Chester combines horse racing, Roman ruins and recognizable TV backdrops, and lies under two hours by train from London. Hotel Indigo sits beside Grosvenor Park with the river and high street close at hand. Rooms are generous for the price and include Hypnos beds, spa-style bathrooms and a daily replenished free snack bar, with some rooms facing the park for quieter nights. The Forge offers an open kitchen, dry-ageing cabinet and wood-and-charcoal grill, serving straightforward British dishes such as whole sea bass. Breakfast includes full English options; room delivery carries a £5 tray charge. Prices start around £119 per night.
Chester isn't always the first place that springs to mind for a weekend away but it's got more going for it than you'd think. The races are the big draw, the Roman ruins tick the culture box, and if you grew up on Hollyoaks you'll already know the backdrops. From London, it's under two hours by train, so it's an easy one to get to, and Hotel Indigo is a good base to set up camp.
The hotel sits just by Grosvenor Park, with the river at the bottom and the high street around the corner. Rooms are generously sized, especially for the price point, with comfy Hypnos beds, spa-style bathrooms and a free snack bar that gets topped up daily. Ours looked out across the park, which meant a quiet night's sleep away from the bustle but close enough to walk everywhere.
Hotel restaurants are usually roundly ignored but The Forge deserves your attention. Open kitchen, dry‑ageing cabinet, wood and charcoal grill - this is playing to win in the hotel‑dining stakes. The whole sea bass with hispi cabbage and crispy roast potatoes was exactly the kind of plate worth coming for. British ingredients doing the work, no gimmicks. Worth a dinner reservation even if you rock up to town just for this.
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