http://www.trivago.co.uk/chester-38863/hotel/grosvenor-pulford-18952 http://www.trivago.co.uk/chester-38863/hotel/grosvenor-pulford-18952 http://ie2.trivago.com/images/layoutimages/logos/default.png http://www.trivago.co.uk/chester-38863/hotel/grosvenor-pulford-18952/review-o18448 Wed, 08 Nov 2006 20:55:00 +0100
Although its postal address is Chester, the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel is actually situated in the village of Pulford, in between Chester and Wrexham.

GETTING THERE
Ridiculously easy to find, on the B5445 in the village of Pulford, around 3 miles from the A483 and 9 miles from the M53 and M56, there is substantial parking on site, so no worries about arriving late.

Although a colleague did arrive into Wrexham train station around 11pm and discovered there were no taxis, you have been warned. Interestingly, the hotel is only 15 miles from John Lennon Airport, Liverpool and therefore could make for a pleasantly relaxing start to your holiday.

RECEPTION & CHECK-IN
Caution is advised here, main reception is on the far right as you look at the hotel from the front. If you park in the main car park, be warned, or you could do what I did and end up in the bar complete with your luggage. You will enter a stoned area with lots of plants, a water fountain and goldfish, before entering the exquisitely grand and beautifully carpeted main hall.

The hall has wide steps leading off to the equally exquisitely decorated bedrooms; there is also a bar and restaurant off main reception, and a high speed internet computer tucked in the corner. I am a little confused as to the origins of the hotel; however, I suspect it was once some form of stately home, which has been sympathetically had a range of modern additions.

A credit card swipe was not required at Check-in, although I had to complete my personal details, including car registration and signature and the room was allocated. Both times I stayed I was offered an early morning call and newspaper.

The first thing that strikes you about this hotel is that everything is finished to perfection; the carpets are evidently high quality, there is plants about, numerous fire exits, and the bedroom doors and public décor are very modern.

THE ROOM
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this the first time I stayed. It did have a double bed, but the shape was a little weird and could have been a squeeze for two people. Again, everything was furnished to the highest standard, the walls adorned with prints, with lights over. The curtains were evidently a high quality and offered complete black out making the room rather dark. There were lots of lights, although no central overhead ones.

The room also offered remote control colour TV and channels I have not previously seen in hotels such as ITV3 and a few other digital ones. The en-suite was the usual fare with a bath and shower over, although in this instance the shower was a large overhead Victorian effect that didn't move, but was extremely powerful. Toiletries were provided in abundance and included shower gel, shampoo, body lotion and mouthwash. Towels were also plentiful and warmed on a very effective heated towel rail. There was a wardrobe, trouser press, desk area plus a small table with an additional two chairs, tea and coffee making area and although there were no overhead lights, there were wall lights in the desk working area, several electric plugs and a modem connection.

The first time I stayed, I had a standard room, which as already mentioned was beautifully furnished to perfection; the second time was a late booking while driving through North Wales. I requested two rooms, an Executive and Standard (£80 and £60 respectively) but they couldn't accommodate the standard so allocated us two Executive rooms for £60 each bed and breakfast.

At first glance it was difficult to work out why my second visit was an Executive room (although it would have been hard to improve on the décor of the first visit and this room was identical), but whereas the first room window opened onto a flat roof, the second room overlooked rambling fields and the hotel tennis courts.

The room had a telephone line, and a card quoting a price of 27p per minute for local calls; needing to do some work I was having horrors waiting for the bill on check-out, only to discover the cost was 27p per unit, and the nightmare bill never arrived.

One the second visit, the telephone system broke down, and on complaining to reception, I was advised that I could take my laptop to reception and use the wireless connection, free of charge. As a result, I discovered that all ground floor rooms and those closest to reception currently have free wireless access, definitely a plus point.

The bed on both occasions was a standard double, reasonably soft and extraordinarily comfortable, combined with the peaceful surroundings and a few cheap drinks it made for a wonderful nights sleep.

The only possible downside (in common with many hotels) is that the first room I used was quite warm (my colleague found his particularly so) but my second room was light, airy and cool; that said, the heat most definitely did not spoil the enjoyment of this hotel.

FOOD
You will pay a little extra to stay at the Grosvenor Pulford compared to many hotels I've used, but this is compensated by sensible food prices. There is a restaurant, Ciros Brassiere, but there are also bar / room service menus where you can have a high quality meal for under £10.

It was here that I sampled a Chicken Passanda whose memory will linger for a long time, nestled in a poppadom and served with white rice, the taste was awesome, rich, creamy, beautifully tasty, and offering sufficient kick without heat to remove the taste of the tender white chicken breast.

Having visited there twice, I risked the experience for a second time in the bar and found it even better. My colleague enjoyed a 'dinner' special for £9.50 and agreed with me it was one of the best hotel meals he had enjoyed in a long time. Other offerings include typical pub style meals such as Fish and Chips with mushy peas and Guinness & steak pie.

The hotel bar is large and decked out in a dark oak and offers lots of comfortable chairs, quiet music and reasonably priced drinks. It is evidently popular with the locals and I could think of far worse places to while away a few hours with pleasant conversation. A double Gin and Tonic set me back £5.50 and a Pint of lager was £2.60.

Breakfast is typically included in the room price and served in a small secluded area of Ciros, and is self service, offering a range of juices, cereals, fruits, cold meats, cheeses, pastries and the usual hot range of bacon, sausages, hash browns, beans, mushrooms and eggs, washed down with freshly brewed tea or coffee.

LEISURE FACILITIES
Once again, this hotels purpose is to please its customers. The swimming pool is a modern replica of an old Roman style baths with two pillars in the middle. At 18m in the main swimming area, it is free form and ranges between 3ft 6 and 4ft 6 in depth. The pool has a number of sun loungers around it, and makes for a pleasurable and interesting interlude after a long drive. There is also a hot spa (not operational on Sundays), sauna and steam room, the latter of which is without a shadow of a doubt the best I have used. Children under 16 are only permitted to use the facilities during normal daytime hours.

The changing rooms are spacious with individual lockers, showers, hairdryers and toiletries and pleasant background music.

Although I didn't use them myself, the hotel also has a Nikkie Mitchell hair and beauty salon, hi-Tech gymnasium, outside tennis courts and a snooker room for guests and members. There is also capacity of conferences and large meetings which although not confirmed because of their location, I should imagine also benefit from the free wireless internet access.



MY VERDICT
Long live the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel. This outlet is a rare breed; it is privately owned, and I suspect its superb maintenance, plus carpets and exquisite décor combined with quality friendly service makes it a frequent target for the 'big-boys' in the market, but I for one, hope they don't succumb to financial offerings. With prices starting from £85 bed and breakfast this hotel is reasonably priced, superbly located and decorated, with leisure facilities that beat every hotel I have visited with the exception of the Crowne Plaza in London Heathrow.

Therefore for visits to this part of the country, the Grosvenor Pulford will be MY hotel of choice for all business in this area for the foreseeable future, and that is something, that as you probably know from the amount of hotels I visit, is NOT something that happens very often.

For those looking for something different, the Grosvenor Pulford often offers live tribute bands and themed weekends at special rates.
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