We recently organised an educational / FAM trip around the wonderful city of Manchester. Leigh (Project & Venues Manager) is currently working with venues and CVBs across the UK to explore all the UK has to offer. Richard Moss – Marketing Manchester organised an amazing trip for her.
Destination Overview:
From London: Trains from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on a regular basis and take just over 2 hours!
Manchester - Full of different quarters, such as: China Town, Gay Village, Deansgate, Castlefield, University District, the Northern quarter, First Street, Canal Street, Salford Quays and Exchange Square with a whole host of restaurants, bars and event spaces. Whilst here I really did get to feel the vibrant hustle and bustle of Manchester, much like much like Manchester’s emblem – The Bee! It is an architect’s dream, it has amazing buildings from the red bricked buildings from the industrial revolution days to brand new buildings which accommodate hotels, offices and restaurants. It also has a canal running through it which is a real hub for restaurants, pubs and bars.
Manchester are proud of their heritage and history. Many of their old buildings are restored and made into homes, offices, restaurants, bars and venues etc. Manchester has some Roman ruins within Castlefield park!
Because of it’s industrial heritage and historical buildings and canal, some of the areas around Manchester was used to film Peaky Blinders. It is sometimes a film location to replicate some of the cities in the US as some of the streets look very similar with the grid road system!
They also have an amazing tram service which makes getting around Manchester really easy. However, everything is in such easy reach that it is also nice to walk around so that you can take in the wonderful sights of Manchester.
**Host Hotel - The Midland Hotel.
I was lucky enough to be hosted by the Midland Hotel. Rishi Sunak was my neighbour for a day whilst he was busy having a debate at The Salford studios. I didn’t see him, that is how discreet the hotel are with their VIP guests. They have their own entrance away from the crowds. The Midland hotel dates back to 1848 the former North Western Railway linked The Renaissance. St Pancras in London which is where the rail line started and ended. It is teaming in history. Many train enthusiasts flock to this hotel because of the history. It was also commissioned during the war for the RAF station! Keeping to the history, artifacts and souvenirs of yester year found in the hotel rooms have been framed and are located throughout the hotel. You really do get a feel of the history as you are immersed into with these little moments of history!
The entrance in the reception area is quite breath taking. You have the circular bar situated in the same area with a tree and greenery around it which is lit in the evening.
The Midland Hotel has 312 rooms with various categories. The rooms are spacious with a homely comfortable feel. They have kept the charm of some of the original interior which makes it quaint and unique.
They have 4 meeting and event space areas. They have various square footage accommodating large groups in the ballroom as well as smaller groups. The Queen Mother liked one of the meeting rooms so much, that she asked for it to be turned into her bedroom whist she was staying there! The same meeting room has a beautiful fire place which was used for filming in Peaky Blinders! I stood in the same spot at Cillian Murphy! I’ll sign autographs later!
It has Adam Reid at The Mount Street Dining Room. This is a French restaurant and offers a delicious menu as well as a tasting experience. You also have The Tea Room which is used for Afternoon Tea. It is a beautiful and luxurious space. Both of these areas can be used for an event. You also have the main restaurant which is used for residence of the hotel offering a delicious breakfast with a vast amount to choose from.
Day 1
Our first stop was The University of Manchester and Manchester Museum. This museum had a major renovation in 2023 and new part of the museum blends very well with the rest of the building. The Museum is celebrating it’s 200th anniversary! The museum has unique and wonderful event space. You can hold great events here such as gala dinner, drinks reception amongst the fossils and dinosaurs! Within this gallery there is a beautiful glass room which lets in lots of light. You can use the foyer and restaurant for an event too. This has a TV screen ready for your presentation.
**Enhance your event: You could also have team activities or expert from the museum to speak at your event too or a guided tour.
Next we met Ryan Harley at The Bridgewater Hall. The Bridgewater Hall is a lovely and unique event space. Not only does it have an auditorium but many more options for any size or type of event, such as: conference, exhibition, however, it is adaptable for a smaller gala dinner, drinks reception etc.
It is home to the Hallé orchestra, and also hosts the BBC Philharmonic regularly. The acoustics as you can imagine are amazing. We were lucky enough to be visiting when the orchestra was practicing for their Disney concert. Ryan very kindly gave me some tickets for the concert that evening. Being a Disney fan, I gratefully accepted. It was a wonderful show, a real unexpected treat!
Our next stop was at Manchester Art Gallery. This too is a stunning venue full of opportunities for events. You are able to hire some of the galleries in the gallery. As you walk into the art gallery, there is a stunning brick and glass building lets in lots of light during the day. At night, you can see the night sky and enhance the room with some beautiful. You are able to hire some of the galleries in the gallery, these are beautiful rooms with wonderful art work and high ceilings. You could have events of different types and sizes. There are also two meeting rooms which could be used for a conference or private dining.
We couldn't end the day without being on the rooftop at 20 Stories, where we had dinner. This is in the up market and trendy area of Spinning Fields. As you can expect, this restaurant is on the 20th floor. It is a cocktail bar and restaurant. It’s beautifully modern décor is decorated to a high standard. You get some wonderful views of Manchester. There is also an outdoor terrace which has a wonderful decked area with different sized pods so that you can sit out there in all weather conditions. There is also comfortable seating outside too which would be wonderful when the sun is shining down on the views of Manchester. You can book the whole venue or you can semi privatise parts of the restaurant.
This is a great venue space with some amazing venues. The food was decadent and divine. The service matched this too. Staff were very attentive but allowed you to relax. Being a pescetarian I wanted a fish dish but it had a chicken and tarragon butter. The restaurant were very flexible and changed the butter so that I could still experience this wonderful delicious dish. The scallops just melted in my mouth. It was a real treat!
Day 2
We began the day at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. This hotel is built in an old Insurance building. It still has the clock tower too. This can be seen when approaching the hotel as it has the word Kimpton written on it. The whole hotel had influences throughout to represent the area and it’s heritage! The reception and foyer was beautiful with a beautiful stained glass domed window on the roof which let the natural light in. It had a huge statue of a horse which Charles Dickins’ great granddaughter sculpted.
Dickens had strong links to the area and this is depicted in the marble flooring with words of Dickens in a circular pattern in the middle of the foyer. There is also a red post box in the foyer to encourage children to write postcards which are provided by the hotel along with a stamp.
Lisa – Head of Sales showed us around the hotel and she advised us that her Mum had worked in the building when it was an Insurance company! Lisa was able to tell us lots of history about the hotel and fun and interesting facts about it too! This hotel is steeped in history. The safes are still present in the hotel all of the stair ways and original tiles are still present in the hotel.
**Interesting Facts: Although this hotel is high end and luxurious, it is family orientated and dog friendly! Many people use the hotel not only for leisure, business and events but for filming. One of the stair cases was filmed for Peaky Blinders!
It has many classes of room from standard to suite. The pay very close attention to detail. Every room has a tuck shop and the hotel personalises what is put in them according to preference and dietary requirements. The rooms are spacious, luxurious with unique soft furnishings which is commissioned by the Kimpton Clocktower! The bathrooms have a roll top bath and shower finished off with Victorian tiling!
There is plenty of event space with 16 conference and meeting rooms including a large ball room with lots of natural light and glamour! Each room has games for those times you want to break and maybe network! The communal area and break out space a table tennis table. It has it’s own pub which can be hired for events. The Winter Garden with it’s glass roof, windows and door with greenery to give that outside inside feel! You also have the Refuge restaurant too. It also has an amazing spa too for your down time to relax after a busy days work or an event. A great venue for conferences, offsite, product launch, meetings, gala dinner, cocktail reception etc!
Next we headed to the Radisson Edwardian Hotel – This was the former Free Trade Hall and a grade II listed building. This is a historic building and the hotel have cleverly used the original features and added a contemporary feel to the hotel a historic and contemporary fusion. This would have been the hub of the community in yester years! There are statues on the walls depicting the activities which took place in The Free Trade Hall at the time such as speeches, boxing matches a school, the list goes on!
It was home to the Hallé orchestra and has had many people performing here such as Bob Dylan, T Rex, The Dubliners, Sex Pistols, Kiss to name but a few. This has several room categories from standard to deluxe to suites. Each room is spacious and is decorated with a comfortable and luxuriously feel. This hotel also keeps the historical feel around the hotel as well as Manchester’s heritage with the bee emblem on the soft furnishings. Some of the suites have balconies with some of them having wonderful views of Manchester!
There are also some amazing event space within the hotel too. It has 20 meeting rooms of all sizes with natural light. It also has the award winning Peter Street Kitchen restaurant which offers a fusion of Japanese and Mexican small plate food! This restaurant has a contemporary décor. You also have the Library champagne bar too! Which is also a beautiful luxurious but comfortable space too.
We then met with the team from The Treehouse Hotel at Albert’s Schloss. Albert Schloss is a great venue that really comes alive at night with live bands. It even had a disco toilet!
From the presentation shown to me. The Treehouse Hotel is a new hotel in Manchester which has not opened yet. It looks like a very exciting project and concept. It has a sister hotel in London too. The building is the former Renaissance hotel. It prides itself on sustainability. There will be a live wall of the outside of the building. The Pip restaurant (named Pip as things start from a Pip and grow) The Menu is carefully thought out with locally sourced and seasonal produce by the chef - Chef Mary-Ellen McTague.
Head Chef – Sam Grainger has a South East Asian restaurant on the 14th Floor with a fusion from locally sourced ingredients. He then works his magic and creates South East Asian and European flavours using techniques from these countries.
There is also a stunning bar – the Nest in The Tree House serving delicious drinks, cocktails and amazing views of the city. Or there is The Hideout - Your top-secret spot in the heart of the city escape to The Hideout for an exclusive experience built upon imagination and indulgence.
The hotel is made to look high end but fun and playful with a treehouse theme in reception with trees and greenery and soft playful furnishings. It is family friendly.
The hotel has 224 bedrooms. The bedrooms are decorated in a colourful and playful style with colourful patchwork quilts, a chalk board in each room and bird boxes. The soft furnishings included denim. A fabric factory was closing down in Manchester and the denim material was bought and utilised for the soft furnishings in the hotel.
There are also meeting rooms. So you can work hard and play hard!
Lunch was at the Malmaison Deansgate Hotel. The fantastic rooftop bar and restaurant has some wonderful views of Manchester. The bar is decorated in a Japanese and contemporary way. I had the chance to taste the decadent menu. We had some delicious sushi. Each mouthful was like a pop of fresh and delicious flavours. It was good for the body and soul! I also had a rum based cocktail whilst I was there (well you have to try everything)!
Diecast is a former presbar diecast factory. The building has all the original features including all of the machinery. Everything has been used to give the space an industrial rustic vibe. This vast space is a wonderful event space for large or smaller groups. It is unique and quirky. Before you enter the building there is an outside covered space with a few decommissioned caravans they purchased from the Butlins Holiday camp. These can be used as a small event space too for that cozy feel.
**Event Note: Diecast is up and running but it is still a working progress as they uncover other hidden gems in the building. With 250,000 square feet, it has plenty of opportunities for that upbeat, quirky and unique event and much more to discover!
When you enter you enter the ex Machina described as pizza, daiquiri and party. It has an American Diner feel to it. This can be sectioned off so you have a private area. The food display boards can be changed to individual wording or branding! This is open to the public but can be hired out for an events. It has an upbeat vibe and plenty of space.
You also have the beer hall which is a warehouse and the size of a warehouse too. It has a built in bar as well as an old fashion bus converted into a beer bar! You can hire the whole hall or section it off. So many opportunities here too, a large dinner, a concert, a product launch to name but a few options. They are clearing and uncovering more space within the building.
The next site visit was at the Dakota Hotel. This is a stunning hotel. It is luxurious and contemporary. We were greeted by a lovely dog – well a real looking doggy sculpture which is part of the charm when you enter the welcoming reception area. It had a wonderful restaurant which had a booth type set up making your dining experience more intermate. It had a beautiful outside terrace which would be amazing for a summer party, drinks reception – even a gala dinner, what could be better than alfresco dining under the stars (when we have the weather in the UK, a plan B would be planned due to the unpredictable English weather)!
There are 137 bedrooms of different categories. The rooms were all spacious and beautifully decorated with a luxurious, contemporary and comfortable feel.
Tast Catala where we had dinner. This is owned by none other than Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. This is a classy but humble restaurant. It had lots of variety of tapas and paella. It had a cozy downstair area with a bar and a place to eat outside. The main restaurant and potential event space was situated upstairs. The food was delicious and services was brilliant.
Day 3
Manchester Central, a former railway station which has been converted into a conference centre. It has still kept it’s charm with lots of original features. There is also opportunities to use different spaces for events/conferences of all sizes. There are approximately 8 event spaces accommodating from 100 people to over 500 people. It really is a blank canvas so you can put your own stamp on your event. At Christmas time Manchester Central organise their own Winter Wonderland parties including a fair where you can book a table or semi privatise your area.
We then headed to The Monastery. This venue is just a short drive away from the centre of Manchester. It no longer has any faith attached to it so is just a beautiful building for all to use. The former friary was run by friars who wore habits and were mistaken for monks! This building has some much history. It has been renovated to it’s former glory. Unfortunately, the monastery doesn't have all of it’s original features due to them being stolen over the years. The staff think that some of original décor may be in an enthusiasts garden somewhere! The statues have been traced and purchased and put back in their rightful place. This all adds to the beauty of the place.
Although the venue does lots of work with the community such as well being and holistic therapy, it can be used for events. The building inside and outside is truly stunning with some amazing marble architecture. It looks just as beautiful lit up at night as it does in it’s natural state during the day. It also has a lovely garden outside which would be ideal for a breakout area.
From the Monastery we had a walk around parts of Manchester. We visited a new concept from National Trust – The Castlefield Viaduct. This is an interesting project for the National Trust. It is an old viaduct with a path, sculptures and wild flowers growing and a café and room at the end. This would be a very interesting and quirky venue to hold an event. It has the outside area draped with wild flowers and views of Manchester along with an inside option. It would look wonderful in the evening too!
We walked by the Mamucium Roman Fort Reconstruction too. There is no end to history and culture around Manchester.
The Science & Industry Museum is an interesting venue with a different spin on an event. It has various options for events of all sizes. When walking to our next site visit we walked by the canal. This is a haven for Peaky Blinders! Many scenes were filmed in and around Manchester. Maybe a Peaky Blinders Tour as an activity could be an option for your event in Manchester?
The Aviva Studio used to be the old Granada studios. I even saw Kevin Webster’s garage! This also has some great outside space which you could use as a break out area or an event. There are great views too!
This is a vast modern building for the people of Manchester. The venue has lots of different areas for events of all sizes. Being a new building it is flexible, adaptable with great lighting and sound. A very interesting venue for conferences, concerts, presentations and gala dinners to name but a few options.
**Event inspiration: There is always something going on – plays, concerts, seminars talks. Whilst we were visiting they were preparing a music experience which took in a walk around Manchester which then ended up back at the Aviva Studio. The event had a dramatic look with high ceilings, the staging, dark room, clever and wonderful lighting and smoke effects.
The Lowry Hotel was our next visit. We walked across the new bridge which took us from Manchester to Salford to bet to the Lowry Hotel. The hotel sits by the river which can be seen from some of the rooms. The Lowry is named after the artist who is famous for the matchstick paintings! This is a high end and luxurious hotel. It has a classic yet contemporary feel to it with spectacular artwork and lighting throughout the hotel.
There are 3 ballrooms, the Grand Ballroom holds 600 people standing, along with 2 function rooms. There are also 8 meeting rooms. There are 165 bedrooms ranging from standard level rooms up to a presidential suite (the lead singer of the Eagles was staying there when I was on my site visit so couldn’t see it)! The rooms are luxurious, fresh, contemporary, comfortable and spacious. The hotel oozes luxury, art and light.
There is the River Restaurant a great venue for an event. It overlooks the river. It is bright, modern and airy. The hotel also has a beautiful private dining room with a terrace which stunning views of the city.
I was lucky enough to be hosted by The Lowry Hotel for lunch. The menu uses locally sourced food and tries to keep all ingredients local. The lunch was delicious.
The spa is high end with all the up to date technology. There is a cryo chamber, meditation pod, flotation tank, VR experience. This is along with a wonderful range of relaxing spa treatments!
Hilton Manchester Deansgate Hotel, a high rise hotel with some amazing event space. I checked out Cloud 23 (another amazing rooftop bar. ) Not only does it have amazing views of the city, but the cocktail menu is something else! I tried a stunning cocktail with candy floss – simply delicious. What’s not to like a cocktail and candy floss? The bar is bright, airy, contemporary and comfortable flooded with light. There is also a privatised area to hold your event. For larger groups, you can hold your event at Cloud 23! Very instagramable!
There is also the Podium restaurant which also offers a great event option.
With 279 rooms at this hotel, it’s a great option for the smaller or larger group. There are various room class options to choose from standard class to a Presidential suite, King and Queen Deluxe room! The rooms are decorated with a contemporary but comfortable feel. Some have some amazing views of the city.
Summary:
Manchester certainly did not disappoint. This vibrant, fun and classy city has something for everyone. As mentioned, it has various quarters within the city, offering something for everyone.
There are a multitude of venues from classic, traditional, contemporary and quirky. Plenty of restaurants from high end independent restaurants to high end chain restaurants. The gastronomy easily competes with London, with some amazing 5-star, roof top and quirky bars. There is also so much to see and do, meaning there is an abundance of activities to do. There is a big sport, music and art culture too. Everywhere is easily accessible meaning you can have a pleasant walk from place to place quite easily which is good for the environment. This is also good from a well being point of view too as you see more of the city by walking around it!
Let's discuss your next event in Manchester, get in touch. We’d be more than happy to talk through it.
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