Venue Review – The Abode Hotel – Chester

With its winding city wall, delightful shops and gentle murmur of the splendid River Dee, Chester is the perfect location for a romantic weekend break, as BlogForBride creative director and I recently discovered – and the Abode is the perfect hotel in which to stay whilst you’re there.

Located next to the luscious greenery of the city’s remarkable racecourse, the new building that is the Abode brings a refreshing modernism that sits well next to the olde worlde charm of Chester’s roman heritage.

Even before checking in, the staff went out of their way to help us. We were notified that we had been upgraded to a ‘Desirable’ room that prompted squeaks of excitement from us both when looking at pictures on the hotel’s website to see what this meant. The weekend was clearly going to be a special one.

After a trouble-free journey into the heart of the city, we found the hotel with a minimum of fuss and left the car in the spacious and secure underground car park. A lift deposited us directly in reception where we were told that the room was not quite ready for us, but that we were welcome to enjoy a complimentary drink from the bar as its preparation was completed. As I sipped my pint of Guinness, I felt glad that they would rather we waited a short time for the room to be perfect rather than hurry us into it when it didn’t reach their precise standards.

The room was worth the wait. A colossal wet area with huge, fluffy white towels at every turn greeted us as we opened the door from the warmth of Chester in spring time to an expertly air conditioned haven. The state-of-the-art entertainment system seductively whispered some cool tunes as we both looked at each other with open-mouthed glee when we saw the size of the huge bed.

Retail therapy in the gorgeous city centre followed before we headed back to the hotel for dinner at Michael Caines’s fifth floor restaurant, with views across the racecourse. As we perused the extensive cocktail menu in the understated cool surroundings, we were treated to another complimentary drink, of fizz this time, which we drank as we took in the panoramic vistas from the restaurant balcony.

Dinner was the culinary treat you would expect from a man with Caines’s tremendous reputation. To start, the scallops were deliciously juicy and offset marvellously by the pickled carrot and ginger foam. Moving onto the main course, my pork was so tender I could have wept tears of happiness and its accompanying fondant potato incredibly tasty. More fizz flowed, all served by the attentive but not overbearing staff. The glazed lemon tart scrumptious though the zest it came with was a touch sharp for my tastes.

Janet chose a starter of ‘Slow cooked salmon,cucumber, salmon jelly, wasabi, yogurt, honey and soy vinaigrette and a main course of  Goosnargh duck breast ,star anise, orange braised chicory in an orange scented sauce which also hit the desired spot. Hungers sated, we could now party the night away at my friend’s 50th birthday party, which was the reason we decided to stay in the city.

 Arriving back at the hotel in the small hours, the attentive staff once more made our lives easier as room service was delivered without a hint of fuss and was also accompanied by a lovely compliment about my J&J cufflinks (from The Silverplace)

After a deep slumber that it was impossible not to fall into given the luxurious surroundings, breakfast followed on from dinner in the excellence stakes. My full English featured the best bacon I’d tasted in an age as well as a black pudding that wasn’t fried to a crispy, tasteless disc but cooked properly (very important to a boy from Bury.)

As we gently swung the car around the roundabout following settling a bill that was irresistibly reasonable given we were treated like royalty, I think we both knew that it was the first of many times we’d be staying at the Abode.

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Weddings at the Abode – Chester

Abode Chester is a unique and stylish venue for your wedding. The Tattersalls banqueting suite is the perfect location for your wedding, with a capacity to hold up to 80 guests for your ceremony and wedding breakfast and up to 120 guests for your evening reception. The suite has it’s own private terrace and seating area for your guests to break out onto, as well as boasting racecourse views through it’s floor to ceiling panoramic windows.

Alternatively, the renowned Michael Caines restaurant on the fifth floor of the hotel is available for exclusive hire. With a capacity to hold up to 80 guests for your wedding breakfast and up to 140 guests for your evening reception, the restaurant offers contemporary décor and spectacular views of the racecourse and Welsh hills from your own private balcony. It really is the perfect venue to watch the sun set with a glass of Champagne on your special day.

For smaller, more intimate weddings of up to 20 guests, why not soak up the atmosphere in our own private dining room, the Paddock Club located adjacent to the Michael Caines restaurant on the fifth floor.

Abode Chester has already gained recognition in the region for it’s outstanding quality of food served in it’s Michael Caines Restaurant. The hotel’s team of expert chefs offer you and your guests exclusive wedding reception packages, from an imaginative finger buffet to an unforgettable deluxe  breakfast to suit all tastes and budgets.

The ‘Secret Sanctuary’ is our luxurious spa treatment room located on the first floor of the hotel. A specialised team is on hand who are totally committed to creating your dream look for your wedding. Due to the unique nature of the Secret Sanctuary, they are able to tailor all treatments to suit your needs and ensure that your wedding experience is as magical as possible..

All-inclusive Divine Wedding packages start from just £3,200. Please call the wedding co-ordinator directly on 01244 405817 or email ecochester@abodehotels.co.uk to discuss your requirements.

If you choose the Abode Hotel in Chester as your wedding venue we would love to feature your wedding on our website.  With their outstanding service and facilities you will be mightily impressed.