When we first approached the free, ample parking at Cottons, we were impressed with the overall look and feel, with a colourful wedding party having fun at the main entrance. Checking in was simple and unfussy, and the foyer decor and restaurant seemed cool, clean and upmarket as we walked to our ground floor room.
Our room wasn't as impressive as the public-facing side of the hotel, with quite a dated feel and rough-around-the-edges facilities, such as a temperamental shower, old, marked bedding and no special extras. We were surprised to discover that we had no robes, despite the spa booklet encouraging guests to visit the spa suitably dressed. A quick call to reception fixed this, though. Also, the room had no fridge, just a kettle and some tea/coffee, an iron and ironing board and a simple TV.
Wifi was actually quite good, and free. This was useful, as there was no service for our Three phones. We enjoyed the spa facilities, including an outdoor jacuzzi that children are not allowed to use, and decent indoor amenities, such as a steam room, sauna and pool. There was some unobtrusive improvement work going on during our stay, which is a good sign.
Our first night's sleep was terrible, being hot (the air conditioning seems to turn itself off at night) and a bed that desperately needs replacing. It was like sleeping on a bean bag full of coat hangers. We swapped to a different room for our second night's stay, but felt like we had requested something unusual. In fact, many of the staff often seemed stunned by simple questions, with the exception of the friendly general manager, who looked and acted the part.
Despite paying just over £90 a night for our room, breakfast wasn't included, but we were close enough to Knutsford, which is a lovely little place and has some good places to eat. It's better to drive, though, as the road leading to Knutsford has very fast traffic going by. If you do want to stay at the hotel for breakfast, you can pay £12+ for a pre-booked table, or £14+ to walk in on the day.
Our one and only experience at the nice-looking restaurant was for dinner, which was a particular let-down. Service was slow and laissez-faire, while the food was just poor. We ordered good old-fashioned fish and chips (haddock with thick-cut chips). The chips were undercooked while the fish was tasteless. We paid more than £30 for our meal and left half of it.
So, a good spa, outdated rooms that need a bit of freshening up, disinterested staff but friendly GM, no laundry service (when we stayed), poor dining experience and good location. read more