was excellent. We had dinner there and it was delicious, then breakfast the next morning was just as good. We’re planning to come back soon.

We had such a good anniversary stay that we booked another night because we weren’t ready to head home. The team members we spoke to were all lovely, and our room had everything we needed, with a view of the pretty courtyard. We also enjoyed a few drinks in the bar. The hotel is conveniently close to both the centre and the train station. When we finally left, they let us leave our bags at reception so we could enjoy our last day. We’ll be back!