Manchester Hotels

Manchester, the third-largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom lies in the North East, fringed by the Cheshire Plain to the south and the Pennines to the north and east. We have several hotels in Manchester proper and several more in the surrounding region, giving easy access to the nearby sprawling urban zones of Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn and Preston. Book a Best Western hotel in Manchester for a good chance to really get about and explore the impressive vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

Manchester neighbourhoods

The city has a long and varied history and is believed to have been founded by the Romans around 79 AD. The city, like the other large industrial settlements in the North, really began its massive expansion during the nineteenth century during the Industrial Revolution. Much of the city's interesting history can be seen as you stroll down the streets. Piccadilly Gardens, between Market Street and the Northern Quarter, lies at the heart of Manchester. From your Manchester hotel, go and have a wander around the leisurely Salford Quays and witness the Lowry and MediaCity UK, some of the modern structures that helped transform the area from the traditional Manchester Ship Canal to the buzzing hub of activity it is today. Mile-long Deansgate traverses the urban sprawl, starting in the noughties at the glitzy Exchange Square and ending in the nineties with trendy and popular bars on Deansgate Locks. The southeast tendril, Oxford Road, with its redbrick university, passes gritty suburbia in Moss Side and Rusholme to neon-lit Curry Mile on Wilmslow Road.

Shopping in Manchester

Piccadilly's vast Arndale Centre is the largest inner-city shopping centre in the whole UK and is located in the heart of the city, not at all far from our hotel in Manchester centre. As well as having a selection of independent and oddball stores scattered around the city, Manchester has numerous big-name department stores including Debenhams, Harvey Nicholls, House of Fraser and John Lewis to name but a few. Head to the Northern Quarter at the alternative Afflecks Palace for something different. Here, outrageous punk clobber is sold alongside vintage and skater gear, and the unique bars and cafes crowd around Stephenson Square. Wannabe designers showcase vanguard urban fashions at Tib Street Fashion Market on Saturday. Have a good long browse before returning to your Manchester hotel dressed in something bizarre. Slip off Deansgate, the longest main road through the city centre, to shop like royalty on the pedestrianised King Street for luxury brands like DKNY and Armani.

Eating and drinking in Manchester

Castlefield Wharf, just off busy Deansgate, is jam packed with pubs and bars with unique tastes, local ales flowing and frothing and a great local atmosphere and plenty of camaraderie. The Ox or Cask Bar in particular have old-boozer charms like jukeboxes, sports on the old and battered tellies, and, of course, warm ale. The Parlour, a humble yet excellent gastro-pub located in Beech Road, Chorlton, has recently been awarded the national accolade of Best Sunday Lunch in the annual Observer Food Monthly Awards. Waterfront tables, particularly at the Lowry Restaurant and Terrace Bar, on Salford Quays get filled quickly by eager theatre-goers before an evening performance. An evening walk along the waterway is a perfect hour away from your Manchester hotel, looking at the city lights dancing in the glistening waters. A city as diverse as Manchester has all sorts of culinary offerings. Curry addicts should certainly visit Rusholme's spicy Curry Mile on Wilmslow Road.

Culture and nightlife in Manchester

Manchester has spawned some of the country's most iconic bands of the last half century including the Happy Mondays, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and the Smiths. Some of the best venues in the country, including the cutting-edge Manchester Apollo or younger Manchester Academy, are based very near our hotel in Manchester centre. For something truly spectacular head to the Manchester Evening Arena, the busiest performance venue in Europe. The city is notable for many things including its architecture, culture, music scene, media links, engineering and in particular, its sporting connections. Home to Manchester City, the current Premiership title-holders and their nemeses, Manchester United, the world's most valuable sporting team - the city is very much a world sporting stage. Book a Best Western hotel in Manchester to explore the magnificent and ancient roman settlement. Manchester really will give you a magnificent UK city break.

View Manchester attractions