In the name of romance, this Valentine’s Day we spoke to Edgar House who have recently been named the 2nd most romantic place to stay in the world by TripAdvisor , here’s what they had to say:
You’ve just been named one of the best hotels in the UK by TripAdvisor, congratulations, what does this mean to you?
It means so much to us, and to the team of course, we all feel incredibly honoured and proud, and we feel very humbled as well.
Now as it’s coming up for Valentines’ we have to talk about the fact that you’ve also been awarded the 2nd most romantic hotel in the world by TripAdvisor, why do you thing you were chosen?
Well, we don’t know exactly… but our whole policy is to make guests feel special and spoiled. Guests have told us that it’s our personal service and our attention-to-detail that really makes a difference to them and their stay. And we do try to add small touches and surprises treats to make their stay as romantic and special as possible.
What is it about your property that makes it romantic and unique?
Well we are very lucky to be located in the centre of Chester, in a very peaceful part of Chester actually, by the river overlooking the city walls. So there are some very romantic views from the river. But also we have a lovely Georgian building, with a small intimate space for example we only have 9 tables in the restaurant. Each bedroom is designed differently in order to be luxurious and special. We’ve tried to create some really unique touches.
Did you design the property, with luxury and romance in mind, what was the inspiration?
We did design the property with luxury and romance in mind. For us it’s an informal 5* haven for adults only. We’ve been to 5* places before that can feel a bit too formal, and you can’t quite be yourself and that’s not what we wanted for us. We wanted somewhere, where you still get the luxury and where you feel like you can snuggle up, and just be yourselves and properly relax. We want guests to feel at home- it just so happens that somebody else is looking after them. So we designed the space with that in mind, by using softer lighting, beautiful art from local galleries, with heritage but calming colours and log burning stove and fire so that’s a lot more relaxing. The restaurants have also got chandeliers and marble fire places, so you’ve got that extra romance in there.
Do you do anything to make guests stay ‘extra’ romantic?
We do add little touches for guests, for example we’ve had freshly picked rose petals on the bed, we offer champagne on arrival, we also use molten brown treats for the room; we make everyone’s stay unique and bespoke to them, so whatever their wishes are, we will organise that for them.
Have you ever had proposals at your property?
We’ve had quite a few! It’s really humbling to us that they choose to pop the question here. It’s such an important moment in their lives, so it’s incredible that they choose to do it at Edgar House. We’ve had proposals on the balcony overlooking the river, some in the rooms themselves and some in the gardens. We often find that people are nervous, knowing that they’re going to propose, so we spend time with them and helping to organise things things for them… just how they want it. So because of that we are doing to design a special ‘pop the question’ package for this year.
What’s the kindest thing that someone has said about a stay with you?
We’re really humbled by anyone who takes time out of their life to give us any feedback really and we’ve had some amazing feedback. One person said that other hotels could learn a lot from us, which is incredible to hear. And i think that one of the kindest things from guests is when they actually mention one of the team members by name and how much that person made their stay special. It really means a lot, because the team work so hard.
What’s the best thing about being a hotel owner?
It has to be meeting so many genuinely lovely people, from all over the UK and all over the world. That’s the best bit and also, you never know what’s going to happen each day, so no day is ever the same!
What’s the hardest thing about being a hotel owner?
Well… never knowing what’s going to happen!
So more about you, can you tell us your story about how you got into the hotel industry?
My mum was always in the hotel world, so my first jobs were in the bars and restaurants of the hotels that she worked in, and that’s how i got into it. Several years after that, my parents bought their own hotel in Derbyshire, so I worked with them and I learnt the ropes, in all different departments, and started to look after the hotel for them as they took a step back. I admired how they turned a very quiet business into an incredible one; and how well they looked after people, and i wanted to be involved in doing that sort of thing myself really.
And finally, what’s your most memorable guest story?
There’s one that always sticks out. We were showing some guests their bedroom, and she was so happy with it, she started crying. it was really touching that a room could move somebody to tears.