Hotels are opening in Manchester city centre at a rate that’s hard to keep up with, diversifying the overnight offering with every passing minute, and they’re also some of the very best in the UK.
We’ve got plenty of familiar boltholes if you can’t tear yourself away from the familiarity of a Premier Inn purple bedroom, or the reliable comforts of a Hilton, but also plenty of smaller names offering a stylish place to rest your head.
We’ve rounded up a dozen of the very best that Manchester has to offer – expect rooftop pools, riverside terraces, grand architecture and celebrity chefs.
And not all of them come with an eye-watering price tag…
If you want a hotel with loads of atmosphere as well as a grown-up space with a dark, moody interior, then Dakota is absolutely the one for you.
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This beautiful hotel opened back in 2019; a huge £30m black box on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter that has seen celebrity guests such as Hugh Jackman, Molly Mae-Hague, Mel B and many more.
Formerly Hotel Brooklyn – we all know Manchester has a habit of drawing comparisons to New York, albeit a smaller, soggier version, – voco Manchester still has all the glamour as was originally intended.
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The hotel first opened at the worst possible time, being thrust in and out of lockdowns within weeks of opening, but since then it’s attracted rave reviews and been named among the top 20 ‘hottest new hotels’ by Traveller’s Choice among many glowing reviews.
Even after being over by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) in December 2023, the 189-room hotel has taken on a new life, boasting the in-house Runyons Restaurant which still keeps those US connections, as well as an open-plan lobby lounge featuring a big screen for live sport and entertainment.
It may be different from what it was but there’s still plenty of style to be seen here.
Just across the border into Salford is The Lowry Hotel, and a big, sweeping curve of pure class sticking out above the river. It’s got a global reputation and it’s no surprise when its guestbook features some of the biggest celebrities of all time.
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Remember when Taylor Swift rented out the entire place, or Jose Mourinho decided to just live there, rather than find an apartment, during his time as Manchester United manager? Not to mention Britney Spears, David Beckham, Rihanna, Take That, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and countless others.
Having undergone a £5m bedroom refurb, The Lowry has one of the smartest and brightest interiors in the north of England, one of the region’s most expensive hotel rooms (a casual £4,500 a night for the presidential suite), as well as a super high-tech spa. We also enjoy just heading there for the Lowry bottomless brunch, to be honest.
The Kimpton Clocktower – previously known as the Palace and Principal Hotel, among multiple other monikers – oozes timeless sophistication, a relic of Victorian grandeur but with a boutique hotel feel to it.
The lobby is one of the most impressive spaces in Greater Manchester, all polished tile and marble beneath a glass-domed ceiling, setting the scene for the rooms themselves (high ceilings, big windows, and plenty of historical details).
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Another big plus when it comes to the Kimpton is its in-house bar and restaurant: The Refuge, which is a cut above the average hotel offering and is very much its own entity with a reputation for fabulous late-night and seasonal events, a divine bottomless brunch and plenty of other distinct draws.
The lobby at Kimpton ClocktowerOne of their many stylish roomsCredit: Kimpton/The Manc Group
5. The Midland
If only walls could talk, The Midland Hotel would have some of the best stories on Earth.
The landmark hotel has been part of the fabric of Manchester for more than 100 years, with 312 luxurious rooms, and it’s storied that it’s where Charles Rolls and Henry Royce (of Rolls Royce fame) were introduced.
Then there are the communal spaces, even fancier now after their £14m refurbishment, including restaurants Adam Reid at The French and Mount Street Dining Room, and the incredible circular champagne bar in the middle of the lobby.
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It’s also the place to come for a traditional afternoon tea and has a truly cracking spa. This place doesn’t need any kind of sale pitch: it’s unquestionably one of the best hotels in Manchester – if not the best.
The curb appeal of Whitworth Locke is something else, from its decadent bar housed in a Parisian-style conservatory and fine culinary offerings (Peru Perdu and a Foundation Coffee House are both in here), to its incredible location right on the edge of the Gay Village.
Each of the rooms is a self-contained haven, from studio apartments all the way up to two-bedroom duplex suites, decorated in a Pinterest-worthy palette of greens and pinks (a muted sample of the terracotta bricks outside).
There’s a free workspace area that spills into a truly stunning conservatory bar, as well as a packed calendar of events too, so whether you’re an out-of-town guest or a local Manc looking to fill a few hours, you’ll be kept busy enough.
Safe to say we’re big fans of this much-loved Manchester hotel.
7. King Street Townhouse
You have, almost without a doubt, seen photos of the King Street Townhouse before – this is the hotel that introduced the infinity pool to the city centre, with views of the Town Hall (well, currently of scaffolding).
The hotel has its own cinema room, a rooftop terrace bar, a new gym, and incredible afternoon teas.
The smart rooms range in size from ‘snug’ to ‘cosy’ to ‘comfy’ to suites, with suites priced at around £430 a night.
From afternoon tea and lunch deals to spa offers, big group events, private screening and so much more, King St Townhouse isn’t just one of the best hotels in Manchester, it’s also one of the most well-rounded in terms of its overall hospitality.
One of the newest hotels to open in Manchester (and they are popping up like daisies) is The Alan, which has stripped the old Princess Street Hotel back to expose and celebrate its original features.
There are 137 bedrooms, each with high ceilings and warm textures, an open-plan kitchen, a restaurant and bar, as well as event spaces.
The devil is in the detail here and the design has been carefully thought-out. The floor is made from a collage of discarded marble, and the dried flowers illuminated beneath the bar were actually foraged by the hotel’s owners at the time they secured plans for The Alan… while they were broken down on the side of the motorway.
It’s gone on to become comfortably one of the best luxury hotels in Manchester since it opened in 2022.
9. Stock Exchange Hotel
Famous names absolutely litter Stock Exchange Hotel, which is easily one of the grandest spaces in all of Greater Manchester.
Not only does it come from Gary Neville’s rapidly-booking hospitality empire, but it’s also backed by world-famous hotelier Winston Zahra, not to mention high-profile chefs and hospitality figures like Tom Kerridge and The Schofield Brothers having run the kitchen.
You could be looking at as much as £1500 for a night in the suites, but the rooms start at a much lower rate – and then there’s ‘The House’, an enormous fully serviced, ultra-exclusive penthouse apartment with its own roof terrace.
The newest addition to Manchester’s ever-growing hotel and resort sector, The Reach has landed just a short walk from Piccadilly Station and is only a few minutes away from the bustling Northern Quarter, meaning that like Dakota, it’s picked a prime logistical and cultural location.
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But enough about topographical perks, this place is simply sublime, serving exquisite food and drink from its Lock 84 restaurant overlooking the Rochdale Canal, with rooms that are just as spacious as they are luxurious.
Perfect for business or pleasure, The Reach is already becoming a popular choice for those visiting Manchester and has comfortably landed itself on the list of the very best hotels we have to offer here in the city centre.
The very best Chinatown restaurants in Manchester
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester as a whole is lucky enough to be spoiled by umpteenth excellent Chinese restaurants, let alone the best of the best in Chinatown.
We also have it on good authority that the North of England has some of the best Pan-Asian restaurants in all of the UK, and if that is the case, then we’ll absolutely lay claim to Manchester being the frontrunner of the lot.
That being said, there’s such sheer variety when it comes to the hospitality heritage that comes out of China and the surrounding territories alone, and we’ve got one condensed melting pot celebrating it all and much more right here in the city centre.
Without further ado, in our opinion, here is some of the very best food you’ll find in Chinatown…
11 top of the best places to eat in Manchester’s Chinatown
1. Dragon Oriental – Hong Kong
First up, we’re winging our way to Dragon Oriental, which does some of the best Hong Kong-style scran in town. The baked Portuguese rice (a HK classic) is one of the best recipes we’ve found, their shared starter platters are perfect for lunch, and soups for £6.50 is one of the best offers around.
This was the first place we ever tried proper eel and traditionally prepared jellyfish; they also happen to find themselves on our best breakfasts in Manchester listicle, so if you’ve never done brunch the Hong Kong way, then we urge you to give it a try, even if only for that fantastic twist on French roast alone.
Just across the road in Chinatown, Kung Fu Noodle is still a relatively recent addition to the area, but it didn’t take long for it to leave an impression and generate queues lining up around the block – and let us tell you, it’s always well worth the wait.
Believe it or not, this place shines for exactly the thing you think it does: the noodles. Be it their signature hand-pulled type with that lovely thick and chewy texture, Shanxi knife-cut noodle soups, or the hot oil-splashed Biang Biang ones, you won’t find many better places mastering this kind of carb.
Let’s start pulling in some Pan-Asia, shall we? You simply cannot write about the best places in Chinatown without hailing one of the GOATs: Pho Cue. Amusingly monikered and impressively authentic, this subterranean Viet cafe is packed every dinner hour and very much lives up to the hype.
Be it their famous bahn mi lineup, come midday, their summer rolls, anything salt and pepper, or the bowls of broth themselves, you really can’t go wrong here. They often add new things to the menu, like iced coffees and their ever-rotating Sunday specials (which always sell out) – you just HAVE to visit here.
In at number four, we couldn’t go any longer before shouting out the legendary Happy Seasons, which is essentially a Manchester institution at this point, loved by ex-pats, Mancs, tourists and beyond. Beloved for banqueting and its stellar set menus, there is SO much variety here.
We’d be hard-pressed to pick a favourite from the hundreds of options available, but if we were pushed, we recommend any of their roast meat selections – just get the full trio and thank us later – and the beef ho/chow fun is always a popular choice. To be honest, we’d eat pretty anything at this place.
5. Try Thai – Thai
Turning to Thailand now, this could be a whole round-up in itself, but we will confidently state that the best Thai restaurant in Manchester city centre’s Chinatown, for our money, is the wonderful Try Thai.
A ‘BYOB’ gaff that keeps its prices affordable and portion sizes plentiful to boot, we had a period of life where we went here every single matchday for about three months at one point. Our go-to order? Pineapple fried rice, the jungle curry if we were ever feeling brave, and trademark mango crispy seabass.
Crossing the halfway mark, we’re shifting our focus to Szechuan scran, specifically, and the superb Noodle Alley that has carved out an impressive reputation within the highly saturated foodie strip that has Faulkner Street.
Much like the aforementioned Kung Fu’s maiden Manc venue, this fellow basement blends the Sichuan cuisine with that hailing from Guangzhou/’Canton’ and the wider Guangdong province. This husband and wife couple behind this venue deserve heaps of praise all of their own right, so we happily obliged.
Swapping mainland China for Japanese food, Wazuzhi – formerly known as Wasabi – is another firm fave among locals and day-trippers alike.
Known not just for great sushi and lunchtime deals, some very solid ramen, and arguably some of the best ice cream in Manchester (shaved ice, technically, but still). It also happens to be ‘r Kris’ happy place during most work breaks, so it has to be on this list.
Once again, part of the beauty behind the best Chinese cooking is how many different regional variations there are as you move up and down the vast and equally gastro-obsessed nation, two key ones being the familiar Cantonese fare and the somewhat lesser-celebrated food from Hunan.
Also referred to as Xiang cuisine, these dishes ramp up the amount of chilli, garlic and shallots as opposed to, say, the famous numbing spice qualities of Szechuan peppercorns. Flying the flag for the province here in Manchester, they served everyone from generations of migrants to Oasis and more.
9. Kaya – Malaysian
Moving over to Malaysia now, we’re fortunate enough to have eaten at Kaya multiple times over recent years and every time we think of this country, we first think of its food, and then we think of Kaya.
There may be some places serving classic Malay dishes in and around central Manchester, but we don’t know any that celebrate this particular culinary corner of the world as well as this lot. The nasi lemak and beef rendang are incredible, as is their version of butter chicken. So unbelievably underrated.
Sometimes we crave nothing but the roti section with all that dhal and dip. (Credit: The Manc)
10. Mei Dim – Dim sum
Penultimately, we’re taking you to Mei Dim for some top-notch dim sum and then some, because you’ll struggle to find many places in Greater Manchester that do a dumpling feast quite like you’ll find at this second-to-last spot.
Our advice is to come with an empty belly, because you always end up eating more pieces than you intend to, and obviously, you want room for all the other stuff besides just the little doughy delights and buns – the sweet ones aren’t bad, either.
Jumping over to Japan for one last Chinatown visit, Yuzu stand outs as one of the most unique and refined spots in the entire neighbourhood, not only setting itself apart from the wealth of Chinese food but bringing a little taste of Japanese fine dining to the delicious half a square mile.
Named after the supreme overload of all citrus, it’s rather fitting that it celebrates the strongest fruit of the bunch, because all they thrive when it comes to small plates, the flavours here are as BIG as they get.
@the.manc If you love Japanese small plates just as much as we do, then you absolutely need to get yourselves down to @Yuzu Manchester ♬ I got to summer – noxz
And that should just about do it for our round-up of the best restaurants in Chinatown, be that Manchester staples or the newer names pushing its food, drink and dining scene in new directions.
It’s also worth noting that Chinatown MCR isn’t just our dedicated cultural district; it’s the second biggest after London here in the UK and the third-largest in all of Europe, in fact.
That being said, there’s lots to get to grips with besides just the eats, so you’ll be glad to know we’ve put together a helpful overview for you, too.
Find out what else there is to be enjoyed down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Pranavian (via Flickr)
Travel & Tourism
Major ‘plan ahead’ travel warning issued for this weekend ahead of Great Manchester Run
Emily Sergeant
A major ‘plan ahead’ warning has been issued for Manchester this weekend.
Heading into the city centre this weekend? Yeah… you and everyone else by the sounds of it, as Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is encouraging people to plan their journeys ahead of time as tens of thousands of people take to the streets for the 2026 AJ Bell Great Manchester Run this Sunday (31 May), whether they are taking part in it or just cheering the runners on.
Runners will either take on a 10K route through Salford, Trafford, and Manchester city centre, or tackle a half marathon route – which stretches further east, while passing some of Manchester’s most iconic landmarks.
Both events start on Portland Street, near the junction with Oxford Street, and finish on Manchester’s main thoroughfare, Deansgate.
A major ‘plan ahead’ travel warning has been issued for this weekend / Credit: Supplied | Janus Boye
TfGM is advising anyone travelling on the day to allow extra time for their journeys and to check before they travel, as there will be a significant number of road closures and extensive bus diversions in place throughout race day.
Road users are being particularly encouraged to check the route and closures in advance, while bus passengers should check whether their services are impacted or diverted.
Trams are being billed as ‘the best way to travel on the day’.
Extra staff will be deployed across the Bee Network, particularly at the busiest stops, and more double-trams are set to be in service.
The 2026 AJ Bell Great Manchester Run is taking place this Sunday / Credit: Supplied
TfGM says it will be working alongside its partners – including Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the bus and tram operators – to monitor and respond to situations as they happen, and will also be working with local authority highways teams to get road restrictions lifted as soon as possible to help minimise any delays for the wider public.
“The Great Manchester Run is always one of the highlights of the city’s events calendar, bringing a fantastic festival atmosphere to the streets of Manchester, Trafford, and Salford,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is the Chief Network Officer.
“With tens of thousands of people expected to travel into the city region it will undoubtedly be a very busy day.
“We want to make sure everyone can take part in or enjoy the event, which is why we encourage people to plan ahead, allow extra time for their journey and check the latest travel information before setting off.”
For live travel updates on race day, head to the TfGM dedicated webpage here.
Daisy Jackson -
9th November 2024 
