The Mill Hotel & Spa Chester With Kids: An Honest Family Review

When I was planning our recent trip to Chester, I had one non-negotiable.

A swimming pool.

If you’ve read any of my family travel posts before, you’ll know that a hotel pool is often the difference between a smooth trip and spending an evening desperately trying to entertain an overtired seven-year-old in a hotel room.

After a lot of searching, I settled on The Mill Hotel & Spa Chester. Located just outside the city walls, it seemed to tick all the boxes: central location, family-friendly facilities, a pool and spacious rooms.

After spending one night there with my daughter during one of the hottest half terms of the year, would I recommend it to other families?

The answer is a slightly frustrating one.

Yes.

But with a few caveats.

Location: Pretty Much Perfect

As far as family city breaks go, the location is difficult to fault.

The hotel sits around five minutes from Chester train station and about five minutes from the city centre, making it ideal if you’re travelling by train or planning to spend most of your time exploring the city.

What I particularly liked was that it’s just outside the city walls. You’re close enough to walk everywhere but far enough away that you’re not listening to traffic, nightlife or groups of people making their way home at midnight.

As a mum travelling alone with a child, it felt safe, accessible and easy to navigate.

For little legs, it’s pretty much spot on.

The Rooms: Surprisingly Spacious

One of the biggest surprises of our stay was the size of the room.

I booked a standard double room because my daughter still insists on sleeping in my bed whenever we stay away. (Parents of children aged seven and above will know that sometimes these things aren’t really up for discussion.)

The room was huge.

There was plenty of floor space, room to unpack properly and enough space that we weren’t constantly tripping over bags, shoes and random souvenirs.

In parent terms, that’s a massive win.

We also paid an extra £10 for a balcony overlooking the canal and I’d absolutely recommend doing the same.

Watching the barges drift past became a surprisingly entertaining activity, and my daughter spent a good amount of time enthusiastically waving at people on boats.

Most waved back. One of my favourite human traits.

The room itself was clean and comfortable, with the usual tea and coffee facilities you’d expect.

That said, for a hotel that markets itself as a spa destination, I was surprised there wasn’t a fridge or even complimentary bottled water.

Whether you’re travelling with children or without them, somewhere to keep drinks cold feels like a fairly basic expectation, particularly during a heatwave.

The television offered standard channels, which isn’t necessarily a criticism, but there was no obvious option to cast from a device or access streaming services.

As someone whose child doesn’t use a tablet, it would have been useful to have a few more entertainment options available in the evening.

Again, not a deal-breaker.

Just something worth noting.

The Bathroom: Unexpectedly Child-Friendly

The bathroom ended up being one of my daughter’s favourite parts of the room.

Not because she’s particularly passionate about bathroom design.

Because it had a huge corner bath.

If you’ve ever tried persuading a younger child to have a shower after a long day exploring a city, you’ll understand why this felt like a win.

Even better, the bath featured a whirlpool jacuzzi function.

Since children aren’t allowed in the spa hot tub downstairs, this became my daughter’s version of the luxury spa experience and she absolutely loved it.

It’s a small touch, but one that genuinely added something to our stay.

The Pool: The Real Selling Point

Let’s talk about the pool.

Because for me, this is where The Mill Hotel really earns its points.

The swimming pool is a great size and includes a roped-off section for lane swimming, leaving plenty of space for families to enjoy the rest of the pool.

The biggest positive?

There are no dedicated children’s swimming times.

That meant we could enjoy a swim after arriving, another before dinner and then squeeze in one final swim before breakfast the next morning.

When you’re travelling with children, flexibility matters.

The pool was clean, the changing rooms were spacious and everything felt well maintained.

There is also a sauna, steam room and hot tub for adults, although I can’t personally comment on those as I spent most of my visit being challenged to underwater swimming races.

Breakfast: The Biggest Letdown

Unfortunately, breakfast was where things started to unravel a little.

Breakfast was included in our room rate, which is always welcome, but the experience felt surprisingly underwhelming.

At check-in, guests are asked to choose a breakfast time slot for the following morning.

Personally, I’m not a fan of this system.

Particularly when travelling with children, mornings don’t always go to plan and I prefer a little more flexibility.

The breakfast selection itself was fairly limited.

There were cereals and a small cooked breakfast offering, but no pastries and no fruit available during our visit.

There was also no self-service coffee machine.

Instead, you needed to catch the attention of what appeared to be one very busy member of staff if you wanted another coffee.

For a hotel charging around £150 per night and positioning itself as a spa destination, I expected a little more.

It wasn’t terrible.

It just wasn’t particularly memorable either.

Would I Stay Again?

This is where it gets difficult, because I genuinely enjoyed our stay.

• The location is excellent.
• The rooms are spacious.
• The balcony upgrade is worth every penny.
• The pool is fantastic for families.
• My daughter had a brilliant time.

But would I pay £150 per night to stay there again?

Honestly, probably not. Not because it’s a bad hotel – far from it.

It’s actually a perfectly pleasant place to stay with children.

The issue is value for money – at that price point, I think there are a few details missing that would elevate it from “good” to “great.”

• A fridge.
• Complimentary water.
• A stronger breakfast offering.
• More flexibility around breakfast times.

Small things individually, but together they make a difference.

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a family-friendly hotel in Chester with a swimming pool and a fantastic location, The Mill Hotel & Spa is definitely worth considering.

The pool alone will make many families happy, and the spacious rooms are genuinely practical when travelling to Chester with children.

Would it make my list of the very best family hotels I’ve stayed in?

No.

Did we have a lovely stay?

Absolutely.

Sometimes those two things can be true at the same time.