Whimsical, friendly and fun, this boutique hotel in Chester is in a league and world of its own.
Step through the doors of Oddfellows Chester and you enter a quirkily glorious world. The lobby sets the tone, with its wide wonderful welcome desk where staff greet you as if you were a friend they’d not just met while maintaining their professionalism.
Beyond the wood-panelled Lounge bar adorned with huge photorealistic painted woodland bird murals is the Secret Garden (a botanical bolt-hole with cosy nooks of various sizes). Fire-styled heating and the options for cover make it a year-round al-fresco experience. Summer evenings see it transform into an enchanting cocktail spot, so light sleepers in garden-facing rooms might want to factor in potential party chatter.
It’s difficult to choose an outstanding part of this hotel, since every inch is designed with intriguing idiosyncrasies. But the Mad Hatter’s Tearoom, complete with full dining table and chairs suspended upside-down from the ceiling, are my favourite. Alice in Wonderland meets boutique hospitality without cliché, and works really well.
Each of Oddfellows’ 16 rooms tells its own story. Inspired by Chester luminaries John Douglas (the architect who designed the city’s landmark Eastgate Clock), Peter Newbrook (cinematographer famous for Lawrence of Arabia) and illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Expect wild nature-format wall murals featuring bigger-than-life birds, giant playing cards, typewriters aplenty, and enough Alice-inspired details to keep the grin on a depressed Cheshire Cat. As if these superlatives weren’t sufficient, the staff are wonderful too. When I lost my laptop lead the Operations Director took two hours out of his free time to help me.
I stayed at the Douglas Duplex Suite. It’s a split-level attic suite larger than a louche Londoner’s living space, with long wall-mounted desk, comfortable sitting area. Downstairs is also a shower and bathroom with everything you’d normally expect, while upstairs is a huge bed and huger freestanding rolltop bath positioned perfectly under the skylight for stargazing soaks and lush loggia views. Just be prepared for the rain to sound rather dramatic during night-time downpours; an inevitable attic experience.
Food-wise, the restaurant (open Wednesday to Sunday inclusive – please check opening hours for me) serves modern British cuisine focusing on locally sourced produce. Here’s an insider tip: while the afternoon tea is not officially served until.. well… the afternoon… if you order nicely in advance, they’ll happily serve it for lunch. The one person version comes with proper cucumber sandwiches, all the traditional trimmings including (naturally) scones and was too much for me to eat, even as a mid day meal. If you’re in a group, book the round table in the gravity-defying Mad Hatter room.
Within An Easy Walk
Oddfellows is right in Chester’s central historic heart, inside the ancient Roman walls of the ancient Roman city of Deva Victrix. You’re a five-minute stroll from the Town Hall, major attractions, and most restaurants (I went to the one on the other side of the road to the hotel), 15 minutes from the railway and virtually opposite the madly macabre ‘Sick to the Death’ experience that charts the Great Plague (check this fact). Locals seem genuinely happy to point visitors toward hidden gems, and the entire city centre has a friendly happy vibe.
Consider
Chester Cathedral: for 1,000 years of history and stunning medieval architecture. 6 minutes walk.
Chester Rows; for shopping in some of the most elegant and well preserved historic galleries in Europe, complete with ancient covered walkways, 5 minutes walk and wheelchair friendly (although finding the lifts can be a challenge).
Chester Racecourse; for a flutter or just great craic. 20 minutes walk.
Reality Check-In
Rooms from between £60 and £220. This isn’t a place for minimalists or anyone seeking corporate cookie-cutter comfort. Every aspect of the hotel has character. While there is no compromise on luxury, the décor’s not restful. Accessibility is limited (wheelchair users would need to use the staff entrance or wait to be assisted every time they left or entered the hotel), but the team goes out of their way to accommodate other needs. Perfect for travellers who want whimsy with their wanderings, but as ideal for those looking for stark modern efficiency as a lead is for a tiger.
URL: https://www.oddfellowschester.com/
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