Name: Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel & Spa, Chester
Address: Parkgate Rd, Chester, Woodbank, Ellesmere Port, Chester, England, United Kingdom, Chester, Cheshire West and Chester, GB
Price range: $80–$275 per night
Rating: 7.5

What guests think

Across reviews of Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel & Spa, travellers highlight friendly staff, peaceful grounds, and leisure facilities, while noting dated décor, inconsistent room temperatures, and mixed breakfast value with frequent extra charges and occasional slow or patchy service.

Rooms are often spacious and comfortable but feel tired, with some worn furnishings, soft or joined mattresses, and weak in-room Wi‑Fi. Guests like the pool, spa and gym, though there are limits for children, no hot tub, and occasional cold water or outages, plus dark parking areas at night. Expect a quiet stay with decent facilities, aging rooms, and variable dining value.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Pool, spa and gym are popular and generally good, with free access noted. Several reviews mention no hot tub/jacuzzi, limited kids’ swim hours, occasional cold pool or closures, the need to walk outside to the spa, and poorly lit parking at night.

Related guest reviews

10

Paul

Dec 18, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Gym, Pool and Sauna all good.

6

Talfan

May 31, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Really good multigym (for a hotel). Loads of machines and free weight. However the swimming pool was a bit cold and the sauna out of action while we were there. The room was lovely, really nice. Unfortunately they had a problem with the hot water while we were there which was off two mornings in a row at precisely the time I needed to shower and shave before work. When it was on it was scalding and difficult to balance the temperature whilst showering. However I’m sure that was just a temporary hiccup while we were staying.

4

Gemma

Apr 7, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very uncomfortable bed, but they changed it for us to a more springy / musty version. Dusty shelves. In general, a hotel that needs investment! Friendly staff. Spa and pool are ok but you need to leave the hotel and go next door. Won’t be staying again.

8

Paul

Jan 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice rooms. Excellent Pool, Sauna and Gym.

10

Carol

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was lovely and spacious with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom. The hotel was clean throughout and sat in pleasant grounds. We found the staff were welcoming on arrival and polite friendly and professional throughout our stay. We enjoyed using the pool, and restaurant.

8

Ian

Jun 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel in the middle of the countryside, very tranquil, nice modern clean room, quiet at night. Enjoyed the leisure centre, good facilities apart from lack of hot tub.

6

Jacob

May 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very dated hotel, pictures online look a lot nicer. The queen bed was 2 single beds pushed together. No outlets anywhere near the bed to charge your phone. On the plus side the pool and gym were nice.

10

Kirti

Jul 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

this was a wonderful saty. We were a family of 16. Occupying 5 rooms. Service was great. Staff were great. Pool steam and sauana super clean. Hotel rooms a little dated but did the job. We had a blast

8

Lorna

Aug 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The family room was large and comfortable (if a bit tired), however lack of air conditioning was a bit of an issue as it was 30 degrees. However a fan was provided on request. Breakfast was great with a lot of choice and there were good options for other meals. It was great for kids due to the large grassy area just outside the restaurant, meaning they could go and play while we finished our food and drinks. The pool is a good size and is sectioned off for adults and families/ children. There was also a decent amount of time allocated for children to swim. Location was good for us, being handy for Chester zoo, Chester itself and not too far from the coast. All in all, we had an enjoyable and comfortable stay and would definitely come back.

10

Maria

Dec 6, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

A very brief stay. Single room was clean and quiet. Nice to have robe. Managed to set my alarm an hour late but was greeted by Scarlet in the restaurant who kindly sorted me some breakfast to go, a lovely young lady. The only negative was the car park has no lights at night which was quite dangerous due to an uneven surface. Would like to come back and try the spa.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is inconsistent: many found spaces clean, but repeated reports cite mould in bathrooms, cobwebs or dust, smoke smells, and worn or faulty fixtures and carpets.

Related guest reviews

6

Neeta

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel is ok, just needs updating and a little care. There was a distinct smell of cigarette smoke in the reception area and down the corridors. The wardrobe door was off its hinges in our room and the shelves all scratched and tatty. The beds were comfortable and the room was clean.

4

Peter

Sep 1, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

A very disappointing experience. Place is very tired and in dire need of a referb. Room was pokey and grubby. Toilet seat broken. Tv on the wall was very crooked. Cobwebs all around the window and radiator. Bed was comfortable and clean. Bathroom needed a deep clean. Breakfast menu card was rancid covered in old food. Breakfast buffet on 2nd morning was was luke warm, scrambled eggs the only choice and awful, but a reasonable selection of items available. Staff were pleasant. The spa pool is a good size but water clarity was not good, my eyes watered for a good 30 mins after a swim. The grounds around the hotel could be lovely but no effort made. I expected more from a Macdonald Hotel. One wonders if hotel management have ever stayed in one of they're own places. On evidence of this weekend that would be a no.

8

Keith

Jul 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was very quiet and in very nice grounds. There was black mold on the silicone sea to the bath and wash basin.

4

Stephen

Dec 26, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Very tired hotel. Radiators making noises so cant sleep (had to move rooms), extractor fans dirty, in-room furniture old (threadbare, chipped, missing pictures on wall, etc). Was told we had to book for breakfast but it was not busy. However a 20 min wait for hot drinks unacceptable, as was the 45 mins between arriving and hot food being put on our table (again, not busy). Lift not working. Sounds like an ingoing issue and not to be resolved soon. Thankfully we did not have large or heavy suitcases!! Hotel feels run down and understaffed. The staff that are there are happy to try and help though. Problems reported to reception on both days for resolutions. Talking to other guests they feel the same. Still havent recieved a call from the Ops Manager yet. Macdonalds you should be ashamed of running this hotel into the ground. We will not be staying again.

10

Carol

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was lovely and spacious with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom. The hotel was clean throughout and sat in pleasant grounds. We found the staff were welcoming on arrival and polite friendly and professional throughout our stay. We enjoyed using the pool, and restaurant.

6

Andrew

Jul 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Only half way through stay but arrived and found a very dirty toilet with matter dripping from underneath of toilet seat. Rest of room cleaned perfectly fine so just an unfortunate oversight but Went to reception to ask someone to come help and an hour later no one arrived. We went out for dinner (couldn’t get a table in hotel) and when came back someone had been on and put some bleach down but underneath of seat still dirty !

6

Andrew

Sep 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We stayed here over 5 years ago and it was great but unfortunately it looks like nothing has been done here for over 5 years. The rooms and corridors are extremely tired. Our toilet flush broke on the first flush, the shower leaked and there was mould on the bathroom ceiling. Its a shame as the staff were great and the food was really good.

10

Christopher

Nov 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean and comfortable room and friendly helpful staff. Thanks for a pleasant stay

6

Ed

Feb 7, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property is extremely dated and in need of urgent investment. Our room was dirty. The hotel smells of smoke as people are evidently smoking in their rooms

6

Stephanie

Mar 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Bed comfy, not enough plugs, me and my son were sneezing and itchy all night. The lampshades were mouldy. The wardrobes were scratched to bits, not enough tea/coffee supples. Pool and gym had late open times breakfast way overpriced. We drove into chester for our breakfast instead. Would not return

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Rooms

Rooms are frequently large and generally comfortable but feel dated, with temperature control issues (very hot or cold), some soft or joined mattresses, limited bedside sockets, and patchy in‑room Wi‑Fi.

Related guest reviews

10

Carol

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was lovely and spacious with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom. The hotel was clean throughout and sat in pleasant grounds. We found the staff were welcoming on arrival and polite friendly and professional throughout our stay. We enjoyed using the pool, and restaurant.

4

Paul

Dec 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was freezing cold and small heater didn’t work. Really hard bed and room just looked tired. Carpark is pitch black.

8

Elvira

Oct 11, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was lovely but it was so hot! It was definitely over 25 degrees in there on the 1st night even with all the windows open and the fans running. Called down about 11pm to ask to switch it off and was told they couldn't. Second night they had managed to turn it down a bit but was still very warm and we had all the widows open. Others wise it was a lovely stay.

4

Martin

Apr 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We had the deluxe suite, and room was massive but no TV in the lounge area, room very hot and no air con. Had to wait 2 hours for a fan just so we could sleep. Very outdated.

6

Jacob

May 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very dated hotel, pictures online look a lot nicer. The queen bed was 2 single beds pushed together. No outlets anywhere near the bed to charge your phone. On the plus side the pool and gym were nice.

8

COLIN

Oct 23, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

couple of Problems with the room that could be improved very few plug sockets and in poor locations sink very slow to drain - probably beginning to block up Elizabeth at breakfast stood out as an excellent example of customer service and a bright lovely welcome in the mornings, she should be rewarded for such good service levels

8

Charles

May 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Positive Great value, excellent food, lovely setting, good pool, attentive helpful staff. Not so positive No wifi in room 112. No sparkle in the sparkling water dispenser outside the room. ROAM is not a user friendly car charging app.

8

Lorna

Aug 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The family room was large and comfortable (if a bit tired), however lack of air conditioning was a bit of an issue as it was 30 degrees. However a fan was provided on request. Breakfast was great with a lot of choice and there were good options for other meals. It was great for kids due to the large grassy area just outside the restaurant, meaning they could go and play while we finished our food and drinks. The pool is a good size and is sectioned off for adults and families/ children. There was also a decent amount of time allocated for children to swim. Location was good for us, being handy for Chester zoo, Chester itself and not too far from the coast. All in all, we had an enjoyable and comfortable stay and would definitely come back.

8

Matthew

Nov 14, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Friendly welcoming staff, tasty food, large rooms and comfy beds but conference facilities were not as good as expected (cold rooms and projector to dim for a bright room), bedroom was initially cold as all heating switched off, long walk to bedrooms from reception and very inflexible Manager regrading changes to booking dates (charges would be made).

6

R

May 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The beds need attention, the mattresses are worn out and the toppers can’t compensate. This was the second time staying here and both times the beds have been abysmal! Other than that the decor is dated but doesn’t have an impact on anything really.. the service is good as are the onsite facilities

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Service

Staff are widely described as friendly and helpful, though service can be slow or inattentive at times, with occasional check‑in issues, an unmanned bar, and delays or confusion at breakfast.

Related guest reviews

6

Emma

Jun 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We have stayed here quite a few times as a family but have to confess we were a bit disappointed this time: the decor is getting shabby (dirty furnishings, holes in carpets, out-dated fixtures etc.), the staff (though polite) in both the spa and in the hotel didn’t seem to be too bothered and, when my husband went to check us in whilst we headed to the pool, they charged us for a room we’d already paid for! This was all cleared up on check-out but the whole experience (which was supposed to be a bit of a treat) felt a bit flat tbh! The location is ideal for exploring the area (Chester Zoo, Blue Planet, Cheshire Oaks, Chester Races etc etc) but I’m not sure we’ll choose to stay here again as I think we could probably get better value for money elsewhere. We chose not to pay for the breakfast as it would have cost almost £100 extra so we headed off early and ate elsewhere.

2

Andrew

Jun 6, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Difficult to order drinks at the bar as it was often unmanned and then when someone did turn up it was over £7 for a pint of lager. Breakfast staff were not very helpful. Just pointed towards a table with no explanation of how breakfast worked. Left at the table on my own.. went to find waitress to ask if I could order some food.. waited another few minutes for the chef to then come and take my order. Very poor customer service.

10

David

Dec 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Perfect and great staff

8

Carol

Dec 15, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were polite and friendly and reacted very quickly to a request

10

Carol

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was lovely and spacious with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom. The hotel was clean throughout and sat in pleasant grounds. We found the staff were welcoming on arrival and polite friendly and professional throughout our stay. We enjoyed using the pool, and restaurant.

6

Deborah

Apr 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Bad experience at check in but rectified when manager spoken to. All other staff very pleasant and service as expected. Some areas need updating but again after sharing this information they seemed to acknowledge the feedback and are happy to take this onboard

6

Gary

Oct 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Positives: Good sized room with comfy bed Breakfast was plentiful, tasty and served hot Negatives: Our bedroom was tired, dated and not thoroughly cleaned Receptionist was unwelcoming and lacked customer care

8

COLIN

Oct 23, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

couple of Problems with the room that could be improved very few plug sockets and in poor locations sink very slow to drain - probably beginning to block up Elizabeth at breakfast stood out as an excellent example of customer service and a bright lovely welcome in the mornings, she should be rewarded for such good service levels

2

Aileen

Jan 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Reception not attentive no times for gym or swim given. No breakfast offered just keys and told directions to the room.

8

Clare

Dec 29, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff very friendly.

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Location

Peaceful countryside setting with pleasant grounds and convenient access to Chester, Cheshire Oaks and nearby attractions; several guests used it as a base for the Wirral or Liverpool.

Related guest reviews

10

Stepehen

Mar 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Good hotel to explore the Wirral from or use the park and rail into Liverpool.

8

bryn

Aug 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was straightforward,a quite relaxing hotel,very near to Cheshire oaks for shopping enthusiast.

6

Joanna

Jun 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location with beautiful peaceful grounds to enjoy. Room comfortable and clean but really outdated and needing some retouches. Staff friendly. Dining experience average.

8

James

Aug 27, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We booked quite late after deciding to visit Cheshire Oaks nearby and didn't fancy a round trip from The Midlands. The grounds and location were beautiful, it was very quiet and a lovely venue. We stayed in the old part of the hotel which was a great experience and would recommend that to people if they get the opportunity. I thought the menu was a bit limited and we were disappointed we couldn't get into the restaurant despite trying to request it via Expedia who we booked through, but that could easily have been an issue with them. It was a small inconvenience though and we will certainly consider coming back if we are in the area again. James.

8

Anita

May 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Easy to park car plenty of room. Nice qrea to sit out in the sun at the back of hotel, small area with childrens play area outside. Loved view from room of the stream and bluebells and trees and sounds of the birds. Staff were polite and helpful. Rooms could do with bit of an update .

10

Alan

Apr 24, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Love it here, I feel posh and yet the prices are good. Love listening to the birds. Although on a main road it’s tranquil

10

Carol

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Our room was lovely and spacious with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom. The hotel was clean throughout and sat in pleasant grounds. We found the staff were welcoming on arrival and polite friendly and professional throughout our stay. We enjoyed using the pool, and restaurant.

8

Ian

Jun 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely hotel in the middle of the countryside, very tranquil, nice modern clean room, quiet at night. Enjoyed the leisure centre, good facilities apart from lack of hot tub.

10

Michael

Nov 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Value for money, peaceful surroundings, great breakfast and amenities.

8

Lorna

Aug 13, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The family room was large and comfortable (if a bit tired), however lack of air conditioning was a bit of an issue as it was 30 degrees. However a fan was provided on request. Breakfast was great with a lot of choice and there were good options for other meals. It was great for kids due to the large grassy area just outside the restaurant, meaning they could go and play while we finished our food and drinks. The pool is a good size and is sectioned off for adults and families/ children. There was also a decent amount of time allocated for children to swim. Location was good for us, being handy for Chester zoo, Chester itself and not too far from the coast. All in all, we had an enjoyable and comfortable stay and would definitely come back.

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Dining

Breakfast and meals are often praised for taste and freshly cooked options, but many find prices high with supplements, occasional stock shortages or overcooked items, and slow or uneven service; dinner and bar can feel expensive for the quality.

Related guest reviews

8

Scott

May 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location for Chester & surrounding area. Hotel is tired looking in places, and service was sloppy at times. Spacious room,.dimmer was ok, and breakfast was plentiful with a £5 supplement on all cooked food with the exception of the English Breakfast. At £99 b&b it was good calue for money.

6

Daniel

Dec 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel looks great. Has so much potential but we were left with a sour taste after our visit. The room was nice looking but the window was broken and wouldn’t shut properly. The shower was a choice between third degree burns or Luke warm as the mixer tap was broken. Not much water pressure either. The bath tub leaked making the floor dangerous. If you can get the breakfast as part of a deal then it may be worth it. If not then prepare for a crime number for a robbery. £24 for both cooked and continental breakfast. Plus £ 5 extra if you want avocado or eggs Benedict or salmon. The standard “full English” consists of one sausage. Two bacon. Mushroom, beans in a tiny pot. Half a grilled to death tomato. Egg of your choice and black pudding.”chefs special potato” which is a hash brown. Unless the chef has the surname “McCain” then I highly doubt the chef made it and it was far from special. Nowhere near £24 value

8

David

Apr 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

decent hotel , good spa ( no hot tub or jacuzzi but lots of hot rooms ) good service , food good quality. breakfast taste ok but extra (£5) if you want anything but the basic breakfast . £4 extra for a latte or different coffee or tea no mushrooms second morning , no offer of replacement or extra options

8

Donna

Jul 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Overnight stay on our way home so just looking for a pit stop. Delay for several couples waiting to check, but only waited about 30 minutes. Staff friendly. Room was a little tired although lovely and spacious. Unable to keep curtains open whilst relaxing as anyone could walk past as gardens well frequented. We chose not to eat at the restaurant as I’d previously stayed and dined and was pretty underwhelmed. Breakfast was very basic, despite it being referred to as ‘award winning’ on the breakfast menu. All in all perfectly adequate for an overnight stay.

6

Ashton

Aug 28, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

When it came to the evening meal, barely anything was available to have. After two previous choices for my 5 year old were out of stock she had sausage and chips as that was all that was in for her. The sausages were that over cooked they couldnt even be cut with a knife let alone eaten. My other daughter had melon and berries as a snack the water melon was unripe (white) and the berries were a compote which was unedible. No croissants were available for both the breakfasts we attended. No nutella on one of the days and the yogurt was off. There was also no coffee beans to order a latte for the 3 days we were there. The overall maintance was quite poor, the carpet ripped in places on the corridor, in the conservatory and dining area very large cobwebs and dead bugs were present. Despite this we made the most of our stay, the staff were lovely and the room was clean. The maids were also very helpful and friendly. The pool area is also very nice with noodle floats for the children which was a nice touch. I would just recommend bot getting dinner or lunch at the hotel. The breakfast is adequate enough. There was a nice realxed atmosphere around the place and other guest were sociable and polite which is always an added bonus. No complaints with the room we had a deluxe room and it was very spacious. We did not try out the shower/bath as we showered and washed after using the pool facilties.

10

ian

Nov 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Fantastic breakfast. Great Service.

10

ian

May 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great stay over two nights . Food fresh , well cooked . Breakfast is always amazing as freshly cooked for you . Good continental aswell.

8

Richard

Mar 15, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

All good with service and breakfast was excellent. Dinner I found expensive for the quality provided.

10

Ian

Jul 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely stay again , food excellent. Service A1

10

ian

Jul 21, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great food , freshly cooked breakfast.

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Month	Average price
January	$88
February	$100
March	$89
April	$93
May	$109
June	$117
July	$114
August	$132
September	$125
October	$113
November	$103
December	$99

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4 $161	5 $171
6 $96	7 $109	8 $110	9 $104	10 $89	11 $188	12 $275
13 $86	14 $106	15 $111	16 $117	17 $95	18 $108	19 $163
20 $84	21 $117	22 $139	23 $111	24 $95	25 $112	26 $162
27 $80	28 $105	29 $111	30 $111

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $92	2 $111	3 $153
4 $82	5 $98	6 $102	7 $105	8 $92	9 $111	10 $154
11 $85	12 $92	13 $106	14 $104	15 $92	16 $109	17 $159
18 $85	19 $94	20 $107	21 $135	22 $92	23 $107	24 $147
25 $85	26 $97	27 $120	28 $107	29 $92	30 $111	31 $177

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What guests think

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