Hotel check: Hilton Manchester Deansgate

Published: 30/09/2007 - Filed under: Archive » 2007 » October 2007 » Tried and Tested » Tried & Tested » Hotels » Tried & Tested » Hotels » UK »

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WHAT’S IT LIKE? The Hilton Manchester Deansgate occupies floors 5-23 of the 48-storey No 1 Deansgate Beetham tower, the tallest residential building in Europe. Designed by Ian Simpson Architects, the glass tower was opened in October last year and has been a talking-point in the city ever since. The Hilton’s bar, Cloud 23 (on the 23rd floor) has people queuing for the panoramic views and trendy design, as does the ground floor Podium restaurant – on a Saturday night, you are advised to book a month in advance.

WHERE IS IT? On Deansgate, opposite the medieval Castlefield and within walking distance of Kings Road shopping, GMEX and Manchester Piccadilly (15 minutes).

HOW MANY ROOMS? 279 rooms, including 80 Executive rooms (28 sqm) and a Presidential Suite (134 sqm).

ROOM FACILITIES All rooms have views looking south or north over Manchester. Executive rooms and suites have access to the executive lounge, and extra amenities such as robes and slippers. The King Executive Plus rooms also have spa baths, with plasma screens in the bathroom. I had a standard room on the 14th floor looking north towards Urbis and King Street. The room was modern with a soft blue carpet, a bright orange and red abstract artwork above the bed, and a large wooden desk area with plasma-screen TV, mirror, hairdryer and minibar. There was also an ironing-board in the wardrobe, tea and coffee-making facilities and a laptop safe. The bathroom had a shower in the bath and a thin window through to the bedroom, which is not so good if you’re sharing as if you put the light on in the bathroom in the night it shines directly on to the bed. The air conditioning was easy to use, and wired internet is charged at £15 per 24 hours.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS On the ground floor off the lobby, the Podium Restaurant and Bar is a large room cleverly divided with chunky low wooden screens to give more private dining areas. The 200-seater restaurant serves international cuisine under head chef Steve Wheeler, previously of the Dorchester and Harrods, and is also the venue for the delicious Hilton breakfast (cereals, full English, fruit, juices, pastries, smoked salmon, cold cuts and cheese; 6-10.30am Mon-Fri and 7-11am at weekends). The Podium bar, just off the restaurant, has raised seats with wifi access and tables near plugs, so you can work on your laptop without running down the battery. Cloud 23 (open 4pm-2am, weekends 5pm-2am) is the bar everyone is raving about and when I left the hotel on a Saturday night I had to walk around a long line of people waiting for the dedicated lift to the top. The views are incredible, the furniture is hip (red lip seats) and the signature glass plate looking down the 22 storeys to the rest of Manchester is a great thrill.

BUSINESS AND MEETINGS The Hilton is popular for meetings, from small gatherings to large events such as the TV Awards. There are ten meeting rooms and a ballroom (100 theatre-style). The break-out area is on the mezzanine level over the lobby and is open and light. The Deansgate Suite can be split into three, and has a 22ft screen (the largest in Manchester). All rooms have traditional décor, and there is wifi access through Ibahn. The executive lounge on the 16th floor, available to guests in executive rooms and above, is a quiet place to eat breakfast and check email for free in the leather chairs, and again the views are superb.

LEISURE FACILITIES The gym, pool and spa (with three treatment rooms) are on the second floor. The gym looks towards the Science and Technology Museum and has cardiovascular machines, free weights and mats for sit-ups. Down the corridor are the changing rooms for the pool (you need a £1 coin for the locker). The pool is beautiful, surrounded by picture windows, and has a glass bottom so that you can see people on the street below you as you swim. There is also a hot-tub, sauna and steam room.

VERDICT A stunning property, shaking off the image of a huge corporate hotel with its style and impressive business and leisure facilities.

PRICE Fully flexible rates for a mid-week stay in mid-October started at £179.

CONTACT 3 Deansgate, Manchester; tel +44 (0)161 870 1600; hilton.co.uk.

Felicity Cousins