Lovely Queen’s
Road location surrounded by historic buildings
Tastefully decorated rooms with upscale touches like Smart TVs
Excellent buffet breakfast with a la carte items available
On-site
restaurant -- IX Restaurant -- considered among the best in Aberdeen
Gym with modern equipment
Two beauty rooms
with variety of nail and beauty treatments
Room service
available
Meeting rooms and private dining spaces available
Free outdoor parking and Wi-Fi throughout
Location a long walk from Aberdeen city center
No pool or sauna
Wi-Fi can be spotty
in places
Refurbished in 2013, the four-pearl Chester Hotel is among the most
renowned luxury hotels in the Aberdeen area. Its 54 rooms are modern and have high-end coffeemakers and Smart TVs, although the Classic Rooms are a bit small. Amenities include a celebrated restaurant, a
small gym, meeting spaces, and a couple of beauty treatment rooms. Elegant as it is, the
Chester’s luxury is understated and a little more low-key compared to the
Malmaison and other high-end hotels in the area -- although the lofty price tag
is similar.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Stone buildings with dark interiors featuring black trim and stripes
Housed in a
series of old two-story stone buildings, The Chester more
closely resembles a set of classy condominiums than a hotel. Its
outdoor parking area is dotted with Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins, Porsches, and other
luxury cars, and there's a half-stone, half-Formica outdoor lounge area between the buildings and the parking lot.
There are several big, beautiful trees lining the paths around the hotel as
well as sculpted hedges. The entrance is a simple door atop a few stone stairs, marked by a pair of lanterns with candles that are lit every evening, adding a romantic ambience. Inside, the lobby area is small but elegant, and features black trim and furniture, from the compact reception desk to the tony lobby
bar. Mauve streamlined couches topped with gold and black pillows, armchairs with ikat patterns, a white fireplace, and dentil moulding add to the refined atmosphere in the lobby. A couple of elegant
chandeliers with dangling crystal loops hang from the ceiling. The small elevator and a narrow jet-black staircase lead guests to their rooms through hallways lined with striped carpet.
Location
On Queen's Road, an easy drive into Aberdeen's city center
The Hotel is located on Queen’s Road -- the most prestigious road in
Aberdeen -- surrounded by elegant residences, schools, a couple of
offices, and other luxury hotels. The Malmaison Hotel is right next door, and
there's a bus stop directly in front of The Chester, which offers regular service around Aberdeen and its surrounding areas. The city center and the railway station take about 18 minutes to reach by bus or seven minutes by car. The Royal Aberdeen
Golf Club is a 10-minute drive away. Edinburgh Airport is about two hours away
by car, while Glasgow takes two and a half hours to reach.
Rooms
Compact but comfortable modern rooms and suites in black-and-white decor
There are 54 rooms at The Chester, including two Suites. Rooms have black-and-white checkered upholstery with vertical striped
headboards and plush beds covered with high thread-count Egyptian
cotton linens. Each room has a Smart TV with a variety of cable channels, free
Wi-Fi access, a large desk and office chair, and a small vase of fresh flowers.
Token pieces of artwork, usually an original pencil drawing or a painting, adorn the walls. Bathrooms are compact but immaculate and slick, and feature large
off-white panel walls and floors, heated towel racks, and shower/tub combos with
partial glass doors. The Classic Rooms are admittedly compact, with very little extra space on either side of the beds, but the large windows looking out onto the hotel’s green lawn make them feel roomier. The two Suites are large and elegant, with huge separate
living areas lit by lots of windows featuring large couches, several armchairs, fireplaces, and meeting tables.
Features
Free parking and Wi-Fi, meeting spaces, superb restaurant, and small but modern fitness center
The IX Restaurant -- considered one of Scotland's finest -- is housed in a separate stone building in a modern, refined space with a black-leather banquette on one end and an open kitchen on another, separated by an illuminated counter of fresh seafood filets presented in glass cases. IX serves fresh steak and seafood for lunch and dinner and offers a la carte breakfast items and a large breakfast buffet (included in some room rates) with hot and cold dishes. The wine list is on display in a floor-to-ceiling wine vault, and accent walls use mismatched wood panels. Cozy and classy as it is, there are only a few small windows and the place is a little dark. The same goes for the small gym, which is surrounded by vertical striped wallpaper with just a couple of small windows. There are about 12 high-end machines but not a lot of floor space for free weights or stretching. Beauty treatments are also available on-site and there are a couple of meeting and private dining areas available for special events. The hotel offers free parking and (sometimes spotty) hotel-wide Wi-Fi.
