Sachas Hotel in Manchester, part of the Britannia group, has a bit of a reputation.
It ranks 125th of 126 hotels in the city on TripAdvisor (The Merchants on Back Piccadilly ranks worst if you were wondering), averaging out at 2.0 out of five.
Reviewers have described it as ‘horrible’, ‘absolutely awful’, and even ‘hell’, with frequent complaints about rooms that are boiling hot.
And the one time one of our staff members stayed there, all he had to say was: “Not great to be fair… when I got there someone was getting f**gered in the foyer.”
But when you look at Sachas in Manchester on paper, it’s got a lot going for it.
There’s an art deco interior complete with a big chandelier, it’s in a prime location right on the edge of the Northern Quarter and Market Street, and it’s one of the city’s most affordable hotel options.
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There’s also the option to host your wedding here, and that’s a bit of a bargain too.
In what might be one of the best-value wedding packages in the city, Sachas Manchester will throw you a full do, complete with a three-course dinner for your guests, a bucks fizz reception, and an evening buffet – for less than a grand.
The infamous hotel’s silver package comes in at £999 and also includes things like your table linens, cake stand and cutting knife, a private lounge bar for cocktail hour, and a red carpet welcome.
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Your wedding reception can take over the Washington Suite, with the option to have a civil ceremony here too.
Not fancy enough?
Can we tempt you with Sachas in Manchester’s £1499 GOLD package, which also gets you a stay in the ‘gorgeous bridal suite’, a full English the next morning, extra space for guests, tea, coffee, a stage, and a complimentary balloon arrangement?
Because nothing screams ‘just married’ like a complimentary balloon arrangement.
STILL not posh enough? Let’s dive into the £2500 Platinum Package, shall we?
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Now you’re in the Lincoln and Madison reception street, with an extra function bar, a changing room, chair covers (sashes are an extra 50p per chair), a bottle of prosecco for the happy couple, and the hire of the ceremony space.
The standard wedding space can accommodate 50 to 250 guests, but you can spill out into an extra room and fit up to 550 guests in.
So if you’re newly engaged and looking for a wedding venue in Manchester, maybe Sachas is the one?
Just watch out for the f**gering guests in the foyer on your way out…
Luxurious Manchester bar Sexy Fish named as one of the best in the entire world
Daisy Jackson
A luxurious bar in Spinningfields has been named among the best in the world in a brand-new bar guide.
Sexy Fish, the Manchester bar and restaurant that’s filled with bold and bright interiors and giant sea creature sculptures, has been named as one of the best on the planet.
The bar was hailed for its ‘down-to-earth gracious service’ and for having ‘premium hospitality with a northern tint’.
Sexy Fish Manchester was singled out in the new The Pinnacle Guide, which labels itself as ‘the drinks industry’s answer to Michelin’.
The guide will award ‘Pins’ (much like how Michelin awards Stars) to bars across the planet, with a maximum of three Pins handed out to truly exceptional establishments.
The Pinnacle Guide has been conceived by a trio of talented drinks professionals; Hannah-Sharman Cox, Siobhan Payne and Dan Dove.
Of Sexy Fish Manchester, they acknowledged the ‘wow-factor’ of the bar, helped along by huge artworks by the likes of Damien Hirst, Frank Gehry and Michael Roberts.
They also said: “While the decor sets the tone, the service and drinks at Sexy Fish Manchester are up to the task of continuing it. Drinks menus are a reflection of the creativity and innovation of the team and the cocktail list is a collaboration across the global group.
“Flavours are dreamt up, and trialled and tested by the team before being approved and every drink that makes it to the menu tends to have some form of prep involved which takes place off-site in a group beverage lab, be it infusion, distillation, oleos, sous vide or casein clarification.
“Cocktails across the group are therefore very modern, often innovative and presented with extreme flamboyance.”
The guide continued: “Located as this venue is in Manchester, the blend of Sexy Fish glamour with the down-to-earth hospitality style of the north England may feel incompatible but the staff here prove otherwise.
“In a venue that is all about opulence, they are committed to guiding guests through the offering and relaxing them into the high-energy venue.”
Congratulations Sexy Fish Manchester – what a bar!
You can now catch a direct flight from Manchester to Italy’s ‘best kept secret’ for only £15
Emily Sergeant
Looking for your next holiday destination? Well now you can catch a direct flight from Manchester to Italy’s ‘best kept secret’.
Temperatures have finally been hotting up, and the rain has mostly cleared off across Greater Manchester over this last week or so, but as the sun hasn’t always shown its face, this means many of us will likely be thinking about hopping on a plane to another country where the warmer weather is more of a regular occurrence.
Coincidentally, Manchester Airport has just become the first UK airport to form a direct flight link to the stunning southern Italian region of Calabria.
You can now catch a direct flight from Manchester to Italy’s ‘best kept secret’ / Credit: Unsplash | Wikimedia Commons
If you’re unfamiliar with Calabria, not only is it one of Italy’s most affordable regions to visit, but it also home to some outstanding white sandy beaches, picturesque scenery, culture and architecture, and a truly authentic food scene.
The region is often dubbed one of Italy’s “best kept secrets” by travel writers and tourists.
Having officially taken to the skies at the end of last month (28 April), flights from Manchester Airport to Reggio Calabria are now running exclusively with Ryanair on Wednesdays and Sundays, and you can book your trip now from as little as £14.99 per person one-way.
Calabria is found at ‘toe’ of Italy’s ‘boot’, and the city of Reggio Calabria faces the island of Sicily across Strait of Messina to provide visitors with an ideal base to explore the wider region.
As mentioned, the Calabria region is one of the most affordable parts of Italy to visit, and while it has long been popular with Italian tourists, international visitors are only just beginning to discover this hidden gem.
Manchester Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen Turner, says the airport is “proud” to connect people in the North with an “outstanding range of destinations”, with over 200 routes served by more than 50 airlines, but he admitted that Ryanair’s new service to Reggio Calabria is “an exciting one”.
Flights are now open to book from as little as £14.99 per person one-way / Credit: Suhyeon Choi (via Unsplash)
“It’s a brand-new destination for us,” Mr Turner explained.
“And it isn’t currently served by any other UK airport either, so it gives our passengers even more choice.
“Visitors travelling to Calabria will love the blend of culture, cuisine and spectacular beaches that it provides, so we’re confident that this new route will be popular with our passengers.”