King Street Townhouse, one of Manchester’s most celebrated hotels, turns 10 years old this year.
And to celebrate, the team at this award-winning hotel have planned a bumper season of events and reasons to visit over the winter season.
From festive feasts to spa days to sparkling city views, there’s absolutely masses going on as the hotel celebrates a decade of magic.
Tucked away just off Albert Square, King Street Townhouse is home to some of the city’s finest bedrooms, its legendary infinity pool with views of the Manchester Town Hall, its cosy Tavern restaurant, its hidden cinema, and its serene spa.
Add to that festive afternoon teas, live music, festive film screenings, and loads of prize giveaways and you’ve got your new favourite winter hangout sorted.
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So here are 10 reasons to visit King Street Townhouse hotel this winter as it celebrates its 10 year anniversary in Manchester.
One of Manchester’s top afternoon teas now has a festive twist – and you’ll be eating it in the cosy lounge filled with twinkling lights.
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On each afternoon tea tower you’ll find tiers of handmade treats like a dainty tart in the shape of a wreath, a baby gingerbread man, and an eggnog and clementine macaron.
There are also loads of savoury bites, featuring finger sandwiches filled roast turkey, brie and mulled wine marmalade, and smoked salmon.
Sundays with Live Music
King Street Townhouse at Christmas
Every Sunday from 30 November, you can enjoy live music in the Tavern every week until 21 December.
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Taking place in the cosy surrounds of the Tavern, beneath a gigantic sparkling Christmas tree, you can relax with a live violin while you tuck into your afternoon tea or the wider seasonal menu.
The live music takes place between 1pm and 5pm each week.
The Decad’ent Ritual
The spa at King Street Townhouse
To celebrate a decade of King Street Townhouse, its serene spa is offering a limited-edition experience designed to soothe, restore and leave you glowing.
Kick off with two hours in the thermal suite, before heading into a 60-minute Comfort & Glow treatment (a restorative back ritual with hot towels and ESPA’s signature Restorative Oil, followed by a nurturing massage, a gentle facial cleanse, exfoliation and hydrating mask, then a slow, therapeutic scalp massage).
Then you’re treated to a seasonal sweet treat, with the option to add on a glass of champagne or extra treatments, and £10 off ESPA products in the spa boutique.
The Tavern at King Street Townhouse is leaning into the festive spirit with a special seasonal menu, packed with comforting classics with a special touch.
Expect ox cheek and cheddar croquettes, golden crisp turkey schnitzel burgers with port relish and a pig in blanket, and perfectly melty camembert.
There’s also festive desserts like gingerbread sticky toffee pudding and spiced winter berry cheesecake.
It’s all available daily between 12pm and 5.30pm, with two courses for £24 or three for £28.
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Signature 10-Year Cocktails
10 year anniversary cocktails
As well as seasonal drinks like mulled wine and festive cocktails, King Street Townhouse’s brilliant bar team have whipped up a special 10 year anniversary menu of drinks too.
That includes The Account Statement (rum, St Germain, lime, honey and champagne) to reflect 10 years of success, The Vault Key (pisco, gin, lime, agave and chocolate bitters), and The Ledger (whiskey, mulled spice, maple, walnut bitters).
The hidden cinema at King Street Townhouse will be getting in the Christmas spirit with a programme of festive film favourites.
This year’s bill includes timeless classics like It’s A Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and Die Hard, plus modern favourites like Elf, The Holiday, and Bad Santa.
All enjoyed in the hotel’s plush cinema seats, with popcorn and drinks available to be delivered to your seat.
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Screenings are all on sale now and you can grab your tickets here.
Want to make the absolute most out of your visit to King Street Townhouse? You may as well turn it into a proper escape with one of the hotel’s amazing seasonal packages.
Whether you pick a package that includes a night in the beautiful hotel and makes use of the spa, or choose a package that’s geared around the brilliant food offering with dinner, bed, and breakfast, there’s a package for you.
Wellness is at the heart of the King Street Townhouse offering all year round, which makes this the perfect place to unwind during the festive season.
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Obviously, there’s the spa’s amazing thermal suite, with its Himalayan Salt Cave, eucalyptus steam room, rainfall shower and ice fountain, heated loungers, and sauna.
But there’s also that amazing infinity pool (only for hotel guests) with views of the Manchester Town Hall as its iconic clock tower reemerges from its restoration.
The hotel also has a state-of-the-art gym downstairs.
January Afternoon Tea: Best of 10 Years
Why should the fun stop when the year ends? King Street Townhouse will kick off the new year with a special afternoon tea that celebrates their best creations over the last decade.
The pastry team have always innovated and reimagined afternoon tea classics, and are now preparing to revisit some of their favourites.
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Expect a menu that’s both nostalgic and refreshing – where contrasts of colour, texture, and taste come together in perfect harmony.
10 Days of Magic
Every day between 14 December and 24 December, to celebrate 10 years together, King Street Townhouse will run a competition across their social media platforms, plus a grand prize draw.
Prizes in the daily competitions will include complimentary experiences to complimentary overnight stays.
Plus, one lucky hotel guest each day will be given a reward to say thank you for staying with King Street Townhouse as it celebrates its Decade of Magic.
See more and book your experience at King Street Townhouse this ChristmasHERE.
Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Everything you need to know about the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup before it comes to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The countdown is really on now to one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will land in Manchester in just a few weeks’ time.
The upcoming cricket tournament has already shattered all previous ticket sales records, ahead of what promises to be the biggest Women’s T20 World Cup ever staged.
With just two weeks to go to the opening match between England and Sri Lanka, ticket sales have already surpassed 155,000.
And anticipation is growing for the sporting event of the summer, a 24-day spectacle played across seven iconic venues in England and Wales.
Manchester will play its part in this record-breaking tournament this summer, hosting several major games at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
The action kicks off here in Manchester on Saturday 13 June, with a double header of matches between Scotland and Ireland, and Australia and South Africa.
So if you’re planning to go down for all the action, or just want to know what’s in store, here’s the essential info you need for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Manchester dates for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
The Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground will welcome seven teams across five fixtures in June, including Scotland, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, and India.
Saturday 13 June – Scotland vs Ireland 10.30am
Saturday 13 June – Australia vs South Africa 2.30pm
Sunday 21 June – South Africa vs India 2.30pm
Thursday 25 June – India vs Bangladesh 2.30pm
Friday 26 June – Sri Lanka vs Scotland 6.30pm
Tickets for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup
This year’s ticket sales have surpassed the total fan attendance of 136,549 recorded across the entirety of the 2020 edition in Australia, highlighting the extraordinary momentum behind women’s cricket and the growing global demand for the women’s game.
Adult tickets start from just £15 in Manchester, you can grab tickets for games HERE.
What else is on?
Spirit Week has been driving up the excitement even further, with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy currently on a tour around the UK – including a great day out here in Manchester.
The ICC and UNICEF will also be delivering Cricket 4 Good clinics in local communities, with cricketing stars giving young cricketers tips and skills training.
What the ICC have said
ICC General Manager – Events and Corporate Communications, Gaurav Saxena said: “The 2026 edition becoming the highest-selling ICC Women’s T20 World Cup ever is another milestone for the women’s game.
“It not only highlights the incredible momentum behind women’s cricket but also reflects the strong cultural pull of an ICC pinnacle event, appeal for which is not limited to only the sports fans.
“This edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be our biggest tournament till date and is expected to smash attendance and viewership records in the UK and around the world. This milestone is a hugely exciting moment for everyone involved and has been almost a year in the making.
“The response from fans is a testament to the bold, creative and well-executed marketing efforts of both the ICC and the ECB in the run-up to the tournament, more of which are to follow over the next four weeks.
“We look forward to welcoming fans from across the globe to England and Wales for what promises to be the biggest and most exciting edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.”
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Tournament Director, Beth Barrett-Wild said: “Surpassing 155,000 ticket sales is an incredible milestone and a powerful signal of the momentum behind the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. To have exceeded the previous record set in Australia, before a ball has been bowled, shows just how much excitement there is for this tournament and for women’s cricket globally.
“We’ve always believed this tournament has the potential to be the biggest women’s cricket event in history, and the response from fans has been extraordinary. It reflects the growing profile of the women’s game, the strength of the teams and players on show, and the appetite for world-class sporting events across England and Wales as we build towards an unforgettable summer in 2026.”