Cheap Hotels in Manchester

So i was thinking today about what makes a great hotel, and i realised that its not the star rating or how close to the city centre that really makes the difference its how the hotel fits your needs. The thing is a hotel in Manchester is needs to meet the specific requirements that you have, now you may think looking at the situation that everyone’s needs are more or less the same, however this really couldn’t be further from the truth. For example if it is a special occasion eg honeymoon you will probably be looking for a luxury or 5 star hotel maybe in the Salford Quays area of the city but if you are a group of lads on a stag do the quality of the in house restaurant probably isn’t going to matter to you. For most people the type of hotel they need is decided by price and how cheap they can get a room anywhere in the city. For example i am staying in the city this Friday so i can go out with a few work mates for a drink, so as you can imagine i am not going to want to fork out alot for a hotel i will at the most spend half the night in (check out is at 11 grrrr). So for me it was as simple job of ordering the hotel list on laterooms by price and going to the first. Obviously there were a few checks that had to be put in place, ie does the place have a roof?

Drinking spots in Manchester

Some people can be quite snobby about picking hotels especially when their primary reason for deciding on accommodation is being able to tell their hairdresser they have been to a 5 star hotel. For me it has never been about that, its a place to stay and relax before or after go out to enjoy the Manchester nightlife. One thing you should always check though when you are booking is that the hotel is actually in Manchester! I know it sounds obvious but many of the hotel sites list hotels in Didsbury,Northenden and even Sale. Its tempting to just see the price and just assume that the hotel isn’t that far away but i would always say take a closer look as you could find a long trip to anywhere you want to be.

So anyway back to the point, the hotel must meet your needs first. As mentioned for many people (especially at this time) the greatest need in the price. This is understandable if price really is a priority but if it is further down the list and you do actually want a quality hotel then remember there is usually a reason the un-rated hotel at the bottom of the price list is so cheap. Its easy to deceive yourself coming up with easy answers why the hotel is in the budget range but its always worth a closer look. For one if the hotel is 2-3 miles outside the city center eg in Collyhurst then its easy to see why it is discounted, however if its closer to the city centre and still much cheaper than the rest you may need to look into why. I few points to look for are:

• Is it a chain hotel or a privately owned? You will take less of a risk with a cheap chain hotel
• Check out the photos online
• The reviews on google maps can be quite incisive, in my opinion its probably a broader survey that the one or two you will see on expedia

All looks pretty complicated doesn’t it? As mentioned it really depends on what your priorities are, for me after a few beers i won’t know where i am anyway 

hotels Budget, Cheap, Didsbury, hotels, Manchester, Northenden, Sale, Stag

Ok so i thought i would do a quick roundup of some of the best hotels for people on a budget in the city of Manchester. I think at the moment everyone is beginning to think about hotels at the cheaper side of the scale weather you are looking for a short break or a longer stay. I think the important thing though about booking discount accommodation is that you should never have to lower you standards for accommodation or make undue allowances for a place to stay that you would not otherwise. For this reason i do not usually recommend hotels under 3 star as it really isn’t necessary in most occasions and the price of certain 3 star hotels has really come down in recent years so there are great deals to be had.

• Copthorne Hotel, Manchester is a unique 4 star hotel overlooking the waterfront in the south west of the city. At around £66 per night for a double room i think this represents very good value for a hotel in this category. Another plus point is the hotel under two miles from the city centre. It is also quite close to the Trafford shopping centre which has over 250 individual shops and also the Manchester United museum is quite close by.

• Best Western Princess on Portland – Im not usually a fan of big hotel chains as they can be quite commercial and often very impersonal however the Best Western chain has a very good reputation and the Portland is no exception. The best thing about this hotel is its location and this is what you are mainly paying for as you are right in the heart of the city centre and only a short walk to the main attractions. A standard double is around £75 a night which i think is really good value for this area.

• Also on Portland street but around £10 cheaper is the Ramada Manchester Piccadilly hotel. This is a new and very stylish development right in the centre of town. You can expect all rooms to have climate control and a flat screen TV. Again the main feature of this hotel is the location and area but it is also very cheap for a 3 star of this standard.

As you can see one of the main factors in accommodation price is location but there are still great deals to be found right in the city centre like the Ramada. The key really is to compare the features of any hotel and not just the star rating. Remember that a lot of hotels choose their own star rating and not all are rated by an outside agency like the AA or visit England.

Another thing a lot of people have been remarking to me about recently is the quality of some in house restaurants which can be both good and bad. For example the Clippers Brasserie at the Copthorne has had some very good reports recently but it can be hard to tell unless you try it out for yourself. I think the quality of any hotel restaurant is really only relevant is certain situations, ie if you are in a more remote hotel you may not be able/willing to travel out every night to eat, so if the in house restaurant is poor you really are going to notice.

With this in mind choose wisely!

Hotel reviews Best Western, Cheap, Copthorne, Food, Ramada

Ok so its time for a hotel review, a first for this blog. The hotel im going to be reviewing today is called the West Lynne Hotel and it is located just about 2-3 miles from the city centre and is connected by one of the main motorways. The hotel is 3 star and represents quite good value coming in at around £40 night which is not bad when your looking for a cheap hotel in the Manchester area.

West Lynne Manchester

One of the main plus points of this hotel is the access it has to the Old Trafford ground which is not that far away. There is also space for onsite car parking and wireless internet access throughout. The hotel bar is open till late and im told the food is excellent. The hotel is also situated a short walk from the metro link which will give you access to all of the main sites around the city of Manchester. This hotel is offering apartments as opposed to some hotels were its really only a room. You may wonder what the difference is, will i suppose its really just the way the place feels. I have always preferred apartment style hotels because its one of the few occasions when staying in a foreign place that it can feel anything like home. They do have luxury apartments available too but expect them to take a significant amount out of your budget.

Hotel reviews £40 per night, Cheap, Manchester, West Lynne

Do you really need a hotel to suit your personality? Well it may seem a little extreme but when you think about it, it could actually be true. One of the things you need to consider when booking a hotel and this is true of all hotels and not just when you are looking for cheap hotels in Manchester is what facilities are most important to you? For example some hotels may keep the extras basic so they can compete on price, but what if it is these extras that make your holiday worth it in the first place. Most of us can do without a gym or swimming pool but a great concierge service will always make your stay more enjoyable. You don’t want to be lugging bags around the hotel or other tiring jobs when you are supposed to be enjoying yourself.

Room service is another very nice luxury that most of us don’t get to enjoy very often. However it may not be as expensive as you think, especially in the current climate. It really does feel like you are royalty when you can get your meals delivered straight to your room, although you could find it hard to leave the hotel in the first place! As mentioned previously it is always important to make sure that you are not paying for services that you never intend to use as this will quickly eat up your holiday budget. Try to get a full list of all a hotels services before you book to ensure you are not short changed!

Services, hotels Extras, hotels, Room service

How is it possible to find a cheaper deal on the hotel of your choice? Well the thing to realise is that the list price on the hotels website or when you ring them up is the default rate and they use it for everyone. They can do this as if you go to their website or ring them up you have probably already decided that you want to stay there. And so it is very unlikely that this is the cheapest hotel price that you can get.

The first step is to start checking out some of the common price comparison sites for hotels. Its not unusual to find as much as a 50% difference in price on different websites for the same hotel room on the same rates. When comparing prices its very important that you make sure you are comparing like for like in your requirements. Eg some price comparison sites do not include taxes and other extra expenses so it is important that you get full details of the booking.

Also when you are checking out comparison sites for cheap deals beware of hotels listed as “onrequest” as this means they do not actually have the hotel in their system and will have to contact the owner manually. As such this may mean any booking you make could fall though due to the hotel already being fully booked.

Internet, hotels Cheap, Internet.Deals

Do you go full board or half board when booking a hotel? Its a question some people forget to think about when they decide to book. For many full board is an attractive option as it allows them to budget more accurately what they are going to spend on their holiday. However you have to think about how often you are going to take advantage of the included meals to benefit you. For example if you are often away from the hotel seeing the local attractions its unlikely you are going to want to travel back to your hotel just to eat, especially when there are so many great restaurants dotted around the city of Manchester.

For many half board is often the best option as it gives a certain amount of flexibility. Its true that everyone will want breakfast in the morning as who wants to go hunting for food in the morning on your holiday? However half board usually includes one other meal ie in the evening and it is this where money is usually wasted.

Most people tend to eat out in the evening when on holidays and so most of the evening meals in the hotel go to waste. It is here that hotels make their money back on the meals as it is a buffet and if people don’t turn up they don’t have to give out food.

You also need to look at the type of food offered by the hotel and not just how cheap the hotel is. Some restaurants within hotels will have there own reviews available on the internet were you can decide if the food is for you or not. You will also need to let the hotel know beforehand if you have any special dietary requirements.

Food, hotels Catering, Food, Full board, Half board

When you think of Manchester one of the first things that will come to mind is the very famous football team that plays from the city. However visiting Old Trafford the home of Manchester United isn’t the only reason so take a trip to this historic city in the north of England. There are many activities available from dog racing to rock climbing there really is lots to do.

Some may think that finding a cheap hotel in Manchester is a difficult thing to do. However if you are prepared to look around just a little bit on the internet a great deal may be just around the corner. The key to finding a good deal is not just finding the cheapest option. As it is important that any booking meets all the requirements for a hotel that you need, no matter how cheap it is. The first thing to consider is how close the hotel is to the centre of the city and how close you need to be. If you are prepared to do just a little bit of walking or paying for taxis then you could save alot on the price of your hotel. Eg a hotel such as Victoria Cottage may be only £40 per night since it is further from the city centre but a premium hotel like The Midland could be twice as much because of its central location.

Its also worth looking at the facilities offered by a hotel and not just the star rating as ratings are not always awarded by the same body. In fact the stars could be awarded by the hotel itself! Make sure to look at any possible extras such as baggage service and childcare that really do add up and could add extra pounds to your bill. With these points in mind have a happy break whichever hotel you book with.

hotels guide, hotels, Manchester