Casa Hotel, Chesterfield | Review

Casa, located in the historic market town of Chesterfield, is one of Derbyshire's top four-star hotels, earning a plethora of accolades and awards since its opening around 12 years back. Some of the awards in its kitty include Trip Advisor’s Travellers' Choice Award 5th in the UK, the prestigious AA Hotel Silver Star Award and 2 AA Rosettes for their Cocina restaurant.

Founded by entrepreneur Steve Perez (who also owns the Peak Edge Hotel), the hotel has lived up to the vision with which it was built - to develop a unique, boutique hotel, the first of its kind in the neighbourhood.

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As you drive into the hotel, the first thing that strikes you is the unusual and beautifully designed modern building. The theme continues inside the hotel as well, featuring modern decor with subtle Spanish references throughout - an ode to Steve Perez’s Spanish heritage.

In addition to welcoming guests travelling for pleasure, the hotel is also a great place for business meetings and wedding celebrations.

Check-in at Casa is available from 3 pm. We were a few hours early and as we made our way to the reception, our plan was to drop off our luggage and come back around 4 pm after having explored a local green space. The member of staff at the reception was very helpful, she checked if our room had been cleaned and with it being ready, she checked us in early. It had been a long drive to Chesterfield, so we welcomed the opportunity to freshen up before heading out to explore the local area.

Casa | Our Room

The rooms at Casa range from Deluxe Rooms with super king-sized beds to luxurious Junior Suites. All however are equally nice and have been created to give guests a welcoming feeling and to make their stay comfortable.

We stayed in one of Casa's Deluxe Rooms. The room was spacious and comfortable.

The super-king, double-sized bed was plush and we slept comfortably. The room was equipped with everything needed for a comfy stay including tea & coffee making facilities, fresh milk, bottled water, a hair dryer, a secure safe, a 32" television and an iron & ironing board. Free Wi-Fi and air conditioning were also provided.

The room style at Casa is modern. As you can see in the photos, the room is decorated using a palette of wood tones with bold & bright burnt orange bringing a pop of colour to the space. The chairs and upholstery pick up on the colour story to make the room an inviting space.

There was plenty of light in the room, both natural and artificial because of the floor-to-ceiling window (that overlooked the entrance to the hotel).

The en suite was spacious and clean and was stocked with complimentary toiletries and white fluffy towels.

Overall, we liked the room. It had all the essentials needed for our stay and was clean, stylish, functional and comfortable.

Casa | Food and Drinks

When it comes to food, Casa hits the bull's eye. The hotel has two dining venues - a contemporary bar called Barca (boat/ferry in Spanish) and a two-rosette, award-winning restaurant called Cocina (kitchen in Spanish). Both of them celebrate culture and food combining the finest quality local produce with a subtle infusion of Spanish flavour.

Barca Bar

Barca Bar was recently renovated and is a relaxing space that embodies the spirit and flavour of Barcelona. The decor is fun and vibrant with booth-style seating in brown and teal. The colour combination adds warmth and cheerfulness to the decor. The addition of suspended foliage creates the perfect seating areas where guests can enjoy premium beers, lagers and hand-crafted cocktails along with a selection of authentic tapas, light salads and sandwiches.

When the sun is shining, guests can enjoy a few pints or artisan cocktails and food on the terrace outside, surrounded by flower boxes and shelter.

On Fridays between 5-7 pm, Barca offers 2-for-1 across all of their hand-selected and expertly created cocktails. So, it's the perfect place to kick back, relax and welcome the weekend.

Bank holiday in Barca - adding a sprinkling of Spanish flavour to your bank holiday

This Summer bank holiday (Sunday 28th August) why not head to Barca for an afternoon filled with creative cocktail serves, tempting tapas and live entertainment? The sangria will be flowing, the paella sizzling and the tapas as tasty as ever with 3-for-2 on all tapas dishes, also featuring Joe Black on the decks from 7 pm. With no reservation required, simply pick a seat and Barca's award-winning team will do the rest.

Cocina Restaurant

Casa's two rosettes, award-winning restaurant, Cocina, gives guests an authentic taste of British food with a Spanish infusion. Where possible, fresh produce including vegetables, fruits, eggs, meat etc. is sourced from Steve Perez's Walton Lodge Farm which is just a few miles away in the Peak District.

Cocina's menu offers everything from hearty soups to light bites and from larger dishes to sharing plates, also including dishes from their charcoal-fired Josper oven & grill. In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant offers a specials menu that runs daily, allowing the restaurant team to explore a diverse range of flavours, produce and foods and for the guests to enjoy the authentic taste of seasonal produce.

Our dining experience at Cocina was fantastic - a medley of flavours, textures, great ambience and service.

For starters, we opted for BBQ Fennel and Chef's Sopa Del Dia. The former was grilled fennel served with goat's curd, beetroot, linseed and lemon verbena. As expected it had a beautiful mild anise-like taste. The chef's special soup of the day was butternut squash soup which was thick, velvety and flavoursome. A good start!

For the mains, Bhavin tried the Butternut Squash, Spinach and Feta Filo Tart. It was beautifully presented and included a crispy & delicate filo tart enclosing a medley of vegetables along with truffle shavings and a delicious, creamy sauce. The fresh greens complemented the tart perfectly. 

I opted for Pea and Goat's Cheese Risotto which had a lovely texture and delicious flavour. It was presented beautifully and was quite filling too. So, when it came to desserts, I decided to go with a selection of local ice creams. Sourced from just six miles away, these frozen treats were the perfect way to finish my meal.

Bhavin was keen on a vegan and gluten-free dessert and opted for the Yuzu, Rhubarb and Lemongrass Panacotta. It was accompanied by a sesame and cashew nut granola, miso caramel and poached rhubarb. It had a delicate and mild flavour profile and was an unusual combination that he had not tried earlier. He enjoyed it. It was delightfully light and tasty, he said.

Overall, our dining experience at Cocina was fantastic. The dishes were beautifully presented, the portion sizes were good and all the food was flavoursome. Add to it the vibrant atmosphere, elegant decor and great service from the staff, and it made for an excellent culinary experience.

Casa | The Local Attractions

The Peak District is the UK’s oldest National Park and Casa is conveniently located to explore it.

Around a 40-minute drive from the hotel is the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve (within the Peak District National Park) which consists of five limestone valleys - Lathkill, Monk's, Long, Cressbrook and Hay. Home to a variety of wildlife and offering beautiful views, these five dales are great for those who enjoy the outdoors.

If you love visiting country homes then some of Britain's finest country houses are within a short drive from the hotel, including Chatsworth House (under 30 minutes), Haddon Hall (around 35 minutes) and Hardwick Hall (around 20 minutes).

For those interested in nature walks, a visit to Linacre Reservoirs is suggested. There are three reservoirs at Linacre and it provides the perfect setting for a relaxed day out. There are a number of walking trails and a full circular walk around the three reservoirs is around 5 miles. You can even carry a picnic to enjoy along the reservoirs' shores. And the best part is that Linacre is just a short drive away from Casa (under 15 minutes by car).

There's loads more to see and do in the Peak District National Park. With Casa as your base, you could explore rolling hills, sweeping moorlands, scenic dales and everything else that the National Park has to offer.

Related | Check out the popular Chee Dale Stepping Stones walk in the Peak District.

For more information on what to see and do while staying at the hotel, take a look at Casa's list of local attractions.

Our stay at Casa was a short one but we had a wonderful time. If you are looking for a hotel with fab dining spaces serving delicious food or you want to explore the Peak District or you simply want to treat yourself and a loved one to a relaxing break, then we recommend Casa.

Book your stay at Casa, Chesterfield

Prices start from £125 for a Deluxe Double Room (Bed & Breakfast Rate) and go up to £325 (Bed & Breakfast Rate) for the Balcony Hot Tub Suite with Emperor-sized Hypnos bed, a private balcony with hot tub, bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and separate rain shower and double vanity.

Casa currently has a special offer* - book 1-2 nights in a Deluxe Double Room and you’ll receive £30 per person to spend on an evening meal; breakfast is included the following morning and you don’t have to rush to leave as it’s a 12 pm checkout.

*T&Cs apply. The offer is available throughout August 2022 only, subject to availability. £30 allowance applicable for one night only on food. Ends 12:00pm on 31/08/2022.

You can use the details below to contact the hotel for reservations and other enquiries.

Casa Hotel | Lockoford Lane, Chesterfield, S41 7JB
Phone | +44 (0)1246 245 999
Email | [email protected]