Richard Branson pokes his nose into everything and has sticky fingers in every business pie. Now we hear he's got his beady eyes on a skyscraper hotel in Manchester.
If the deal comes off, there'll be a shiny Virgin City Hotel sign on a 44-storey skyscraper on Aytoun Street, Piccadilly. The four-star hotel would only take over 23 floors of the building, and the rest would be taken up by whatever brings most profit to the Albany Crown developers - offices and shops mostly.
Virgin City Hotel is a baby brand and has not actually yet signed any deals with any hotels anywhere. But if it follows the Virgin style, we can imagine the hotel - fluffy bathrobes, hot-tubs, shiny glass-and-steel décor in the bar, dark red sofas and seats, and hopefully working Wi-Fi.
And we thought just writing a scathing review on TripAdvisor was one of the ways to strike back at a hotel for not holding your reservation (and writing a Hotel Hell for us, of course).
On Saturday 28th 2006 I turned up at the Novotel in Manchester, expecting to check in quickly then relax in my room after a 3.5hr train journey. Only, things didn't happen as expected. Instead I was told my room had been cancelled and the hotel was now full. So now, apparently, I was expected to go out into the rain, with my case, and find another hotel.
When Neil presented his "confirmation of reservation" print-out, the front desk staffer told him that even though he received this, the room had not been reserved since his credit card had been declined.
Read the blog for all the backing and forthing that went on but since then, Neil has written a letter to the hotel, which he posted, and the hotel has written him a letter back, which he also posted. But it seems now, the hotel has gone dark on him.
At first, we suspected something fishy was going with this blog because the first post was dated October 26th. However, Neil didn't check into the hotel until October 28. When we contacted Neil about this he said:
Certainly, it all happened on the 28th, but to keep the story at the top I’m backdating the blog entries so they appear below the main description.
Confusing, I know, but it was the only way I could figure out how to keep one paragraph at the top.
Neil says he would just like the hotel to extend him a complimentary night in a Novotel or at least pay for the cost of his hotel room that fateful night in Manchester. Otherwise, he'll continue writing the No Hotel blog.
So now, whether Novotel Manchester likes it or not they have their own hotel blog.
Brits are tough on hotels, and we love 'em for it. So when folks from the UK talk about a "brilliant hotel in Manchester" we stand up and listen.
Let's get the bad out of the way first, the Great John Street Hotel is hardly soundproofed, charges egregious amounts for daily Internet access (a common occurence on the continent), and doesn't always provide guests with bathrobes.
However, you are bound to be impressed by the excess inside the 30 split-level suites--freestanding tubs, exposed brick, mirrored bedside cabinets, and the presence of red velvet.
Furthermore, the property is run by former Four Seasons execs, so it should come as no surprise to hear that plenty of guests rave about the service at Great John Street.
The piece de resistance, in our opinion, is a rooftop hot tub that combats the constantly bitter Manchester weather:
Stayed at Great John Street last night as a post theatre treat as we don't live too far away. In the snow this morning we headed for the rooftop hot tub and felt like we were in a geyser in Iceland - excellent.
Another hotel tell? The locals dig it. Whenever folks who live nearby spend money to stay for the night in a neighboring hotel, when they could just as easily sleep at home, you know the hotel is onto something.
Newfangled UK B&B's are hot. According to The Times Great John Street Hotel in Manchester thinks it is among the hottest.
Unfortunately for the Great John, Times writer Will Hide does not agree:
My room -- number 39 -- was gloomy and faced a new apartment block being built yards away. The lavatory didn't flush properly, part of the basin tap fell off (as did a drawer knob), and there was no air-conditioning -- so on a hot August day the choice was between opening the windows and listening to builders outside, or keeping them shut and sweltering.
Perhaps Great John Street is taking time to settle in. I'd like to go back in a year -- as long as I eat out and stay in a room at the front, maybe I'll think it is one of Manchester's coolest places. It clearly has pretensions to be so.
It's not even Christmas yet, let alone New Year's, but we're already looking forward to a post-holiday nap. If you're planning any winter getaways, consider Manchester's Lowry Hotel.
Described by Frommers as "sinuous and sexy," the five-star Lowry's most intriguing draw is an in-house "Sleep Doctor" -- not a sandman or a physician as the name would lead you to believe, but a special menu of treatments and products including a wide range of pillows, massages and spa treatments, sleep masks and ear plugs, giant beds (created by none other than the suppliers of Britain's royal household) and even a "Bath Butler" who will (for a fee) run your bath to the perfect temperature and supply you with everything from bath salts and oils to champagne and strawberries. Sounds positively snooze-inducing.
FYI, Riverside rooms are available at lower promotional rates via the Lowry's website -- prices vary, but are often significantly lower than regular room rates. Score!
[Publisher's note: A reader from the UK has submitted two wildly different hotel stories about two supposedly “hot” UK properties. We will start with the good, and end with the bad. The floor is yours whatlofi...]
Our expectations for the Edwardian Radisson weren't high. With the exception of the marvelous Jacobsen-fest that is the Royal in Copenhagen, the ones we've visited have been dull if slick. And this one has been built in the old Free Trade Hall, the scene of legendary gigs by Bob Dylan and the Sex Pistols, which somehow doesn't feel right, like a W Glastonbury or something. But it's quietly brilliant. The views from the upper floors are stunning, the service was obliging and friendly, and the bathrooms, while not roomy, should win some "most ingeniously designed convenience" award.
Brits are tough on hotels, and we love 'em for it. So when folks from the UK talk about a "brilliant hotel in Manchester" we stand up and listen.
