by Janis / 2 comments - Orginally published:2nd May 2023
And dining at The Forge Restaurant
The ancient city of Chester is located in the northwest of England and is a treat for the senses. You’ll be astounded at the depth of history flowing through its picturesque streets and the welcoming vibe that awaits your arrival.
What better way to compliment your visit to Chester than combining it with a relaxing stay at Hotel Indigo Chester.
Hotel Indigo Chester is a modern, contemporary boutique hotel that has welcomed guests since 2019. Hotel Indigo is situated just a short hop outside Chester’s city walls; within only an 8-minute stroll, you’ll be admiring the iconic Eastgate Clock. Or 5-minute south, you’ll wander through Grosvenor Park down to the River Dee and The Groves
Why not Pin it for later?
Eastgate Clock
Hotel Indigo Chester is an ideal location to discover the surrounding city attractions.
Our review of Hotel Indigo Chester
Greeted with a smile on arrivalOn our arrival at Hotel Indigo Chester, we were immediately greeted by cheery hotel staff in reception. This welcome left a lasting impression, and the friendliness continued throughout the hotel during our two-night stay.
Reception seating at Hotel Indigo Chester
As we checked in early, our room wasn’t quite ready. The receptionist offered to securely store our luggage so we could head off and explore the city at our leisure. We were given a city map and offered advice if needed.
Hotel Indigo Chester doesn’t have onsite parking, so you can temporarily park outside whilst unloading your luggage. The location of the nearby car parks and the exclusive discounts they offered were explained. See my details on parking below.
Hotel Indigo Chester key
Checking in at Hotel Indigo Chester was an uncomplicated and a swift process, everything was explained thoroughly, including the hotel’s Wi-Fi options and the lounge areas in the hotel.
Hotel Indigo Chester has 75 guest rooms and is a non-smoking hotel; breakfast is served within the in-house Forge Restaurant.
Parking nearby
While Hotel Indigo Chester does not have an onsite car park, the hotel has an arrangement with APCOA Parking at the nearby Pepper Street multi-storey car park.
The reduced charge is £12 for 24 hours instead of £20. We used this facility, and the car park was safe and only around an 8–10-minute walk to Hotel Indigo Chester. You can park temporarily at the front of the hotel to unload and load your luggage.
There is one disabled parking bay at the front of the hotel.
Our accommodation at Hotel Indigo Chester
The ‘King Deluxe Room’Our accommodation for the two nights at Hotel Indigo Chester was in a spacious ‘King Deluxe Room’. We were located at the front of the hotel on the first floor and found it very peaceful throughout the day and night.
I loved the contemporary décor; even though the panelling was quite dark, the room felt warm.
King Deluxe Room – Hotel Indigo Chester
The bedroom was very light and airy and had two large windows letting in plenty of daylight. Along with a relaxing lounge chair the room also had a spacious desk. From which, you could catch up on the modern aspects of your day-to-day life.
We found that the bedroom had plenty of socket points dotted around, several USB ports in the wall sockets, and even a couple by your bed, which I find handy.
Fluffy bath robes
Traditional vs modern
After a busy day exploring Chester, the luxury king-size Hypnos bed was exceptionally comfortable and very welcoming. Other in-room facilities included a large 46” flat-screen TV and a combination safe for valuables.
Tea and coffee-making facilities were available in the room, which included a choice of Nespresso coffee capsules. And some delicious biscuits. Also stored away were a hairdryer, a mini fridge, iron and an ironing board.
Hot drinks for all
The room also had a full-length mirror, which I always find a nice touch; this can be overlooked sometimes. And who doesn’t like to see fluffy white bathrobes?
I would only add that I would have liked a little more storage space for clothing, although ample hangers were available.
Wi-fi access
Free Wi-fi was obtainable throughout the hotel, a passcode wasn’t required, so access was reasonably straightforward, and you weren’t limited to the number of devices you could connect.
The Wi-fi signal had a download rate of 17.6 Mbps and an upload rate of 11.1 Mbps.
Tourist Information
If you’re tempted to Visit Chester, the local tourist office provides some highly useful information and handy pointers for around the city. They can be found at the Town Hall, Northgate Street.
The bathroom at Hotel Indigo Chester
A lovely touch of styleAs we head into the bathroom, it’s always good to see bright white Egyptian cotton towels. There was ample of space in the bathroom, and extremely clean.
The chrome antique-style fittings worked very well with the sharp lines of the grey and white tiling throughout the spa-inspired room.
Bathroom in Hotel Indigo Chester
Luxury Zenology products
The absence of a bath didn’t worry us, as the large walk-in rainfall shower certainly made up for it. The premium toiletries from Zenology include a hand wash, hand lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
One touch I personally appreciate is the double-sided magnifying mirror; once again, this is often missed in a bathroom; however, I’m pleased to say it was in this IHG Hotel.
How to get to Hotel Indigo Chester
Hotel Indigo Chester is located along Grosvenor Park Road in the heart of the city within the county of Cheshire.
The hotel is just a short stroll from the historic centre of Chester; in around 8 minutes, you’ll arrive at the magnificent Eastgate Clock.
Our chosen transport option was to drive, and we used the postcode below to navigate.
Another alternative is to take a train to Chester Train Station, which is around an 8-minute walk to Hotel Indigo Chester.
Hotel Indigo Chester
Grosvenor Park Road
Chester
Cheshire
CH1 1QQ
what3words address: ///hope.anyway.mutual
Dining at Hotel Indigo Chester
A cheeky drink at the barFor our evening meal, we head to Hotel Indigo’s in-house restaurant, The Forge. Which not only caters for its hotel guests but also serves fresh cuisine to local residents. The 70-seater restaurant was opened in 2019 by Chef and restaurateur Mike Robinson.
The dining experience at The Forge was relaxed and casual, and the charming surroundings made for a delightful experience.
The Forge
The cuisine was of exceptionally high quality, and all were freshly prepared in their open-plan kitchen for all to see. The emphasis at The Forge restaurant is on British food, using only British ingredients with importance being aimed at sustainability.
The food is cooked over wood and charcoal, and locally reared meat is all aged on the premises.
To start, I chose the Scottish mackerel, with radish, kohlrabi and labneh. This was a relatively light dish to eat, and the combination of the slight heat from the radish and crunch from the kohlrabi worked extremely well.
The cider braised ham knuckle
Gary decided upon the cider braised ham knuckle to start with parsley sauce, crispy mussels, and gherkin ketchup. Gary really enjoyed this dish, especially the light crunch of the crispy mussel with the smooth terrine.
For the main course, I chose Welsh lamb rump, and with north Wales being so close, I knew it hadn’t travelled far. The lamb was accompanied by braised onion, sticky glaze belly, leek, and miso.
Hereford sirloin of beef with baby carrot, Madeira and mushroom
Gary settled upon the Hereford sirloin of beef as a main course, with baby carrot, Madeira, and mushroom. We both chose triple-cooked chips as a side dish.
We couldn’t resist dessert; Gary chose the Black Forest Gateaux with dark chocolate and cherry sorbet, which he loved. I chose the savoury option of Blue Monday cheese, carrot cake and pickled walnut.
Black Forest Gateaux, dark chocolate, and cherry sorbet
We both really enjoyed the experience at The Forge restaurant, which was made even better by the helpful, welcoming staff.
The bar at Hotel Indigo Chester
To round off the evening perfectly, we enjoyed a relaxing glass of wine at Hotel Indigo’s bar, once again surrounded by attractive modern décor.
If you're intrigued to visit the beautiful county of Cheshire and the historic city of Chester, then why not check out Bradt’s travel guide. Full of helpful advice, interesting facts and time-saving tips.
You can pick it up for your Kindle or in good old paperback.
Breakfast at Hotel Indigo Chester
A fantastic start to the dayAfter a good night’s sleep, the following day, we returned to the restaurant area for breakfast. It’s always pleasing when you are welcomed with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Breakfast at Hotel Indigo Chester
Along with the fine array of delicacies for the continental breakfast, you’re also given the option of a freshly prepared hot breakfast.
I decided upon the smoked salmon with scrambled egg on toasted sourdough, which was delicious and plenty of it. Gary chose the eggs royale with an English muffin, smoked salmon, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.
Eggs Royale Breakfast at Hotel Indigo Chester
The breakfast at Hotel Indigo Chester was delicious, and I was already looking forward to it for the following morning.
A few places to visit in Chester;
- The Rows
- Roman Amphitheatre
- Stroll the magnificent city walls
- Chester Market
- The Grosvenor Museum
- Eastgate Clock
- Chester Racecourse
- Chester Cathedral
- The Storyhouse
- Chester Basin
IHG One Rewards App
To ensure you earn rewards during your stay at Hotel Indigo Chester, download the IHG One Rewards App. The booking process is quick and easy, you’ll obtain points to use at over 6,000 destinations worldwide, and you can track your upcoming and past stays within the IHG Hotels & Resorts Group.
Final Thoughts
We would highly recommend a stay at Hotel Indigo Chester, not only for its beautiful, contemporary décor, delicious food, and comfy beds but also for the warm and friendly staff, who were always polite and helpful.
Hotel Indigo, Chester
I also liked the hotel’s location, close to the historic city centre. Within 8 minutes, you were in the heart of Chester’s old town, and the amphitheatre and the River Dee were nearby.
Our video of Chester
We have created a little YouTube video of Chester. Why not take a look?
Also, why not subscribe to our YouTube channel and get the latest clips as we post them?
Disclaimer
Visit Chester offered us a complimentary night at Hotel Indigo Chester in exchange for an honest review and an account of our personal experiences.
* This post may contain links to affiliated sites where we earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
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Looks absolutely fabulous, especially the food!
Ahh, thanks very much. Yes, it was all delicious, loved the breakfast.