Manchester Hotels

Introduction to Manchester

Manchester has a lower annual rainfall than New York City. So that’s one myth laid to rest.
Britain’s vibrant and dynamic second city boasts a rich and diverse artistic and cultural life; a cosmopolitan range of restaurants, cafés, bars, diners, inns and public houses; inspirational classic and modern architecture; accessible public transportation and superb road, rail and air links to the rest of Britain and the world.

Manchester is home to two top symphony orchestras, the Hallé and the BBC Philharmonic. Concerts are presented in the technically advanced Bridgewater Hall, the Free Trade Hall, the Royal Exchange Theater and Manchester Cathedral. Some astounding visual art graces the city’s many galleries, including works by L.S. Lowry, Rossetti, Gainsborough, Henry Moore and Max Ernst, to name but a few.

The Opera House, Palace and Royal Exchange theaters stage large productions including touring West End shows while smaller venues such as the Contact Theatre and the Library Theatre present avant garde, youth and fringe productions.

In the city center, largely rebuilt following devastation caused by an IRA bomb in 1996, the Printworks and the Triangle complexes have created new hubs for shopping and entertainment. Dining options include “curry mile” in Rusholme and many China Town eateries as well as restaurants offering more traditional English food and the modern bars and bistros of Deansgate Lock and the Northern Quarter.

Much of Manchester’s architecture harks back to the city’s 19th century glory days as a global centre for the cotton trade, but modern edifices like the Beetham Tower and the Imperial War Museum North pepper the 21st century skyline.

Manchester’s busy International Airport hosts around 90 different airlines serving 180 destinations worldwide and has its own dedicated railroad station.

But the city is probably best known internationally as the home of the richest and most popular sporting team on the planet. Since the 1950s, Manchester United, the city’s legendary professional soccer team, has won its way into the hearts and souls of sports fans on every continent. Under its two heroic managers, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, Man United won league and European championships, suffered tragedies and transformed the face of soccer.

Latitude: 18.03°
Longitude: -77.5°
Area: 1286 sq km
Country: England
Population: 3.2 million

Currency: Pound Sterling
Electricity Voltage: 240V
Electricity Frequency: 50Hz
Electrical Plug Types:

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Getting your Bearings in Manchester

Central Manchester is easy to get around on foot or by the excellent Metrolink tramway. The city is made up of a number of distinct neighbourhoods that lend it the vibrant character for which it is now famous. At the heart of it all - if only because all of the buses converge on it - is Piccadilly Gardens, a gardenless square that has been developed into an aesthetically charming urban space. Immediately west and just south of the cathedral is the newly named Millennium Quarter, which has been spectacularly developed following the destruction wreaked by an IRA bomb in 1996. Directly north of Piccadilly Gardens lies the Northern Quarter, the city's bohemian district, while a few blocks southeast you'll find Canal St and the Gay Village. Next to it is Chinatown, basically a couple of streets chock-full of Chinese restaurants. In the southwestern corner of the city centre is Castlefield and Deansgate Locks, a hyper-cool area with some of the best restaurants in town. Farther south is the University of Manchester, where you'll also find some of the best clubs and bars. Further west, near the Bridgewater Canal, are two stadiums, both called Old Trafford; the first is home to the world's most famous football team, Manchester United, while the second is a cricket ground used by the Lancashire county team and, occasionally, by the national team for test matches. Manchester airport is 16km/10mi south of the city. Train and bus connections are good (every 15 or 30 minutes).

When to Visit Manchester

April-September is the optimal period weather-wise to head up north, though bear in mind that July-August is peak tourist time. Visit at the end of August and you can join the 500,000 revellers kicking up their heels in Manchester's GayFest parade. The marginal months of March and October are worth considering; it can be cold and wet, but then again so can July. November-February is grim, cold and dark, and best left to its own devices.

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