Park Inn by Radisson Manchester City Centre

The hotel smells really nice, and its location is great for the AO Arena. Our room was spacious, check-out was easy, and breakfast had plenty of choice. I didn’t try the spa, but people told me it was good.

The mattress was comfy, the TV worked, and the shower was fine. We also got a good rate of £170 for two nights. But after using this hotel many times when it was The Park Inn, our first stay as Radisson left me unable to give it four stars. Doors slamming next door made the room extremely noisy, and the pillows were so thin and soft it felt like sleeping without one. I ended up using a soft backpack under my head, with the pillow for support. At check-in, staff seemed not to give any information, directing us to scan a QR code on the key wallet instead. Breakfast pricing needs sorting out. I was offered it for £18 per person about two weeks before check-in and accepted. I was quoted £72 for two people over two mornings, and told it was “approved”. The room QR code showed £16, but in the morning staff said we didn’t have breakfast booked and charged £22 per person. I’ve attached a screenshot showing the QR price and the £18 deal the hotel was supposed to assign to me, which wasn’t honoured. There should be one price, or maybe two at most to catch last-minute bookings. The GM should make sure check-in staff provide information, replace the pillows, look into soft-close hinges, and sort out breakfast prices. We visit Manchester often, but may stay elsewhere next time until I see reviews showing improvement.

The location is the one thing I can recommend. The beds were acceptable, and we slept well overall. The decor was nice, and the air conditioning and heating worked well. The shower head and screen seal were broken, but credit to the hotel, maintenance fixed them promptly after we reported it. Even after the repair, water still leaked across the floor, and there was an intermittent urine smell from the bathroom. It wasn’t caused by us, so I assume there’s a drain issue. Breakfast was dire: very basic food, poor quality, and hardly anything left after 9am. We went to a local cafe on the final day because there was nothing left for us and we didn’t fancy the food. The pain au chocolats were doughy and undercooked in the middle, which raised food safety concerns. There was confusion at reception too. I arrived first and checked in, but the room key they gave me was deactivated after my wife got her keys. When I returned late that night, I couldn’t get into the room. It would have made more sense to activate both cards at once. We were told we’d been upgraded to a city view room and given free breakfast, but those were actually what we’d paid for. On departure day, reception gave us a late checkout, then called the room to ask why we were still there. The pull-out bed for our child had been made up using one of the main bed’s pillows, leaving me with only one. The pillows were already thin and flimsy, so I had to ask for more. I understand the hotel recently changed its name from Park Inn to Radisson, and it shows. It feels like a two-star hotel with a decor makeover. It’ll do for an overnight visit to an event at the AO Arena, but beyond that I’d avoid it.

The location is perfect for the AO Arena, though I don’t think the high price we paid was worth it. Staff were friendly when we arrived, and our room was upgraded to Superior using our platinum reward points. It was clean and standard in size. The upgrade came with a Nespresso machine, but the mugs didn’t fit it. There were robes and slippers too, though one robe had no belt and we only got one pair of slippers. Since we used them to go to the pool, that was awkward. Breakfast was tasty and had a good variety. Our room was cold, and the Air Con wouldn’t turn up, so we didn’t use our late checkout.