Holiday Inn Manchester Airport by IHG

We already have another stay booked for our next holiday. This is our go-to when we're flying out of Manchester in the morning: it's very convenient for T2, reasonably priced, and has quiet, comfortable rooms, a friendly reception welcome and a good restaurant with good food and service. We've had another excellent stay. One small annoyance is that the restaurant adds a service charge automatically. It's mentioned in the small print, and you can ask to have it removed, but few people will do that. It would be more transparent to include it in the menu prices. The service was so good this time that we were happy to pay it. Recommended.

The bed was comfortable and the air conditioning worked, but the rest of our one-night stay was disappointing for the £189 we paid for a family of four, with children aged 2 and 5, including breakfast. We were put at the far end of the first-floor corridor, a long way for little kids. Staff wouldn't bring anything to our room, even a bowl, and told us to come down for it. When I phoned reception, the woman giggled, which felt extremely rude. By 9am, many breakfast items were gone and hadn't been replenished. We were quoted £7.20 for six cans of water for the room. The walls and coffee equipment were filthy, and there were unexplained pink splatters on the ceiling. For a four-star hotel with supposedly good reviews, I expected more.

We booked because we had an early flight, and the location was excellent and convenient. We arrived a little before check-in and were given a room early, which was great. The room was clean, and the bath was a lovely touch. We ate at the restaurant: lamb pasta and a chicken wrap, both lovely, then shared a brownie. Eating before 6pm got us 15% off, which was nice, though they automatically added a 12% service charge. The bar was quite pricey, but we expected that so close to the airport. We paid for the breakfast buffet and thought it was great value, with everything for a full English plus cereal, fresh fruit and pastries. We had a great stay, would book again and recommend it.

I travel for work and regularly stay at IHG hotels, and this one ranks among the best Holiday Inns. The rooms were spotless and the staff genuinely helpful. Special thanks to Janet at reception, who managed to make two very weary travellers smile. Thank you, Manchester Airport Holiday Inn.