Name: Manchester Marriot Hotel Piccadilly
Telephone: 0161 272 3200

You’ll have seen the new Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly: it’s that iconic 60s-style ‘wave’ shaped building, rippling down the dual carriageway as you travel east from Piccadilly train station. The 338-room hotel has just enjoyed a multi-million pound makeover – and we were lucky enough to bag a stay shortly after it opened.

The former MacDonald Hotel was taken over by the Marriott group in 2021. It has been treated to a £33-million-pound upgrade including 16 rooms with panoramic views, two ‘Executive Suites’ (we were lucky enough to try one of them), huge rooms as standard and a brand new restaurant and bar.

The top floor ‘Executive Suite’ – my home for the night – was a thrill and fans of city life will be smitten. The triple-glazed bedroom includes a super king-sized bed and panoramic views over Manchester’s skyline – not forgetting a spacious living area and entertainment system. However, due to the hotel’s heritage, all the rooms are big compared to usual standards – the biggest in Manchester, in fact – at 28+ square metres.

Good value

They’re great value too. A double room starts at £95 per night, and there’s a special ‘date night’ package available at £129 including breakfast, Prosecco and dinner. Family Rooms feature a king bed and a queen bed, while other options include interconnecting rooms and ‘double doubles’. At the time of writing, even the most expensive room clocks in at less than £250 per night, making the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly a front runner when it comes to the city’s best value four-star hotels.

With value for money, comfort and a great location as standard, The Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly is an ideal family break hotel too. Local children’s activities include the new Mayfield Park and a Manchester Bee Hunting adventure. Plus there’s a Kids Stay and Eat Free package available right now, which combines a room for up to two adults and two children under 12, with complimentary meals for the kids.

Business customers can enjoy modern conference facilities and meeting rooms, as well as the ’24/7 MClub Lounge’. The card-access-only room is an elegant take on the airport lounge concept for certain grades of Marriott member. Enjoy complimentary food and drink (think lager, gourmet cakes, fresh fruit, hot drinks and sodas), newspapers, magazines and premium sports channels. It’s also the perfect setting to work away from home.

Other attractions include a well-equipped gym, and Elemis spa, complete with luxury treatment menu, and a spacious ‘thermal suite’. With slippers, robes and towels provided, and a range of hot and cold experiences to enjoy, this is a contender for Manchester’s best value spa experience at only £15 per person. We checked out the Ice Fountain, sauna, steam room, heated loungers, and a relaxation room before leaving in a state of bliss.

Links to Manchester United

Combining earthy and contemporary colours, the decor includes nods to Joy Division and New Order in the lobby and bedroom artworks – even if the overall vibe is business chic. The hotel also enjoys links to Manchester United, thanks to a bright red ‘Lobby Phone’ which you can pick up and dial into to hear stories from players past and present.

In short: this is a spacious, good value hotel which is going to please business travellers, gig goers, families and football fans in equal measure. The iconic architecture and prime Piccadilly location are an added bonus, however if you enjoy a more boutique feel, you’re best looking elsewhere.

Parking is £25 per day, available adjacent to the hotel and there are exceptional transport links within minutes of the front door. Rooms cost in the region of £95 to £210 per night.