My review of the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke on Trent
For my most recent trip in the UK, we spent the weekend in Stoke-on-Trent, staying at the relatively newly opened Hilton Garden Inn.
Whilst it’s great to travel far and wide to discover new places and experiences, staying closer to home and having a little staycation is a great way to rediscover what’s right on your doorstep. Stoke is only about 30 minutes away from where we live in Cheshire, but somewhere we don’t often think to visit, so I was keen to see what the town had to offer for a little weekend break.
Whilst I’ve stayed in Hilton Hotels before, this was my first time at one of their Garden Inn Hotels. I was interested to see how the Garden Inn would differ from the likes of their DoubleTree properties, and what type of traveller would most likely opt for this hotel.
Disclaimer: Although I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke for a PR trip, all experiences and opinions expressed in this blog are unbiased and 100% my own.
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The Hilton Garden Inn hotel concept
Hilton Garden Inn hotels, part of the wider Hilton Hotel group, is focused on creating bright and flexible spaces, that are adaptable for both work and socialising. I would say the rooms are priced at a mid-range, but still affordable rate, which makes them a competitive option when looking for somewhere a little more comfortable to stay in a town like Stoke-on-Trent.
The Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke certainly definitely understood the brief. On entering the slick, modern building, you’re greeted with bright, airy, open plan spaces, which are decorated with natural colours, textures and materials. The ambiance of the hotel was bright, modern, stylish and spacious.
Soft hues and botanical decorations hanging from the ceiling of the restaurant add to the relaxed, informal and comfortable setting. I was really looking forward to dining in this space later in the evening!
Where is the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke?
Located right in the city centre and close to Stoke-on-Trent’s Cultural Quarter, the Hilton Garden Inn is a great place to stay if you want to be close to the city’s main attractions, shopping areas and restaurants.
Stoke-on-Trent itself is a city near the centre of England, in Staffordshire, close to the neighboring counties of Shropshire and Cheshire. Stoke is commonly referred to as the potteries, with it’s most famous export is hand crafted ceramics and pottery. There are a number of museums and attractions where you can take a deeper dive into the city’s creative past.
How to get to the Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke
As it’s in the city centre, the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke is easily accessible by a number of transport methods.
If you are driving, you’ll simply follow a sat-nav or Google Maps to the hotel’s address. Make sure however, that you use the right car park (more on that further down!). Whilst Stoke is a city, it’s not huge and driving around the centre is pretty straightforward – nothing like trying to navigate Birmingham or Manchester for instance.
If you’re travelling to Stoke-on-Trent via public transport, buses will take you closest to the hotel, with the main bus station being a 6 minute walk to the Hilton Garden Inn. The train station is a little further out, around 25 minutes walk, but you can catch a bus between the station and the city centre which takes about 15 minutes.
Parking at the Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke
If you are driving to the Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke, the hotel does have it’s own car park (charges apply), but it’s worth noting that the car park is over the street from the hotel, not the car park directly adjacent to the hotel building.
Depending on which direction you are coming from, you may need to turn around at the island on the dual carriageway to access the car park.
If your view of the hotel from where you are parked looks like the one in this photo, you’re in the right car park!
Rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke
We stayed in one of the Hotel’s king rooms. Similarly to the hotel’s entrance, the bedroom was spacious and minimal in decor, with plenty of room to spread out in and store luggage.
Arriving in the evening during November, there was no natural daylight coming through the floor to ceiling window, just the cosy subdued lighting from the lamps around the room which was very calming.
A real highlight in the rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in Stoke has to be the beds!
All of the hotel’s rooms are furnished with Suite Dreams® by Serta beds, which are incredibly spacious and comfortable, and just the right amount of firmness in the mattress for me. I have to admit, it’s one of the most comfortable night’s sleep I’ve had in a bed that’s not my own for a long time.
Room styling and facilities
Again, the light natural and botanical touched from the hotel’s main social space downstairs carry through to the rooms. The décor is fairly minimal, with just a few faux succulents and hints of copper, wood and leather, the warm neutrals still make for a cosy and inviting setting.
There was also a nice little seating area with a chaise longue next to the window, which is perfect for sitting back with a coffee and a book – definte Sunday morning vibes!
All of the facilities you’d expect to find in a mid-range hotel were present and accounted for too. Each room has tea and coffee making facilities, ironing facilities, a mini fridge and a hairdryer. Perfect for getting ready whether you’re on a business trip or heading out into the town.
Bathroom
As was the case in the bedroom, the bathroom provided another large and bright room to get ready in. The layout was a little unusual, with the double-width shower effectively creating a corridor into the rest of the bathroom, but I quite liked that as it meant that any splashes from the shower were kept in one area.
Again, the decoration was stylish and minimal, with bright white metro tiles bouncing the light around the room nicely. There’s also a HUGE mirror above the sink, perfect for doing you hair and makeup and any last minute outfit checks.
The toiletries provided in the room are a favourite scent of mine – verbena and lavender. I’d have preferred them to have been refills that stay in the room and get topped up, as it helps to reduce plastic waste, but hopefully them empty bottles at least get recycled by the hotel or reused by guests.
The shower itself was nice and spacious, and I had no issues finding the right temperature to warm me through on a November morning. My only slight gripe was that the shower head kept leaning to one side and spraying at the wall instead of me. Not a total deal breaker though.
Restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke
As part of our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke, we had dinner and drinks at the on site Six Bar and Restaurant.
Dinner at Bar & Restaurant Six Stoke-on-Trent
The restaurant serves a mix of elegantly presented classic meals with a few healthier and more indulgent options thrown in for good measure. The bar also serves a full range of beers, wines and spirits and offers a cocktail menu with a few locally inspired mixes on too.
Restaurant styling and ambiance
Even on a cold, dark November evening, inside the Six Restaurant it felt like summertime! The open, brightly lit space, trailing greenery from the ceiling and natural textures could easily take you away to a sunny terrace.
Although the restaurant is bright, the off warm neutrals and pops of colour still allow the space to feel cosy and sophisticated. This is somewhere you could equally enjoy an intimate dinner for two or a big social gathering with friends for brunch. Whilst it’s certainly not a black tie venue, I wouldn’t feel out of place getting a little dressed up to eat here.
Drinks at Bar & Restaurant Six Stoke
The bar at the Six Restaurant has a great selection of drinks, including locally produced craft beers and spirits such as Six Towns Gin. The cocktail menu however, was what caught my eye and I have to say that every single drink I ordered was fantastic.
I was pleased to find that there were no cheap pre-mixes to be found here. Each cocktail was perfectly mixed to order, with cleverly balanced flavours and a few unique twists on classics to choose from. I particularly enjoyed the amaretto sour as a change from the classic whisky sour.
Food at Bar & Restaurant Six Stoke
Hotel restaurants can definitely be hit and miss, but having already tried the cocktails and being impressed, I was optimistic about the food too.
When we were seated for dinner we had been advised that there was a function taking place in one of the suites upstairs, so food might be a little slower to arrive. I definitely appreciated being pre-warned about this, but in the end I can’t say I noticed any delays in either food or service, and found all the servers to be perfectly pleasant and attentive throughout the evening.
The menu didn’t have too many choices on it, but I thought what was there was a good balance of options that most people would find something they’d enjoy from.
Starters
The toasted breads and hummus caught my eye on the menu. I wasn’t feeling anything too stodgy or deep-fried so swerved the nachos and calamari on this occasion.
I was really surprised by the generous portion size, there was a huge serving of hummus (which was delicious), more than enough to scoop up a decent helping on each slice of toasted bread.
Mains
My main was definitely the star dish of the meal. Again, I was in the mood for something a little lighter and fresher so opted for the superfood salad. I was not prepared for the gigantic serving of mixed greens and goodness that arrived!
The superfood salad was well presented and consisted of everything from avocado, cous cous, and tenderstem broccoli to a very generous helping of feta cheese. The textures and flavours were fantastic, and the whole dish was so filling that I struggled to finish it, as much as I would have liked to.
Dessert
There’s always room for dessert isn’t there?!
The dessert menu at Six Restaurant Stoke is pretty limited, with your classic choices of sticky toffee pudding, chocolate cake, cheesecake and waffles. I went for the chocolate fudge cake, which was served warm with ice cream.
It was tasty and certainly indulgent, but didn’t ‘wow’ me as much as the main course.
Overall I really enjoyed the meal we had at the Six Restaurant in the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke. I’d happily come back here for a meal even if I wasn’t staying in the hotel.
The Six Restaurant also offers afternoon tea and bottomless brunch, which both sound delicious, and as I found with the main menu, are priced really reasonably.
Breakfast at Stoke-on-Trent Hilton Garden Inn
Breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke is also served in the Six Restaurant.
Breakfast is a self-serve buffet, with both hot and cold options. The hot food is prepared in the open kitchen in front of you and you can request eggs as you like them from the chef too (who was super friendly by the way!).
Again, I was very impressed with the freshness and quality of the ingredients used across the breakfast buffet, and it was being regularly topped up and replaced throughout the morning.
You can fill your boots with as much as you like from the various dishes on display.
This included your traditional full English – sausages, bacon, beans, black pudding and all the other trimmings. There was a really good selection of breads and pastries too, including bagels which I used to assemble a rather tasty hot breakfast sandwich.
There are lighter options like fruit, yoghurt and cereals too, plus a variety of milk and milk alternatives to suit everyone. Tea, coffee and juice is also available to help yourself to.
Review of the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke – Final thoughts
The bright and stylish Hilton Garden Inn definitely impressed me and provided a restful and stylish base to explore Stoke city centre.
The hotel is perfectly suited for both business and leisure travel, with plenty of open space and remote working spaces, combined with comfortable and contemporary styling. The on-site Six Bar and Restaurant also adds an additional layer of flexibility which makes the Garden Inn an attractive choice for anyone considering taking a short break to Stoke-on-Trent. The quality of the food and drink easily stands up to that of other restaurants in the city centre and the hotel’s lounge is a great place for socialising and relaxing.
Whilst I don’t think it’s an ideal choice for young families perhaps, anyone looking for a sophisticated, but not stuffy break in Stoke should seriously consider the Hilton Garden Inn.
Things to do nearby in Stoke-on-Trent
Whilst it’s not a city you’d immediately think to visit, Stoke has plenty to see and do both in the city centre and nearby. With a rich history in craftmanship, I’d definitely recommend visiting some of the museums in town.
Museums to visit in Stoke-on-Trent:
- The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
- Gladstone Pottery Museum
- Emma Bridgewater Factory
Shopping and culture:
- Victoria Hall Theatre
- The Regent Theatre
- The Potteries Centre
Outside the city:
- Trentham Gardens and Estate
- World of Wedgewood
Find more things to see and do in Stoke-on-Trent here.
How to book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn Stoke-on-Trent
You can easily book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn online directly through the hotel’s website. It’s worth signing up to the Hilton Honors rewards programme too and earning points and rewards for each night you stay at one of the Hilton brand hotels.
Alternatively, if you prefer to book through Booking.com, just add your dates into the search form below!
