Detailed review by koshkha
koshkha
Northampton, United Kingdom90%
These days I'm wary of hotels close to railway stations. Once upon a time the grandest of buildings were built beside the railways as temples to the worship of the iron road. Nowadays all too often the phrase 'near the railway station' appears on a hotel description and my mental association is 'run down, lots of prostitutes, tramps, drunks and drug dealers'. Perhaps that's just my overactive imagination, but it's good to know that near the station isn't always a bad thing.
One such hotel that still tries to maintain the old air of grandeur is the Queens in Chester. It stands directly opposite the railway station and still has a liveried doorman standing outside to open the door and pass the time of day with passers by. Once you're inside it's not the most stylish of places, with rather too much chintzy fabric and flowery carpets but what it lacks in modernity, it makes up for in its sense of style.
Despite being right next to the station, that doesn't put the hotel in the city centre. It's about a mile and a half walk from here to the Cathedral and the historic centre. So keep that in mind if you want to be right at the heart of things.
It's graded as a four star so that means trouser press, tea and coffee tray, good sized room, hairdryer, desk, and a good standard of décor. It's been refurbished since I was last there so more detail would probably not be helpful.
Highlights? The restaurant is very good and there's a small terrace that's very pleasant when the weather is good. And watch out for the bears; you might find you're not sleeping alone!
Best Western Premier Queen7
