Crowne Plaza Chester, an IHG Hotel

Breakfast was OK, Fried eggs a bit rubbery and no runny ones. Bar was OK with nice views over to Wales. Air con worked well. Reception staff very friendly and helpful to put a couple of things right - see next section. Very Handy for town. Fixed a problem with the TV very quickly.

Had 3rd Degree over 2nd day breakfast as we hadn't included breakfast when booked but had covered it and booked with reception. Booked a parking spot as I knew I would be late in and someone moved the reserved sign and parked their car anyway! However Reception waived the 3 day parking fee and was able to park downstairs in the public car park.

The hotel was clean and family-friendly. The staff were fantastic throughout the hotel. The hotel was value for money and we used all the facilities during our stay, My son especially liked the swimming pool, which was family friendly. I would recommend that when people stay here to add the breakfast as there was lot of variety to choose from and good value for money. We ate in the hotels Bar and restaurant, during our stay, The food and cocktails were lovely and the staff were warm and welcoming, and looked after us throughout the whole evening. I would definitely recommend this hotel and will be returning in the future.

No

From the moment we checked in, we were impressed. They went above and beyond our expectations to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. They provided a cot without us having to even ask, fresh bottles of water in the room each day, towels provided when using the swimming pool. All extra touches that you just don't get at rival hotel chains and makes it feel really special. The location of this hotel is excellent. Right next to the brand new food market development and just around the corner from the main shopping street in Chester. All areas of the hotel were clean and tidy. Quality of food in the restaurant again surpassed our expectations- all seemed to be freshly made not just microwaved out of a packet. Really would recommend this hotel, we'll definitely look to stay in Crowne Plaza's again.

Service in the restaurant could be improved

Location Cleanliness Breakfast

The lack of staff after being shown a parking ticket from the below car park, informing us we will still have to pay, instead I got " I've removed the payment for the car park" this resulted in us asking 4 cars to reverse back who were also waiting to leave. I spoke to the staff at the car park and they reported it happens all the time. When I returned to the hotel they said they had told me,I did question this as it was literally 20 minutes earlier. Letting is know we would have to pay would not have been a problem, asking others to reverse was.

The whole experience at the hotel was great. Parking was easy, though a bit surprising that it's not free... The staff were incredibly nice in every part of the hotel, from Reception, restaurant to the swimming pool staff. The reception area and the restaurant areas are really lovely, and there are great rooms from the restaurant. We really enjoyed our evening meal in the restaurant and breakfast was absolutely great too, with even a full and delicious gluten and dairy free English breakfast available. And obviously it was brilliant to be able to hop down to the swimming pool whenever we wanted.

The swimming pool is much smaller than it appears in the pictures. But it is absolutely perfect for small kids, with a really nice shallow pool area too. The single sofa bed in our room was very narrow, so probably only ok for a child.

Staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful and made the stay an enjoyable one. Breakfast, very good selection. Leisure club/gym was good if small, but had everything you need - watch though as it gets full very quickly and they have a max of 26 in before you get turned away, as we did one afternoon. Room was fine, with a few niggles, which I reported to reception. See below. Location is perfect; five minute walk and you're in the middle of Chester and close to everything you need. Right across the road from the racecourse and walking distance (just) to the football stadium. Wifi seemed good throughout.

As highlighted, a couple of niggles in the room - 3 occupants but only 2 cups/glasses left out. Cups weren't clean. Back of the remote control was hanging off (this should have been picked up by the cleaner) and one of the few sockets in the room didn't work. Nothing major, reported to reception so hopefully fixed. We had not so much a sofa bed but a "chair bed" for our 15-year-old which isn't really fit size-wise or comfort-wise for anyone over the age of 10 I'd say. Wafer thin mattress and small. The hotel is built on a car park, which is split into a public car park and hotel only. Car parking is £12.50 a night, which I think is expensive.

The room was clean, the shower was lovely and hot, the staff all smiley and friendly, the swimming pool was small but very enjoyable, the breakfast was gorgeous, the views over the racecourse were fab, the location was perfect for exploring Chester. An all round great stay, thank you.

The beer on tap in the hotel bar wasn’t good - it seemed strange and watered down somehow. And the outside windows need some attention - to sit by the window for breakfast it looked a bit grotty on the outside and there was pigeon poo down our bedroom window!

The facilities were lovely and so we're the staff! The food in the restaurant was nice, lots to choose from at breakfast, the Club lounge was lovely and had lots of choice too. The Spa was great, hot tub is a little small though. We booked in for massages and it was definitely worth the money. The hotel itself looks beautiful too. We will definitely be coming back.

The room itself was a little underwhelming, bathroom was lovely and the bed was comfortable but the furniture was chipped all along the edges, the TV was tiny and there was a big screw in the middle of the floor that must have been missed by the cleaning staff. However, those were all very minor inconveniences and we will happily return.

Breakfast was amazing with a selection of everything, location is brilliant with easy route to the city centre. Friendly staff and welcoming at reception.

The premium rooms do not come with parking, so even though more money is spent with not much difference to a standard room you have an added £10 per day onto your charge at the end of your stay. A bit disappointed by the club lounge as expectation were set high, and when you enter it is a small sized room with a fridge and a couple of chairs, after a certain time you are unable to get alcohol so have to go back to the main bar. The sky box in the room was behind the chest of drawers which meant to change the channel you had to stand over the with remote aimed down the back.

The hotel is nice and in a good location. The best thing about this place is the staff. I’m not sure what you put in their coffee but they are truly head and shoulders above most I’ve experienced for years. Darcy on the reception desk is amazing. She exudes confidence and capability, complete with such a reassuring manner that you instantly know you’re in good hands. She’s also just so effortlessly helpful, unprompted and whilst carrying out her standard tasks she gave advice on the area and places we could visit. She’s also got such a lovely whit about her it made checking in, which is normally a bind, swift and a pleasure. There was also Michael in the stables restaurant. So professional relaxed and friendly. Eating out is often tricky and unpleasant due to my wife being allergic to gluten and so many places get her requirements wrong. Michael sorted it like a boss, got everything right and instantly became my wife’s hero. All of the staff we spoke to were so pleasant and friendly which is so refreshing. Thank you for a great stay people of Crown Plaza. We’ll definitely be back.

Not much parking space.