Its strapline is a Landmark of Luxury in the North West of England and it’s hard to disagree
This weekend sees the opening of the Fairmont Cheshire the Mere following a £125m redevelopment by the Accor Group and is the brand’s fourth hotel in the UK alongside The Savoy, A Fairmont Hotel; Fairmont Windsor Park; and Fairmont St Andrews.
About Manchester were invited to stay over a week before its opening and while not everything was up and running, what we saw was the lap of luxury
You enter the property through a brick arch and follow the driveway being careful to watch out for golfers-A 18 hole championship course surrounds the hotel which is set within 157 acres of countryside which stretches down to a lake
A well manicured garden greets you as you step from the carpark (plenty of EV chargers by the way) before you enter reception and in the words of the hotel’s PR your world is transformed into what the hotel describes Sculptural forms, layered lighting and richly textured finishes
Our welcome was professional at reception, our only negative being a lack of signage to direct you to the ground reception before being taken to our room
It was one of the twenty three suites, spacious with every little convenience catered for, the most important a comfortable bed of course and a well stocked fridge
The five star hotel also offers 116 bedrooms
We are delighted to introduce Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere and unveil a new era for this much-loved destination”, said Gary Johnson, General Manager, Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere.
“Following an extensive transformation, the property has been thoughtfully reimagined to honor its rich heritage while embracing Fairmont’s world-renowned standards of luxury hospitality. We look forward to welcoming guests from across the world to enjoy all the resort has to offer and to experience our vision of ‘a life well lived’ in one of the country’s most beautiful countryside settings.
The Orangery sits next to the reception area, a wonderfully design bar area, spacious and light with mosaic flooring which will serve British afternoon tea by day before transforming into a champagne and oyster bar in the evening
We ate in the Club Lounge, a magnificent edition to the building with balcony views over the golf course and the lake, where we sampled the Indian menu
Perhaps the centrepiece of the dining experience will be the arrival of Gordon Ramsay at The Mere, bringing the world-renowned chef’s celebrated dining vision to the heart of Cheshire.
The much-coveted new restaurant features an elevated and exclusive environment, with thoughtful and bespoke design features including textured walls and decedent velvet seating throughout.
“An exquisitely refined British inspired menu created by theiconic chef will feature Gordon Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington, with each plate executed with precision, artistry, and a deep respect for locavore, seasonality and flavor.”
The hotel offers a Grand Ballroom for gatherings, from large conferences, corporate retreats andnetworking events to milestone celebrations, weddings and memorable soirees.
The 1,000 square meter ballroom can host up to 1,000 guests and similarly, can be divided into sixsmaller individual spaces too. Additionally, four dedicated boardrooms with landscape views provide inspiring spaces for meetings and private dining,
All guests will be allowed a two hour session in the Spa-Again previous visitors to the Mere will remember its Soa, now elegantly refitted with a 20m new pool and a hydropool, along with new saunas, tepidarium, hammam, steam room and a salt room.
Twenty personalized treatments drawn from three traditions of care will also be available in six dedicated treatment rooms, alongside a Rasul Room offering a traditional ancient Arabian cleansing ritual with mineral-rich mud and aromatic steam.
Indeed for those who remember the old Mere in pre Covid days this is a massive transformation with the hotel almost double its size and I have to say making much better use of the area
Bookings can be made at https://www.fairmont.com/en/hotels/mere/fairmont-cheshire-the-mere.html. Hotel guests can also take advantage of Accor’s award-winning lifestyle loyalty program and booking platform ALL Accor.
Members earn points during their stay, which can be redeemed for rewards, services and experiences
