Lifestyle Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Spa Chester

SITTING in 12 acres of peaceful, pretty landscaped gardens in a stylish 18th century manor house lies the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Spa Chester.

Enjoying the finer things in life is a way to have a really relaxing treat at the weekend, I think, so I decided to take my mum, who was feeling a little sorry for herself after suffering from a broken arm, to this attractive location in Chester.

Greeted with a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie, DoubleTree by Hilton knows how to immediately win you over. It worked for us anyway.

The hotel is smart, classy and welcoming and to start our weekend away, we ate in The Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill. There’s no doubt it has an element of class but it manages to hold a relaxed atmosphere, helped by comfy velvet sofas, and equipped with exceptionally polite staff. Non-steak lovers need not fear either – there are other things to enjoy. We both went for steak though and as expected, it was delicious.

The next day was spa time. Greeted with a glass of fizz in the spa, once again, they won us over.

We decided to take a quick dip first. In the pool area, you’ll find an outdoor Watsu hydra therapy pool. It was pretty cool to be sat outside with the rather chilly fresh air, but steaming water to keep warm.

The light was dimmed and the area boasted a lovely calming feel. I’m not sure how comfortable it would be on a particularly busy day but on this occasion, on a Saturday morning, there was plenty of space to relax and have a swim. There’s a fitness centre, too, but indulgent treatments awaited us, so needless to say, we didn’t pay it a visit.

I had the pleasure of an Elemis Face and Body Sensation followed by a file and polish (hands and feet).

The Elemis treatment duo included a massage – to relieve stress and ease aching muscles, I believe – combined with a facial. It was absolute bliss. I felt completely relaxed and once my nails were tip top, I was a new woman. 

My mum experienced the joys of a deluxe pedicure and manicure. The pedicure involved a luxurious leg and foot treatment with thermal heated booties for deeper penetration of the oils and creams, apparently. You even get a scalp, foot, ankle and leg massage with this one. If you go for the deluxe manicure, expect a luxury hand treatment mask with thermal heated mitts. She absolutely loved it.

The spa has 14 treatment rooms including the Couples Duo Suite, with private sauna and whirlpool, the ‘Rasul’ mud room, sauna, steam room, aroma room and the traditional Turkish Hammam, which combines low mist and high-intensity steam to stimulate the senses.

Once we were finished being completely spoilt in the spa, we rounded off the weekend with a Champagne Afternoon tea in The Brassiere. I’ve got a big appetite, but even for me it was too much, so expect an indulgent selection of sandwiches, cream cakes and scones. You won’t leave feeling unsatisfied, I am sure.

There was a real mixture of guests throughout the weekend – families, couples, friends and even a few low-key hen parties. The venue held a jovial atmosphere and, in my opinion, despite being pretty darn lovely, there wasn’t anything that made it feel like a posh and stuffy place. 

The hotel is only up the road from the town centre so if you do want to head out, it’s easy. But you’ll probably find you won’t need to travel far – we didn’t feel we needed to leave the hotel.

Address: Warrington Road, Hoole, Chester, CH2 3PD. 

Contact: http://www.doubletree.com/ or call 01244 408800/0870 590 9090.

Prices at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Spa Chester start from £89 per room, per night, on a room-only basis.