Set in the heart of Piccadilly Gardens, the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel is perfectly situated for those who are looking to enjoy a night or two in the town with somewhere easily accessible from all corners of the city to go back to and relax. We headed to the hotel to check out what the rooms and on-site restaurant had to offer…
Upon arriving at the hotel, you’ll be greeted by a Concierge who sits behind a desk in a long hallway, which leads to the stairs and elevators. The Concierge who greeted us was always cheery and helpful, guiding us to the first floor so that we could check-in at reception. Again, check-in staff were quick to take us through all of the hotel’s features, before handing over a room key and upgrading our standard twin room to one with a city view.
The rooms themselves are clean, with the two twins placed very closely alongside one another – you may just be better opting for a double. There is only a small amount of room to manoeuvre around the beds, between the television cabinet and the desk/chair combo, which can see you and your fellow guest end up on top of one another if you’re both moving around the bedroom in tandem.
Still, what’s most important for many is the room’s comfort, and those beds were ones that I could have easily spent the entire day in. The chair at the desk was also comfortable enough to allow you to get some minor work done, and whilst the solo seat in the corner of the room was also comfy enough, it didn’t exactly look the part. There was a huge rip in the seat, so it would be nice to see the hotel spend some money on bringing some new furniture into their rooms.
As for the bathroom, it was moderately sized with a bath and shower, though the shower head may prove to be a bit tricky to stand under for those around five foot seven and over.
Perhaps the most disappointing thing for a bratty 27-year-old like myself, was the lack of a strong Wi-Fi signal up on the ninth floor. It worked perfectly fine when we were on the third in the restaurant, but we’d be lucky to get more than two minutes of solid surfing in our room. I say this a little in jest, but this could also be a major problem for anybody who needs the internet to be consistent when they’re on a business trip.
One of the hotel's finest features is its restaurant and bar, The Brasserie. We got a gorgeous table overlooking the gardens, which I'm sure are a delight to behold in the summer. Specialising in British cuisine, I opted for the Nachos to start (not British, but absolutely delicious), before tucking into one of the mouth-watering burgers on offer.
The manager on shift at the time was incredibly friendly and helpful, working hard to make sure we were comfortable throughout our night in The Brasserie – and he smelled good, too. Our server was also equally pleasant, encouraging us to go all out and enjoy our night. Not too pushy; just making sure we had a good time.
Overall, I would say the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel is one of the best-placed locations if you’re looking for a quick stay in the city. Some of the rooms could do with a bit of an overhaul, and the Wi-Fi really needs sorting for business guests, but these are easy enough fixes that could elevate the venue to the next level.
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