Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel

These days, hotels are popping up at a rate of knots in and around Manchester city centre, though there are few quite as central as Mercure’s Piccadilly Hotel. It’s smack dab in the centre of the city, on Portland Street, next to the bus station and within walking distance of pretty much anything you could wish for from a trip to Manchester.

The rooms are nicely-sized and decked out in a contemporary style

You can expect a quality room, one of 280, for a surprisingly reasonable price considering the location. The rooms are nicely-sized and decked out in a contemporary style, all classy dark browns and subtle colours. There’s everything you could want for a short stay – including an iron and ironing board for all you sharp dressers. Hungry? The in-house restaurant Level 3 is well worth a visit.

The TV isn’t huge but is good enough for most needs – if you want a massive screen just nip out to the cinema, there are plenty right on your doorstep. The wi-fi is free for all guests, thankfully, no pesky passwords or logins.

The staff are professional, cheerful and friendly throughout, including the in-house restaurant, Level 3. But the real reason you’re coming here is the location and this Manchester branch of the Mercure chain can’t be beat. Still though, if you’re planning on a night in, this is certainly better than the average mid-range hotel in Manchester and you’re high up enough so you won’t be woke up by rowdy party-goers outside.

It does the job, it does it well, and the location is second-to-none

The bed is pleasantly comfortable, with a glut of pillows and covers – you won’t need all of these, the room itself is kept an ideal temperature, something all too many hotels get wrong. Depending on your side of the building, you’ll likely be treated to an excellent view over the city. For all its lack of green space, Manchester city centre does look great at night when it’s all lit up.

You’ll struggle to find fault with Mercure’s Piccadilly Hotel. It does the job, it does it well, and the location is second-to-none for the price.