As always we’ll be objective in our review. We chose The Commercial partly because it was really good value and partly a trip down memory lane from a stay there many years ago. Needless to say the rooms are unrecognisable from those days. Prior to our stay we looked at the reviews and telephoned to ensure there were no late night events happening as we wanted a quiet couple of days.

We arrived early and requested the quietest room – our room was quickly reallocated but wasn’t ready which was no issue as we went for lunch. We stayed in Keats room and were very comfortable - lovely bed and shower/bathroom. It’s a bit of a maze to get to the rooms and the stair carpet could do with a little repair here and there.

The great thing about The Commercial is its location – slap bang in the middle of the Chester. Yes there was the a little noise from those crossing the courtyard but that’s not the hotel’s fault. We ate very well – the breakfasts were excellent with everything freshly cooked so worth the wait. Away from the hotel we enjoyed The Brewery Tap for a proper pint (no music or TV); La Fattoria for a lovely Italian meal and Moules a Go Go for a lovely steak and great service.

Here are just a couple of little things that would’ve helped our stay be even better – a bin in the bathroom; curtains instead of blinds; the handle on the toilet to be fixed; a bedside table each side. Having said this we would not hesitate to return to The Commercial to stay – the staff were just great and that always makes a difference.

You cannot get more central in Chester than this delightful small hotel. Free parking also included!! We stayed in Coleridge (all rooms named after poets) and enjoyed 2 nights of perfect peace despite being right in the middle of the action of Chester night life. The bathroom was fantastic, as good as amny 5 star hotels. The staff were all extremely pleasant. We enjoyed several drinks in the bar but will remember with relish the breakfasts.