The Lymm Hotel was just a short journey away from the motorway, which made it very accessible from our home in Warrington- it took us a mere twenty minutes to travel there. It is nestled within the heart of the village within a residential area so you have to be on the ball when looking out for the signs as the roads are narrow and quite twisty as you approach.
The Lymm Hotel, Warrington
The hotel has a pub attached to the hotel (The Inn at The Lymm), so the first thing I would say is be mindful of how much luggage you have when you stay. We pulled into the car park of the pub and had a little walk around to the reception as this is situated around the corner. Luckily we were only there for one night and had bags on wheels but if you are staying for a while and have a lot of baggage, I would suggest driving past the pub and taking your next left into the hotel car park as this will make transporting your bags much easier.
We were greeted by Georgina who checked us in, booked in our evening meal and showed us where to go. We weren’t aware but there was also a wedding on during our stay so there were lots of merry guests and the bride celebrating in the garden outside of reception when we arrived.
Our room had an arrangement like I’ve never seen before. Beyond the door was a little staircase which led to a landing where the wardrobe was- to the right was large bathroom and to the left was our bedroom. The first thing we noticed when we arrived was how hot it was in the room- however I asked at the desk and a member of staff kindly brought us up a fan a little later.
The room itself had a lot of the original features and boasted wooden beams and as mentioned before a quirkiness to the layout. It was very plainly decorated with dark wooden furniture, a television, tea and coffee making facilities and a dressing table.
The bathroom was large and clean with a selection of complimentary toiletries in case we had forgotten anything.
The restaurant was unsurprisingly quiet as most of the guests were outside and in other areas of the hotel for the wedding so we practically had the room to ourselves.
I am a vegetarian and when I asked about the soup of the day which was marked as vegetarian friendly on the menu, I was told it was actually chicken broth. We were served by Joseph who informed me that the other veggie option was a selection of breads with butter, oil and balsamic so I had that instead. It was a huge portion and had to share some with my partner-so if you have a big appetite- this is the starter for you.
My partner ordered the Chicken and Leek Terrine, which was the perfect accompaniment to some extra bread!
For our mains, I had the Wild Mushroom Ravioli which was rich and creamy with a satisfying bite to it. I have to confess, I have never had a vegetarian ravioli before so it made a lovely change from the usual offerings.
My husband opted for the steak with chips, tomatoes and a peppercorn sauce. The steak was cooked exactly to his specifications so he was a happy man.
I ordered my dessert- the White Chocolate And Raspberry Cheesecake- however Joseph kindly informed me that it contained gelatine so I changed to the Chocolate Pot, which was a stack of chocolate fondant, toffee popcorn and locally made toffee ice cream in a Kilner jar. It was inventively presented and the popcorn offered a different texture against the smoothness of the ice cream and fondant.
My husband decided to go for his favourite- the sticky toffee pudding which didn’t disappoint.
Although the bed was large and comfy, we didn't get the restful night of sleep we were hoping for. Judging by our experience, I would suggest that you enquire if there is a wedding on before you book. The noise from the wedding guests kept us up until one in the morning as our room was right above a seating area where a lively group congregated at the end of the celebrations.
Breakfast was in the same place as the evening meal with tea and toast to order and a buffet of cereals, juices, pastries and English breakfast options.
We were served by Michael who generously offered to ask the chef to make me a vegetarian sausage to accompany my cooked breakfast. So there are other options available other than what is laid out on the buffet- you just have to ask.
This is the fourth Macdonald hotel I have stayed in now and they have all been fairly consistent in their service, standards and accommodation. Sadly, this one didn’t quite meet up to my expectations based on the others I have visited.
I understand that the wedding was the priority that night so perhaps it was an irregular snapshot of the hotel.
On the Macdonald website, the hotel is marketed as the ideal location for the business traveller- as it has good links to the motorways, free WIFI, meeting and conference facilities and a place to get a quick bite to eat before retiring to your room. With that said, I am sure- during the week, with little chance of celebrations happening- the hotel delivers.
Unfortunately, there were things that let it down- some of which were a result of the other guests, however the staff were pleasant and did everything to accommodate us during what was undoubtedly a very demanding night.
Thank you to Georgina, Joseph and Michael for all your assistance during our stay.
Tagged in warrington