The Chesterfield Hotel
Blackpool
21 March 2015
Reviewed by Tracey Flintham
I was chosen to review the 9 room Chesterfield Hotel in Blackpool (an award winning pet friendly hotel) and we stayed for 1 night. I was really looking forward to spending a rare weekend away with all my family.
The Chesterfield Hotel is located just off the promenade in Blackpool, on Wellington Road, approximately midway between the South and Central Pier which means it is very convenient as a base for exploring all of the attractions that Blackpool has to offer. Although we had our satnav which took us directly to the hotel, it would be easy enough to find without it. The hotel has a limited number of parking spaces which must be pre-booked, or there may be space to park on Wellington Road itself, free of charge. We arrived at a busy time as the local football team had a home match and this meant there wasn’t any street parking available, but there were several pay and display car parks nearby. We parked in the Crystal Road car park, just a couple of streets away, which was very reasonable at £6 for 24 hours and would be as low as £20 for a 5 day stop. We arrived at the hotel just before check-in at 2pm and we were greeted by Julie, who was very friendly and showed us to our rooms for the weekend. As there were 4 of us and Harvey the dog, we were staying in rooms 7 and 8 which are adjoining rooms and perfect for a family. We had a view of the sea and the Blackpool tower from the bedrooms.
The minute you walk into the hotel you can tell it’s perfect for dog lovers as there are many pictures of dogs and dog related decor. There is an umbrella stand with spare dog leads in the hallway and a dispenser of poo bags if you need any. All of the rooms sponsor a dog from the Dogs Trust which is a nice touch and shows how dog friendly the hotel is. The hotel itself is a couple of minutes walk away from the beach and dogs are allowed on the beach from the end of September until the end of April. During the summer months there are still beach areas where dogs are allowed but they are a little further afield. There are plenty of good dog walking areas though, and we enjoyed just walking along the promenade.
Although the rooms are fairly basic, they were very clean and surprisingly, didn’t smell of dog at all. In fact the whole hotel was very clean and tidy throughout. The rooms are neutrally decorated with plenty of pictures of dogs and cushions with dogs on them. There was hanging space and drawers for clothes and towels are supplied for the whole party including the dog. There is a placemat for dog bowls in the room and the dogs receive their own treat bags with various dog biscuits, chews and poo bags in case you’ve forgotten to bring any. Other facilities included an ensuite shower room, tea, coffee and bottled water, although there wasn’t any soap or shower gel provided in the bathroom.
After making sure Harvey was settled we decided to leave him for a rest and explore the area. As the hotel is located between the South and Central Piers, it’s only about a 10 minute walk to either. If you don’t feel like walking there is a tram stop close by (St Chad’s stop) which can take you along Blackpool’s Promenade, prices depending on how many stops you pass, and dogs can also travel on the trams for 40p. We went up to the Central Pier area and there are lots of attractions including the Sea Life centre, Madame Tussauds and a little further up before North Pier there is the Tower itself and the Blackpool Dungeons. There are lots of things to do in Blackpool including the Pleasure Beach and the zoo. There are also lots of amusement arcades and children’s rides on the Central and South Piers.
Our dog is an old boy and more than happy to be left alone for a couple of hours without causing any mischief, but what makes this hotel so different to others that we’ve visited with our dogs is that they offer a dog sitting service, costing £5 for the first 3 hours and then £5 per hour thereafter. Dogs are welcome in any area of the hotel including the bar, lounge and dining rooms. We had a drink in the bar which was well-stocked with beer, lager and a selection of spirits as well as soft drinks. There were dog toys and bowls available in the bar area.
The beds in the rooms were comfortable and the hotel was very quiet overnight and after a good night’s sleep we went for breakfast in the dining room. There was an excellent selection of food on offer including various cereals, fruit juices and hot food, served with a choice of tea or coffee. You could have any food you wanted from a Full English breakfast to kippers, bacon sandwiches, crumpets or croissants. My children had cereals and crumpets, I had a bacon sandwich and my husband had the Full English. All the food was freshly cooked and hot when it was served and was enjoyed by everyone. Julie was very attentive and made sure we had everything we wanted.
The hotel doesn’t have an evening meal option but that really isn’t a problem. There are lots of different eateries around the hotel and restaurants and takeaways to cater for all tastes and expenses. If you wish to take food back to the hotel it isn’t a problem and you can be provided with crockery and cutlery to either eat in your own rooms or in the dining room.
All in all, we had a lovely weekend in Blackpool. The Chesterfield Hotel would make it a very easy base for holidaying with your dog and there’s so much to do in Blackpool you could easily spend several nights there. Julie and Steve were lovely and friendly and we felt like they would do anything they could to make sure we enjoyed our stay. It felt like home from home with our dog and we never felt uncomfortable wandering around with our dog as all the other guests like dogs too. We hope to return in the future with our younger, naughty dog and wouldn’t hesitate in taking advantage of the pet sitting service.
Rating: 5/5 
Room rates from £32 to £62, Suites (4 people) £90 per night
Please note: Dogs are most welcome in all rooms, (any breed) however floor space is VERY limited, particularly in the small double rooms, so these rooms are not suitable for large dogs or for more than one medium sized dog.
For more information or to book a room visit www.chesterfield-hotel.com or call 01253 345979.
The Chesterfield, 5 Wellington Road, Blackpool FY1 6AR | 01253 345979
