Carden Park has long been one of the UK’s best spa hotels – in fact, just in September it was named Spa Hotel of the Year… again.
In the last 12 months its shelves have begun to groan under the weight of all the awards it’s accumulating, with its fine dining restaurant The Vines at Carden earning a third AA Rosette, placing it within the top 10% of venues in the UK.
And now Carden Park has unveiled the first phase of its £6.5m refurbishment, boosting its status even further with smart new bedrooms decorated in soft hues of blue and gold.
Carden Park is famed for its golfing and its outdoor pursuits, as well as its outdoor garden spa (we are very much here for the latter).
The luxury spa opened back in 2020, and features staggering features like a vitality pool, heated relaxation beds, Finnish sauna, a salt steam room, an aroma steam room, aroma showers, and a beautiful bio sauna with panoramic windows overlooking the hotel’s sweeping grounds.
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And that’s just the indoor spa at Carden Park – I’m just getting started.
Carden Park’s indoor poolThe Finnish sauna at Carden ParkThe indoor pool at night
Its crowning glory is its outdoor garden spa, where footpaths weave between sunken hot tubs and heated thermal pods.
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There’s an outdoor pool, also heated, with body massagers built in, and the sight of the steam rising from the pool over the frosty lawns is one for sore eyes and limbs.
From the all-weather Bollinger champagne bar, you can order a mulled wine or a glass of fizz, to sip around the fire pit or on a sun lounger (maybe not the latter at this time of year).
There’s also a panoramic herbal lounge, with sweeping views of the 1000 acre estate at Carden Park.
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A panoramic herbal loungeThe fire pitThe Bollinger Bar at Carden Park SpaCarden Park’s outdoor poolA heated outdoor pod with Carden Park in the background.
A current package running until the new year – the Comfort & Joy Spa Experience – includes access to this incredible spa as well as a 50 minute ‘Time to Pause’ treatment.
Here, your sore muscles are scrubbed and loosened before you flip over for an invigorating facial, using cold stones to cool, soothe and drain toxins from your face.
It’s one of the most thorough and efficient treatments I’ve had at a spa and will leave you feeling pampered, relaxed and invigorated all at once.
The Comfort and Joy Spa Experience package also includes overnight accommodation, dinner in either restaurant, breakfast, a mulled wine or hot chocolate, and loads more.
A refurbished bedroom at Carden ParkThe view from the refurbished bedroomsA refurbished bedroom en suite at Carden Park
And back across at the main hotel, Carden Park’s 197 rooms are slowly being refurbished and crafted into luxury spaces with plenty of British details.
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From the premium beds to the huge marble bathrooms, you’ll want to stay forever.
While The Vines at Carden might be the hotel’s more lavish restaurant, its Redmond’s Brasserie is also exceptional, with a menu full of British dishes including steaks, pies, and puddings.
This is also where guests head for breakfast, where there’s a full buffet of hot food, continental items and even a pancake-making machine.
The bar upstairs at the Carden Park spaDinner at Redmond’s BrasserieRedmond’s Brasserie
And after your breakfast, you can stroll around the hotel’s magnificent grounds, where there’s a vineyard, tennis courts, a lake, and a full sculpture park.
Director and general manager of Carden Park Hotel Hamish Ferguson said of the new refurbishments: “The overhaul of our hotel bedrooms marks a significant chapter in Carden Park Hotel’s journey.
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“We are thrilled to embark on this exciting project to enhance our luxury accommodation, reinforcing our commitment to providing an exceptional and rejuvenating experience for our guests.
“Sustainability has been at the forefront of all previous renovations at the hotel, and we endeavour to continue this trajectory in all future transformation projects.”
The Comfort and Joy Spa Experience at Carden Park
A morning garden spa experience between 9am and 1pm (8.30am arrival)
Overnight luxury accommodation
A divine 50-minute Time-to-Pause ritual treatment; including back exfoliation and calming facial. Learn more about the treatment here.
£30 dinner allowance to be used in either Redmond’s Brasserie or The Vines (Thursday only) – Cheshire’s award-winning fine dining restaurant
Full English and Continental breakfast included in your stay
Access to the hotel state-of-the-art leisure club and 20-metre pool
Either a mulled wine or luxury hot chocolate included in your spa experience
Pop-up park and rides announced to manage ‘sheer volume’ of people travelling to Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Four new pop-up park and rides will open in Greater Manchester from this week, to help people travelling into the city centre over the Christmas period.
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced the scheme will kick in to handle the ‘sheer volume’ of people heading into town for festive events and Christmas shopping, with around 80,000 extra trips made in one weekend alone last year.
The news comes after a weekend that saw car parks congested and the city streets gridlocked with traffic.
TfGM is now encouraging people to use public transport – including the new park and ride services – instead of driving this winter.
The four park and rides will provide an extra 1000 free parking spaces, with frequent bus shuttles then completing journeys into Manchester city centre.
Millions of people are expected to visit this year for events including the Manchester Christmas Markets, shopping, football matches, concerts and nights out.
The Bee Network is hoping to help all those people save cash, beat traffic, and keep the city centre moving.
Other measures being introduced this year, as part of a joint approach by TfGM, Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police (GMP), include later-running trams at weekends, temporary parking restrictions and traffic measures, and round-the-clock CCTV monitoring.
Trams will run until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays over the Christmas period, with extra double trams running at busy times.
Temporary weekend parking restrictions are being introduced on Swan Street and Liverpool Street, with weekend closures inbound on Corporation Street to reduce congestion around Shudehill, and a no right turn from the Arndale car park to ease congestion on Withy Grove.
The four new park and rides, with 1,000 extra parking spaces, will be open every Saturday and Sunday from this Saturday (22 November) until 21 December.
They’ll be located at Booth Street West, Central Park, Belle Vue and Irwell Place.
People are urged to plan their journeys carefully this Christmas.
Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer at TfGM said: “Christmas is one of the best times to enjoy Manchester – so much is going on and there’s such a buzz to the city centre. Our message is clear … the Bee Network is the best way to get there and home again. Board the bus, jump on the tram and plan your journey in advance.
“With plenty of frequent buses and trams to and from the city centre, single bus fares from just £2 and trams from just £1.40, the Bee Network is the easiest, quickest and most affordable way to travel this Christmas.
“Our pop-up park and rides mean you don’t need to struggle for parking in the city centre, but can park for free and finish the journey on a dedicated bus for just £2 single or £4 return and completely free for under 16s.
“As well as the new pop-up park and rides, there’s also 24 park and ride sites across Greater Manchester where you can park for free and jump on the tram – with all the locations and latest tram times available in the Bee Network app.
“We know roads and the network are going to be really busy, especially at weekends. That’s why we’re working closely with Manchester City Council and GMP on a joined-up approach to keep people moving safely around the city as they experience the brilliant things it has to offer.”
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “Christmas is always a hectic period on our roads and this year we are redoubling our collective efforts to keep the transport network moving across Greater Manchester.
“With millions of people set to visit Manchester City Centre we are urging people to plan their journeys ahead of time and where possible, leave the car at home. There are a huge number of ways to get to town, be that a bus, tram or train, and these will often be a quicker and cheaper alternative.”
Mollie’s Motel announces opening date in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Mollie’s Motel has announced the opening date of its hotel and diner in Manchester.
The brand, which promises value-luxe, design-led accommodation, will be opening in the Old Granada Studios next month.
This will be the most ambitious Mollie’s Motel to date, and its first city centre hotel and diner (the first were roadside sites in Oxfordshire and Bristol).
Inside, there’ll be 128 rooms across five floors, ranging from doubles to twins to bunk rooms, with prices starting at an incredibly reasonable £139.
There’ll also be studios and a selection of luxe suites featuring freestanding bathtubs, walk-in wardrobes and Peloton bikes – a new chapter for Mollie’s.
Also opening in the iconic former TV studio before the end of this year will be Soho House, with the members’ club taking over the top three floors.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
Studio IV at Mollie’s Motel in ManchesterStudio IV at Mollie’s Motel in ManchesterA VIP room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA VIP room at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
It’s part of St John’s, the neighbourhood that is also home to venues like Caravan, Fenix, The Trading Route and Courts Club, and will have cultural institutions like the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Opera House and Aviva Studios on the doorstep.
Mollie’s Motel rooms in Manchester will nod to the building’s heritage with dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes, plus rainshowers, super king bed, Dyson Airwraps, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
The sixth floor will be home to 23 bedrooms designed specifically for Soho House members, plus an 80sqm private apartment with two bedrooms and an open plan living room with kitchenette.
On the first floor, guests will have access to a state-of-the-art Soho House gym, with a free weights area, studio space, steam and sauna, plus a balcony with casual seating.
Mollie’s DinerThe green room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterMollie’s Motel Manchester now has an opening date
As for the diner aspect, Mollie’s Diner will have 110 seats plus private dining for 30, all designed in a mid-century style with classic counter seating and luxe leather banquettes inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac.
It continues with Studio IV, an open-plan cocktail bar with live music and entertainment, VIP bar and snug, and an outdoor heated terrace.
Mollie’s Motel will work with local artists to create bespoke artworks for the rooms and public spaces.
Bookings for Mollie’s Motel Manchester are now open HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
5th December 2024 
