Manchester's High Life

Typically, the best place to stay in Manchester was only discovered when leaving the city. The Place Hotel is just a few steps from Manchester Piccadilly station, set in an old Victorian warehouse. We stayed as a family for one night for my graduation in July. 

This is an apartment hotel meaning that you book an apartment with one/two bedrooms, as well as a kitchen and living area. We had two double apartments booked. However, on arrival one of the apartments wasn't ready, so we were immediately upgraded to a penthouse apartment. (Now, it is important to point out that we still had one of the standard apartments so this review is based on both the standard apartment and the penthouse!) The initial impression of the hotel might be that it is a little too modern, but the original purpose and feeling of this historic building has certainly not been lost. There are a number of photos and information plaques about the building, and the design has tastefully maintained the original (?) brick and iron work. 

The penthouse apartment is set out over two floors, with two double bedrooms, each en-suit, and an upstairs with open plan kitchen, lounge and dining areas. Massive windows and doors make it light and spacious, but the colours and furnishings, especially in the bedrooms, mean it is still homely. Most of the apartments are accessed from a large atrium running through the middle of the hotel, giving you a sense of the enormity of the old warehouse building.  The penthouses are accessed either by a normal lift or an impressive glass express lift running externally up one side of the building. A trip in this lift alone is enough to make the upgrade worth it (I am sure someone a bit older than me might have slightly different priorities!)

Both penthouse bedrooms open out onto a large roof terrace with amazing views of the city and surrounding countryside. Out the back, there is a longer shared terrace facing the other side with equally impressive views. Having lived in Manchester for three years, this was the first time I had seen it from this height. 

The other apartment did not have any terraces (obviously, it's not on the roof), but was equally well furnished and spacious, with the same set of rooms over one floor. The views from the windows are still spectacular and the exposed brick and iron work, along with arched ceiling, made it a bit different from your average hotel room. At this point I will point out that price wise, considering location and standard of furnishing, the price for these apartments was definitely no more than you would expect to pay for a hotel room (or rather, for two hotel rooms, let alone a kitchen, dining and lounge area).  

  

Overall, the Place Hotel is definitely worth checking out (or checking in. - pause for laughter-). Having seen a number of the hotels in town (not stayed in many, but trusted visitors of mine have), I would say that this marks a significant step forward for Manchester as a stylish, affordable and special city to visit. But, then again, maybe this is only an opinion based on my previous Mancunian accommodation as a student!