Back then, one Chester Chronicle reporter trumpeted it as 'fitting for the reception of royalty itself'. The elegant Chester Grosvenor Hotel on Eastgate Street in the heart of the city opened its doors on January 1, 1866, amidst much fanfare and celebration. If walls could talk then there'd certainly be tales aplenty from an iconic hotel which has played host to at least five prime ministers and numerous royals since it opened nearly 160 years ago.