Chester is one of England’s stunning heritage cities, renowned for its black and white mock Tudor architecture and its Roman history.
Located within the city walls is the oldest racecourse in Britain dating back to 1539 and this is also one of the largest conference venues in the area.
The city centre is very compact – you can walk from one side of the city centre to the other in about twenty minutes. There is a regular shuttle bus linking the railway station to the heart of the city centre. Chester has the most complete set of Roman walls in the UK. These are just over 2 miles long and a walk along the walls is a fantastic way to view the city. The walk takes in the Eastgate clock along the way, the most photographed clock in the UK after Big Ben!
Chester is served by two international airports, Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester International Airport. Both are within a 35 minute taxi ride of the city centre via the motorway network.
Other central venues include the 5-star Chester Grosvenor & Spa, which houses some of the Duke of Westminster’s personal collection of artwork, as well as the 4-star Queen Hotel located directly opposite the railway station.
Venues
Larger event venues suitable for 500+ delegates include Chester Racecourse which can accommodate groups from 2 to 2000 across its variety of meeting spaces or Crowne Plaza Chester which can accommodate up to 600 delegates.
For a team building or training session for about 50 people we would recommend Peckforton Castle where groups can take part in a Land Rover off-road driving experience or other corporate activities. Alternatively Cheshire’s luxury resort Carden Park has two on-site golf courses plus a range of outdoor activities.
For 5* service the 5-star Chester Grosvenor Hotel & Spa, which houses some of the Duke of Westminster’s personal collection of artwork, offers excellent accommodation, service and conference facilities.
For a smaller meetings or training sessions we suggest either Abode Chester located in the city or DoubleTree by Hilton Chester an 18th century manor house on the outskirts of the city.
A more quirky ‘outside the box’ venue would be Chester Zoo which provides unique venues for a variety of events.
Social Programmes
We suggest three particular attractions, which would be suitable for social programmes for business people. For a unique experience based in the city itself a Roman Soldier walking tour is hard to beat. Outside the city, tours of Tatton Park Mansion and Gardens are popular with groups and for larger groups of 60 or more The Safari BBQ at Chester Zoo can be booked. This includes a welcome drink and a private after hours tour of the Zoo, followed by a BBQ.
Other nearby attractions that would interest delegates for an afternoon include Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, the National Trust’s Quarry Bank Mill & Gardens, historic Arley Hall & Gardens and Blue Planet Aquarium – shark diving for those who dare!
Dining
For a private dinner for small groups of up to 10 people we suggest two venues outside the city – either Trafford Hall or the sophisticated Nunsmere Hall Hotel. Alternatively for somewhere a little quirky try the National Waterways Museum at nearby Ellesmere Port.
For dining for a larger group of 50 our recommendations include Chester University , Doubletree by Hilton, Chester or, for a more unusual venue Ness Gardens located 10 miles west of Chester.
For the ultimate dining experience we recommend the Michelin starred Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor , one of only a few restaurants in the UK to have retained its Michelin star for over 25 consecutive years.
Hotels
Chester has an abundance of quality accommodation from the 5* Chester Grosvenor, the 4-star Hallmark Hotel Chester The Queen located directly opposite the railway station to the boutique Oddfellows a Georgian townhouse hotel right in the middle of the city, only moments away from the river and with a hidden gem of a secret garden.
See Bien Venue’s website to see how we could help you to plan your next event.