Nearly Three Years On, I Still Want to Be Back at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa

I first wrote up our stay at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa on 11 February 2024. Two years and eight months later, I still catch myself thinking about that LED-lit shower and the piano in the restaurant, so here is the trip again, with a bit of distance and a lot of longing.

How we booked it

It started, as most of our trips do, on hotels.com. I use it because booking is quick and every ten nights you get a free one. It doesn't change the stay itself, so it's my app of choice and it still is.

Arriving early and being listened to

Check-in is 3pm, but if you turn up early the hotel lets you use the swimming pool and spa while you wait. On our first visit we had no idea there was a curfew on child swimming times and found out the awkward way. This time there was a clear sign up and the times were spelled out in the booking email. They had taken our feedback on board, and that small thing has stuck with me for nearly three years.

Caitlin, the manager, welcomed us, wished us a good stay and told us staff were on hand 24/7 if we needed anything. Rachel was carrying a large passenger at the time (yes, the baby), which made getting around harder. The Grosvenor sorted us an accessible room with everything on the ground floor. Result.

The room

The pictures show the hotel and grounds, and the room lived up to them. It was set up for a family of four, though our eldest was ill and couldn't come. There was a king-size bed for us on one side and sofa beds for the kids on the other, each area with its own television, so everyone could wind down in their own way. Old building, modern kit, and a bathroom with an LED-lit shower and a bath big enough to lose a toddler in. That bath is a large part of why I want to go back.

The spa

The weather didn't play ball, which made the spa the obvious place to be. It was spotless and well presented, with a sauna, a jacuzzi and a large pool. One honest note for anyone planning a visit: the changing rooms are on the compact side. Part of the character of the place, but worth knowing.

The food I'm still thinking about

Dinner was in the hotel's jazz lounge-style restaurant, with someone playing live piano while we ate. I had a creamy mushroom risotto and a fillet mignon cooked properly rare, and both were as good as anything I've eaten since. Nelsons, the hotel's gastro-pub, offers a more relaxed option if you don't fancy the main restaurant. The next morning we had breakfast in bed, with both continental and full English on offer, which is exactly what you want after a day in the pool.

The people

The staff made the stay, and Caitlin deserves another mention. From sorting the ground-floor room to actually chatting with our daughter rather than talking over her head, it felt like they cared whether we had a good time. That is the bit a brochure can't promise.

Where it is

Pulford sits about 20 minutes from Chester city centre, with Wrexham close enough for a shopping trip. You get countryside quiet with a city on the doorstep.

Would we go back?

In a heartbeat. The baby who was along for the ride in February 2024 is now a proper little person, our eldest never got to see the room, and I owe that bath a second go. Get me there now.