Chesford Grange in Warwickshire has that traditional English country hotel vibe, with good food, good facilities, spacious rooms, and wonderful countryside and towns to explore on your doorstep.
Location
The hotel is situated in the town of Kenilworth on the banks of the River Avon. It is very easily accessible from the M40 and M69, and you are central to several fascinating towns. Warwick train station is just four miles away. We had a lovely day out shopping at the boutiques here and visiting charming independent cafes. For a slightly larger town, Leamington Spa is just eight miles away, Coventry is a 12-minute drive, and the beautiful historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon is only a 20-minute drive.
Style & Character
Chesford Grange is a four-star hotel and part of the Q Hotels portfolio. I’ve stayed at another Q Hotel in the past and was pleased with the consistency across them. The hotel is housed in an old building with a newer extension, the old building is beautiful, and you enter up the steps through the impressive reception area. The hotel manages a good balance between tradition in the communal areas, particularly the beautiful bar, and the more contemporary and stylish guest rooms.
Service & Facilities
There is a spa and health club at the hotel, accessible both through the hotel and a separate entrance. We paid a couple of visits, once to laze by the indoor swimming pool on the comfortable loungers; there are also heated loungers, but to be honest, we were too relaxed to be bothered to move and try them out, a good sign I feel! Stepping into the pool was like stepping into a warm bath, wonderfully soothing. There are specific times allocated to when children are allowed in the pool area, meaning that families and those looking for a quieter dip can plan their visit accordingly. There’s also a gym, steam room, and solarium, but again we didn’t try these. We did, however, return the next day to enjoy a manicure. There are also refreshing facials and soothing full-body massages on offer; you can visit for a spa day, and it would be an ideal venue for a hen weekend to do just that. There are two car parks, one on each side of the hotel (they have separate entrances, we parked in different car parks and had a moment wondering if we were both in the same place!) with 650 spaces between them. There are also 13 conference and event rooms; it’s clearly a great hotel for business or room hire for parties (there was a 21st birthday party in one of the rooms whilst we were there) – but given that it wasn’t the reason for our visit, the hotel didn’t have that problem of feeling solely like a business hotel.
Rooms
The hotel has 205 guest rooms; choose from Standard Rooms, Superior Rooms, VIQ Rooms, and two Suites. For discerning travelers, it’s definitely worth booking at least a Superior Room as these include air-con and 32 inch LCD TVs (and despite it being October in England, we needed air-con!). We were lucky enough to be staying in a VIQ Room, and I would definitely recommend these beautiful rooms, as well as all the usual luxury amenities. They are huge with a separate sitting area with two chairs at one end and include a generously stocked complimentary mini-bar.
Food & Drink
There are two options for dining at Chesford Grange, and you can order room service too. The River Room is the main restaurant, and we ate here on our first night. It’s a large room (this is also the location for breakfast) and could feel a little soul-less. However they mainly use the tables around the sides next to the windows in the evening and, when lit with candles, it gives a nice, cozy atmosphere. The food was delicious, the menus offered a range of options to cater for a wide variety of tastes, and the quality was reassuringly consistent throughout the courses. On our second evening, we dined in the Terrace Bar. We loved the bar; it’s spread across several rooms, and there are lots of nooks and crannies with sofas, fireplaces, and even a huge fabulous staircase to admire. We took a stroll out on the decked terrace. In the warmer months, it would be divine out here, it’s a large terrace, and there’s lots of seating down in the landscaped gardens, too – we settled for the autumnal hues viewed from the warmth of the bar’s conservatory area. They offer a good selection of drinks, including a cocktail menu. The food in the bar was also very good, and although not exactly gourmet, the loaded fries were exceptional, especially when washed down with prosecco! The breakfast was served buffet-style but don’t let this put you off, the quality was very high, the choice wide and we were impressed both days. You can order several items off a menu too, some are complimentary and others for a small additional charge.
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