Manchester Day 1 – Why does it always rain on me?
After getting in to Manchester late the evening before, we woke up after a very comfortable sleep in the Hilton Chambers not wanting to give in to the alarm clock After finally managing to navigate the (actually quite simple) metrolink tram service and working out that we really should never be trusted with directions, Paco and I found our first hotel of the day, Trafford Hall Hotel.
We met with Mark, (one we were seeing later on in the day). Trafford Hall is a lovely big hotel, and although it is out of the city centre, it has the distinct advantage of being right next to the Old Trafford football stadium. The rooms are of a really good quality and there is a great bar downstairs which is also open to the public which I’m sure is good for those pre-footy drinking sessions. Unfortunately the camera we had bought suffered a bad case of low-battery-it is and no photos were able to be taken.
A while for a quick cigarette
After that we jumped into a taxi, allowing Paco to sneak in a quick cigarette before meeting at the Fairways Lodge and Leisure Club. Sandra, our contact, was unavailable, so we met with Belinda. This place is huge, and guests can take advantage of the use of a gym, squash courts, steam room or sauna. Niiiice.
Manchester is unique in that a lot of the hotels are in the suburbs rather than right in the centre. There are definitely city centre options though, and the public transport system seems pretty good. However, we were enjoying our frequent taxi rides to each place because of time restraint. Ahhhh luxurious! We were chauffered away to our next hotel of the day, the Stay Inn.
We met with Mr Ahmad and sat in the dining room area. This is located near some of the main train stations into Manchester, and has pretty comfortable rooms and facilities. After booking another taxi, we arrived at Monton House (owned by the same group as Trafford Hall) and we met with manager James, who showed us around the complex. They are situated right near a whole lot of suburban shops and restaurants and there is a lovely park at the end of the street as well.
We decided that shops were a good idea. Finally we could replace my batteries in my camera, and a sandwich shop and a park provided the necessary ingredients to fill our ravenous and by this time grumbling stomachs.
We then wandered up the road again, to find our next destination, which was supposed to be walking distance. However, I wasn’t sure if I believed them, and when it started torrentially raining, I hailed a cab. The driver looked at us in amusement and bewilderment when he proceeded to drive 100 metres down the road to our next hotel, Ascott Hotel.
This is a lovely little B and B style hotel, and we met with Martin. A gorgeous grandfather clock was a feature in the lounge room where we were given a very welcoming cup of tea, and then we were shown around. This place has been restored and there are a lot of antique pieces here, which really gives this place its own character. The rooms are very unique and different, with even the bathrooms having their own distinct style.
Back to the square one
We then went to our first hostel of the day, the YHA Manchester. Here we were in central Manchester for the first time since leaving our hostel earlier that morning, and this is a lovely area called Potato Wharf. We were an hour early, so tried our luck at getting our appointment moved, but Sarah, who we were meeting with, didn’t start her shift until later, so we were pointed in the direction of the chill out/reading room/TV area which was really nice. There were lots of books and interesting maps to look at (although I confessed to the YHA staff later that I had drawn in New Zealand to a geographically challenged map). Sarah came in at the designated meeting time and we set about having our meeting. The YHA does a lot of summer camps for children, and it is well set up to do this (as it was being used for this at the time we went). The facilities work equally well for large school groups, or for travellers, with self catering kitchens, laundry as well as a café/restaurant.
It was still pouring with rain and armed with an umbrella we got ourselves back over to where we began, right in the centre of town. We met with Evan at the Hatters Hostel, and settled down with chocolate biscuits and my second cup of tea for the day. Unfortunately Paco had to catch his coach back to London, but I was staying an extra day so got to chat with Evan and also James, who were the contacts for both the Hatters and the Hilton Chambers. Really nice relaxed guys, these two hostels are connected and they work closely with one another. Both have a different feel to them, which cater to different kinds of people.
The Hatters is a classic hostel, with posters on the wall, a pool table and free internet. There is a great vibe, and you can tell that there would be a few party goers at this place. There is also a very unique and amusing ‘tip jar’ on the reception desk, where instead of leaving spare coins you could impart words of wisdom onto tiny pieces of paper, for future travellers to enjoy. Hilton Chambers is just around the corner and is a lot newer than the Hatters. It is also a great hostel, with more private rooms and smaller dorms. It is definitely a quieter hostel, but both are of very good standards with excellent and friendly staff.
All in all Manchester was worth a visit. It is known for its football and live gigs and vinyl shops but there seems to be a lot of things to bring you to Manchester. It is a very vibrant city!
