Manchester is a vibrant, youthful city that always shows its visitors a good time through its live music venues, sporting arenas and intriguing cultural centres. It is a northern powerhouse with so much to offer, including an outstanding selection of accommodation in its city centre. From luxury boutique hotels rich in history to modern, design-led budget hotels offering surprisingly friendly prices.

The choice and standard of hotels in Manchester city centre is increasing at a staggering pace, with some ranking among some of the best in the country. Manchester’s hotels are as varied as the people who choose to stay in them – ambitious, new designs and the city’s wealth of impressive ex-industrial buildings means you can expect to find a strong mix of classy dwellings.

To help you choose where to stay, we’ve handpicked some of the very best hotels in Manchester city centre. All these Manchester hotels are a located just a stone’s throw away from the city’s bustling bars, trendy music venues, indie cafes, traditional pubs and its array of attractions.

The Best Hotels in Manchester City Centre

King Street Townhouse

The best hotel in Manchester for: fresh furnishings

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Tucked away on the city centre’s Booth Street, King Street Townhouse is just a five-minute walk to Manchester Art Gallery in one direction and the bars and restaurants of Spinningfields in the other. Aside from the prime location, though, what makes this one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre is its style-led interior and charm.

As soon as you enter this Manchester hotel, you’ll feel instantly at home. With parquet flooring, panelled walls and fireplaces, this boutique hotel in Manchester is pure class – from the furniture to the locally commissioned artwork throughout the property. No two of the 40 rooms on offer are the same – from lights with exposed filaments to hand-picked books on the shelves, the attention to detail is hard to ignore. But amongst this rich decor are splashes of colour – think plush pink cushions, patterned fabrics and mustard upholstered dining chairs. Book into this hotel in Manchester city centre for an indulgent stay where you can take advantage of the infinity spa-pool, the spectacular view of the Town Hall clock and the sixth-floor cocktail terrace.

Cow Hollow Hotel

The best hotel in Manchester for: industrial decor

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A fairly recent addition to Manchester’s Northern Quarter, this city centre hotel really knows how to treat its guests – with free prosecco, nibbles, Netflix in all rooms and milk and cookies before bed. But it’s not just the treats that make this one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre. Situated right in the heart of all the action, this hi-spec hotel has bars and restaurants galore on the doorstep. Piccadilly train station is a five-minute walk away, along with Market Street – Manchester’s main shopping street.

Housed in a former textile warehouse, The Cow Hollow Hotel has retained some of its original features, including fireplaces and exposed beams. These are complemented by a suave decor with bold touches throughout – like the fake palm tree in reception and the oil paintings handing on the walls. The rooms are also something to marvel, with exposed brick walls, copper accessories and marble fireplaces creating a dramatic sense of style. You reach a bronze rain shower and gilt-framed mirros through double doors, while REN toiletries are on the house.

Kimpton Clocktower Hotel

The best Manchester hotel for: the bar

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Once the Palace Hotel, the Kimpton Clocktower underwent an immense £25 mil revamp. Housed in a magnificent Victorian redbrick building, this hotel in Manchester city centre has 271 lavish bedrooms and striking original features. It’s location is unbeatable, being handy for the Palace Theatre and Oxford Road railway station. Perhaps the main attraction of this Manchester hotel, though, is Refuge, one of the most popular bars in the city.

Despite its massive public spaces, this hotel in Manchester manages to be incredibly warm and welcoming, with thoughtful details for guests, from families to four-legged friends. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, the architect behind Manchester’s Town Hall, Kimpton Clocktower’s elaborate building dates back to the 1980s when it acted as the headquarters of The Refuge Assurance Company. The resplendent domed lobby, glazed tiled pillars and soaring moulded ceilings make it something out of a dream. The intimate Winter Garden is a fairy wonderland, with trees wrapped in glistening lights, while the rooms are neutral in colour with pops of forest green and floral cushions.

Hotel Gotham

The best Manchester hotel for: dark decadence

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This five-star hotel in Manchester city centre sits on King Street – just a 10-minute walk to Piccadilly station and less than five minutes to Manchester Art Gallery. Hotel Gotham is contained within an Art Deco building designed by Edwin Lutyens that was once a branch of the Midland Bank. This central Manchester hotel exudes opulence and theatrics, with a contemporary twist – from the cocktails served on the rooftop terrace to the gold-tiled private members’ club on the top floor.

The building’s history as a bank is embraced in the decor – think bathrooms sitting on gold bars, moneybag do-not-disturb signs on bedroom doors and piggy bank shortbread biscuits in rooms. Features from the original bank still remain, such as the towering windows, the old bank doors and the main staircase’s brass banister and terrazzo flooring. These are complemented by geometric monochrome carpets and 1920s-style photos. The 60 rooms and suites are dark and sumptuous, with leather bed heads, faux fur throws and grey walls. Marble bathrooms feature Gotham branded sinks and monsoon showers. For an ultra sultry and sophisticated stay, book a room at Gotham, one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre.

Stock Exchange Hotel

The best hotel in Manchester for: 1920s-style decor

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This Manchester city centre hotel, housed in the former Stock Exchange, is located on a quiet but central street, just a 2-minute walk from the shops and restaurants on King Street and a 10-minute walk from Victoria and Piccadilly railway stations. Staying true to its heritage, this is one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre. Original features include marble columns, stained glass, and grand fireplaces, while the Bull & Bear restaurant by chef Tom Kerridge is in pride of place on the former trading floor, a domed room with green leather booths and banquettes.

As soon as you set foot in this Manchester hotel, you’re eye is drawn to the gleaming black and white marble floor. Then to the giant ceiling rose and stained glass above the double doors and the pictures and framed artefacts on the walls that tell the story of the building’s history. The 40 rooms are furnished in classic greys, browns, greens and creams, with white marble-effect bathrooms. Other special touches include a Nespresso machine, fluffy robes and slippers and crystal glasses

Velvet Hotel

The best hotel in Manchester for: a good night out

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Situated on Manchester’s lively Canal Street in the city’s Gay Village, Velvet Hotel is just a five-minute walk from Piccadilly railway station, while the hip Northern Quarter and Market Street shopping areas are just 10 minutes on foot. This is one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre to embrace the local nightlife and stay in style.

Step into this Manchester hotel and take in the glamorous scene set by a gold gilt-framed mirror and crystal chandelier. An established big-hitter in Manchester’s Gay Village, the decor is unashamedly unrestrained and decadent. Corridors are black and white with quirky photographs on the walls, the flooring is dark parquet and there are pops of blue velvet and mustard cushions throughout. Each of the 19 rooms at this hotel in Manchester city centre is uniquely decorated – some have exposed brick walls, others have statement wallpaper and one even has a huge Gothic mural. The Velvet Hotel offers guests an intimate, romantic experience during their stay in Manchester.

The Edwardian

The best hotel in Manchester for: pure luxury

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The Edwardian Hotel ticks all the boxes for a luxurious stay in the heart of the city centre – a 12-metre swimming pool, a Japanese and Mexican restaurant, a basement spa, and The Library curated by publisher Assouline, where you can enjoy afternoon tea. Then there’s the impressive, grand building that all this is contained within – a grade II listed Free Trade Hall, built on the site of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, and where well-known names, like the Sex Pistols, have performed.

This five-star Manchester hotel still retains many of its original features, such as the colonnaded seating area in the bar and restaurant and the coats of arms from the building’s main auditorium above reception. The whopping 263 bedrooms are located in a new, purpose-built section of the building and are decorated in stylishly neutral colours, with deep chocolate, cappuccino and rich red fabrics. The King-size beds are spacious and comfortable, with leather headboards and snakeskin walls as a backdrop.

Roomzzz

The best Manchester hotel for: privacy

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Roomzzz is a self-proclaimed aparthotel in Manchester’s city centre, close to Chinatown and manchester Art Gallery. Set within a unique Grade II listed building, guests can enjoy the space and home comforts that these apartments offer. This Manchester hotel offers serviced rooms and suites with kitchenettes available for long- and short-term stays. If you’re looking for a private but casual place to stay, this is the best hotel in Manchester city centre for you.

Each of the 59 apartments are individual and quirky – some have four poster beds, a television in the bathroom or double showers. Even the entry-level Smart Studios have well-equipped kitchens with a dishwasher, microwave and hob, while the bathrooms are stylish complete with White Company toiletries. Rooms are furnished in neutral creams and browns with splashes of colour throughout. The building itself is brimming with character, with huge windows, exposed meta beams and tall ceilings. There’s even a complimentary on-the-go breakfast for guests, so you can eat quick, tasty meals on the way to the Northern Quarter or Piccadilly Gardens.

The Lowry

The best Manchester hotel for: art fans

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Sleek and luxurious The Lowry is one of the best hotels in Manchester city centre with a fashionable address.This five-star Manchester hotel is glitzy without being pretentious, with huge stylish rooms, towering windows, attentive staff and even an Elemis spa with eight different treatment rooms, including a relaxation area, a sauna and a hair salon. The Lowry Hotel is named after one of Manchester’s most famed artists and pays homage to this with revolving artwork and photography exhibitions.

Rooms here are larger than average and even have walk-in wardrobes and massive comfy beds. You can choose from deluxe and superior rooms – each of which are the same size and feature the same amenities, but superior rooms have better views of the river. They take on a neutral colour scheme with grey fabrics, but a splash of colour from the burnt orange of turquoise leather chaise longue in the window.

ABode

The best hotel in Manchester for: old meets new

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ABode is one of Manchester’s best city centre hotels, set in a striking 19th-century former textile warehouse. Original features, such as parquet flooring and metal columns, work wonders with quirky decor to create a stylish retreat

It’s the rooms that make ABode a must-visit, though. Choose from trademark room categories: Comfortable, Desirable, Enviable and Fabulous. Think parquet flooring, ironwork columns and high Victorian ceilings that provide heaps of character. These classy touches are perfectly contrasted with modern features such as Marshall Bluetooth speakers, air conditioning and Nespresso machines. Themed fifth floor suites are where you really want to be – akin to mini apartments, they include mezzanines, spiral staircases and tuck boxes. In public areas, you can expect gleaming black and white tiles and a ‘catwalk’ to the bar in the ground floor bar.