AC Hotel by Marriott Manchester City Centre

My prepaid booking was for a planned trip to Manchester in early February. Just before I was due to go, my mother had a critical medical emergency, so I contacted the hotel straight away to ask if I could change the dates or get credit for a future stay. They refused without trying to help or suggesting another option. I know there are cancellation policies, but I’d hoped they might show some flexibility or compassion in such a serious situation. The experience was upsetting during an already difficult time for my family. I’d tell anyone booking to check the cancellation terms carefully, since even a serious emergency may not lead to an exception. We hope to rearrange the trip later in the year, but I know I won’t stay at this hotel.

I never stayed at this hotel, but they still charged me €200. After a scam message connected to my booking, the hotel and Guest Relations explicitly told me they would take care of cancelling it. They didn’t, and my card was charged anyway. Trying to sort it out was shocking. Jaime was no help, and Amit from Guest Relations took no responsibility or offered any real fix. All I got was a 20% discount on a future stay at a hotel I’d never stayed in. For a Marriott branded hotel, that’s an extremely poor level of service. Charging for a stay that never happened and brushing me off with a discount is unacceptable. They showed no ownership or regard for me as a customer. Avoid them, they don’t care about their customers.

The breakfast was my favourite part, and the location is great, close to major attractions. The rooms are okay, but I could hear sounds from other rooms, so the soundproofing needs work. I called reception once and nobody picked up. That was the main letdown.

The staff are really nice, but the hotel’s star rating is off. It just isn’t a 4 star place, and there’s nothing wrong with that in itself. The price is harder to accept because of it. The furniture is a bit worn, the room lighting is weak, especially by the mirrors, and there aren’t any amenities. It was clean enough, but you can see the wear and it needs a refresh. A few upgrades could make it a 4 star hotel.