Hotel Review: Abode Hotel, Chester

abode-hotel-chester

Review: Mary Foulds

 

Overlooking Chester racecourse, this sleek city centre hotel is a modern hub for shopping or sightseeing city breakers. With 4 types of rooms and suites ranging from ‘comfortable’ to ‘most fabulous’, you can be assured of a chic and luxurious space to rest your head. Take a visit to the 5th floor Champagne Bar to sip bubbles in style or head to destination restaurant; Michael Caines, to tantalize your taste-buds with contemporary cuisine from Head Chef Gareth Stevenson.

 

On arrival at Abode our friendly receptionist apologised for our few minutes wait while she was on phone and check-in was straightforward and we were offered papers and a wake-up call. We dropped our bags off in our ‘enviable’ room, which was sleek and spacious and exceptionally clean with contemporary and minimalist furnishings. The centerpiece of the room was the King-size bed (very comfortable). The room was airy and bright thanks to the floor to ceiling windows and the only disappointment was the view onto council buildings below, there are no guarantees of a room with a view so try request a front facing room on booking if you can. We had a well-stocked refreshment tray including a selection of teas and coffee with additional items such as water, juice and snacks available at an additional cost. We had radio and CD player, aswell as surround sound TV with an extensive choice of channels, which would surely suit all guests preferences. The bathroom had plentiful fresh, fluffy towels and ample Abode branded toiletries. We particularly liked the chic freestanding roll-top bath and Monsoon shower.
Everything you need for a relaxing and restful stay.

banner_img_two-1439371912.84Image: ‘Enviable’ Room

We took a tour of the hotel and the view across Chester racecourse from the restaurant terrace was excellent, even on a cold February afternoon.

intro_img-1372083808.73Image: The Lounge Bar

We made time before our reservation at Michael Caines Restaurant to sample Abode’s bars. Our first drink stop was the Lounge Bar where staff were very friendly and there was a good selection of beers, lager and spirits with all prices on the bar menu (always good to know!). The Lounge Bar had a relaxing, cosy feel – perfect for an informal pre-dinner drink. Afterwards we dropped into the level 5 Champagne Bar, adjacent to the Michael Caines Restaurant. Again we were greeted by very friendly staff and were asked to take a seat where a drink order would be taken. The menu had an extensive and excellent choice of champagne, cocktails, wine, spirits and bottled beers, there is also a British Gin Menu featuring 10 variations of gins, tonics and garnishes. After much deliberation I chose the Cocktail of the Day (recommended by our waitress) the Barcardi Melba; a fruity blend infused with peach & raspberry liqueur. It was delightful! After drinks were served we were given dinner menus and our waitress checked back to see if we were enjoying our drinks. The staff service was excellent throughout and we were soon escorted to our table where our order was taken.

6446_ABode-Chester-499Image: The Champagne Bar

The restaurant was busy but had a relaxed atmosphere with attentive staff.  The A la Carte menu had options of 5 starters and 5 mains from which we easily made our choices. To start I had Seared Duck Liver with Yorkshire rhubarb, pain d’epice and Jerez sauce. My partner had Flamed Mackerel with pickled cucumber, avocado purée
ponzu and shiso; both lovely dishes with a range of interesting flavours. For mains I had Stone Bass with Bourguignon sauce, crispy parsley and
pomme aligot, with my partner opting for Roast Beef Rump with braised cheek, roast artichoke and roscoff onion. Again, tasty dishes with delightful flavours and fabulous presentation; our compliments to the Chef! We chose a bottle of Chenin Semillion 2014 ‘Finca los paradox’ as the perfect accompaniment to our meal. We couldn’t resist dessert so were soon ordering Rhubarb and Custard – vanilla custard, rhubarb compote and sorbet for myself, and Milk Chocolate Delice with confit lime and honeycomb for my partner. Both were impressively presented dishes, which finished our meal perfectly.

A delightful dining experience with sufficient time between courses and our waitress was particularly helpful and friendly.
We returned to the Lounge Bar for a final nightcap to round off a really enjoyable evening.

intro_img-1367237535.35

Image: Michael Caines Restaurant

 

After a very comfortable nights sleep we returned to the 5th floor restaurant for breakfast with a great selection of cereals, fruit, yoghurt and juices. The smoothie of the day was particularly excellent. We ordered a full English breakfast, which was served promptly with tea and toast. Our breakfast experience followed suit to our previous evening; lovely food, friendly staff and comfortable dining.

We returned to our room to pack for the journey home after a relaxing enjoyable stay. Check out was easy with very polite reception staff who checked we were happy with everything and asked us if we would stay at Adobe Chester again. It was a definite ‘yes ‘from us, we would not hesitate to return.

 

G&G RATING:

4star

Abode Hotel Chester

Grosvenor Road, Chester CH1 2DJ

01244 347000

www.abodechester.co.uk

Overnight stays at ABode Chester start from £109 per night on a bed and breakfast basis.

 We stayed in the ‘Enviable’ Room on a Friday; room rates on a bed & breakfast basis are from £145 – £204 per night.

The Michael Caines Restaurant at ABode Chester offers both the A a la Carte menu and also the prestige tasting menu which starts from £85 per person with a complimentary cocktail accompanying each menu ordered on Fridays until 24 March 2016.