Airport Inn Manchester

A very cheap place to stay before or after a flight, with a great location, a long stay carpark and a bus to the airport. The beds are comfortable. The restaurant food was terrible, the TV didn't work in the rooms, and the pool was closed, which wasn't mentioned on the website when I booked.

I didn't hear any plane noise from our room, though other reviewers have mentioned it. The restaurant was full, so we ate in the bar instead. It was clean and tidy, and the food was well cooked and presented. I've stayed at Britannia hotels for years and know they're budget places, so I have no complaints based on what I pay. Airport Inn Manchester was much better than what I've experienced at their other hotels over the years. Our room was clean and well stocked with fresh towels, soap, shampoo and conditioner. There was a kettle with supplies for making drinks, plus a drinks machine with pods. An excellent stay for the price I paid.

We came back from a festive break with a well known coach company, and it was nice to have our luggage brought in from the coach. But the welcome drinks didn't make up for how rude and abrupt the staff were. The room was dirty and not cleaned properly, and over our 4 day stay it wasn't cleaned at all. They left a bag of towels outside our door and told us to leave dirty towels and rubbish outside, too. The restaurant food was basic, reheated or microwaved, then left on a hot plate to dry out. Staff said we could only have 1 item and 1 pudding. Each sitting felt rushed because the next group was due in, and plates were taken before we had finished. Staff tutted and made us feel like second class citizens. Christmas dinner was a disaster: there was no choice, just soup or nothing else. The dinner wasn't presented well, the food was cold, the vegetables were hard, and Christmas pudding was the only dessert option. The Christmas buffet had sausage rolls, pork pie, coleslaw, cold meat pasta and mince pies. We couldn't access the fitness suites. On the 1st day it was too late after our late arrival, it closed early on Christmas eve, and it wasn't open on Christmas day or boxing day. We understand staff may be unavailable over the festive season because they want to be with their families, but customer service and staff attitude need addressing. It was a very expensive break and we were disappointed and upset. We did try to raise it with reception, but they couldn't be bothered.

The hotel is in a good location for the airport, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Everything was clean, though a bit dated. The breakfast was very good, but the bar food choices were limited or you could go to the more expensive restaurant for dinner. I liked having lemon infused water freely available. The room setup was odd, with the bed close to the wall on one side and the kettle under the TV, which made it awkward to use. The mattress was very firm and the pillows felt like rocks, so I didn't sleep well.