WITH Freshers’ Week fast approaching, we planned a girls trip to Aberdeen, not just to see the sights of the Granite City but to get familiar with daughter Leah’s new home for the next four years.
Before she packs her bags and heads to university to start her exciting new chapter, she was keen to take a trip to the city to check out the accommodation, the campus, and to get a feel for what it had to offer.
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So I booked us into The Chester Hotel, in the city’s west end.
It’s a stylish abode made up of three granite townhouses, all joined together with a quirky feel, traditional features, cosy decor, and cool artwork throughout the 64 luxurious bedrooms and suites.
Featuring a lively bar and extensive cocktail menu, it’s the perfect stop for city breaks or weekend trips.
We had a grand twin room, with a beautiful spacious marble bathroom and a rainwater shower. It was well equipped, with robes, the most beautiful smelling toiletries from Gordon Castle and a Nespresso machine — ideal for a coffee lover like me.
Aberdeen is a compact city, with all you need within easy reach, and our first order of business was a wander around Leah’s new digs.
From there we took a walk around the picturesque cobbled streets of the 500-year-old University of Aberdeen campus, and then, to end our afternoon, we promenaded along the golden sands of Aberdeen Beach, complimented by rare sunshine!
It was a mum and daughter night away so naturally we had to hit the shops before we headed to check out the nightlife in Aberdeen.
Union Square is a one-stop shopping centre. A busy hub of activity, it offers plenty of high street shops as well as a cinema, bars and restaurants, making it an easy day, or evening, out.
After our shopping spree, we headed back to the hotel to chill and get ready for a night on the town.
The west end is perfectly positioned for restaurants and pubs, but we decided to dine in the hotel. The restaurant just off the bar had a lovely relaxed atmosphere and a great menu to boot.
We shared a delicious whipped feta starter then I had the fillet steak with handcut chips and Leah opted for the Arrabiata pasta and we finished off with a shared dessert and an espresso martini.
Leah, at 18, was understandably keen to seek out the city’s night life, albeit with her mum, and our first stop was the Paramount.
This Aberdeen hotspot had a £400k summer glow-up and it did not disappoint. It’s right on Bon Accord Street in the heart of the city, so we jumped in a taxi for the short ride from our hotel.
Paramount first arrived on the scene back in 2005 and was, and still is, one of Aberdeen’s most exciting venues.
GO: ABERDEEN
ONE night advanced B&B booking at the 4 star Chester Hotel starts from £123.
The resident DJ had music for everyone (even me) and the bar quickly filled up with enthusiastic partygoers. The décor matched the venue’s vibe, fun and eye-catching.
With a lengthy variety of cocktails on the menu, we opted for the iconic Charlie Sheen shot, a Paramount original, and we didn’t even need to go to the bar, these test tube shots were readily available and circulated by staff around the venue so no need to even stop dancing!
Reasonably priced drinks, great music and an all-round good time, you can see why this will be a popular venue — in fact Leah’s already on the student group chats planning her next visit.
And mum will be booking a stay at the Chester again, this time with dad, when we make a trip up to see our star student!
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