BRINGING YOUR HOLIDAY IDEAS TO LIFE!
The Hyatt Hotel Manchester Marion takes tea in a taxi! The Millennium Bridge Salford Quays
Make time for a mini-break in Manchester
Marion Ainge samples classy cocktails and takes afternoon tea in a taxi!
Cutting edge with a cool vibe and classy cocktails, that's Three Little Words.
Within the heart of Manchester, this unique, award-winning venue nestles in the historic Grade II listed railway arches and is in Watson Street, just seconds away from Deansgate. A £1.5m renovation project transformed a derelict building into the smart, sassy setting it is today. Creative lighting gives a golden glow and on Feed the Soul Sundays, there's a live music buzz. The cocktail menu is crafted to mix the best spirits and liqueurs in unique concoctions, prepared with flair and served with love. Their food menu includes small plates, specials and a Sunday roast, which is one of the best ever. Do book well in advance at this popular venue.
In the adjoining state-of-the art Spirit of Manchester Gin Distillery, which produces around 250,000 bottles of gin every year, our £25pp hour-long tour begins with a mighty gin and tonic. Ste (sic) amuses and informs with the history and birth of the venue, distillation process and flavour profiles. We taste the three, gold award-winning, smooth, refined signature gins and four more, could have been five (who cares?). Gin connoisseurs choose their own botanicals and distil their own bottle to take home (2.5 hours £85).
TimeOut recently declared Manchester as the third best city in the world. It has developed from the world’s first industrial city to a multicultural, urban magnet. The city brims with inspiring architecture, art galleries, captivating museums, festivals, gastronomic dining and liberating outdoor spaces. RHS Bridgewater is the first new RHS garden in 17 years. Explore Manchester's rich legacy of innovations, discoveries and ideas which changed the world at the Science and Industry Museum. The town hall in Albert Square is considered one of the finest examples of Victorian, Neo-gothic architecture. It's believed that Mr Rolls and Mr Royce were introduced at the Midland Hotel in 1904. Music icons Oasis, Take That, The Smiths, Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses hail from Manchester. I’m a Celebrity … Jungle Challenge! takes campmates into the jungle to navigate fun-filled physical tasks.
The city is steeped in sporting glory and fierce competition. The reds and blues' stadia, Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, plus England's National Football Museum are here. Good food options flourish with great street food, markets, trendy bistros, wine bars, fine dining and Rusholme's curry mile with around 70 Indian restaurants. Manchester is also a shoppers' haven offering high street brands, department stores and independent boutiques.
It's easy to get around on foot or via the Metro but how about an 'Afternoon Tea in a Taxi Tour'. Award-winning taxi driver, John Consterdine, combines a city tour with afternoon tea. Jovial John is the only fully-qualified taxi tour guide in Manchester. Routes can be designed according to preference, eg music, sport, history, culture etc. We stop at Castlefield, filled with canal-front bars and green spaces. It's home to the Castlefield Bowl, an outdoor, waterfront venue which hosts rock and classical concerts and the ruined Roman fort of Mamucium (sic) from which the city takes its name.
We pass Media City where fans flock to the Corrie Street tour and top at Salford Quays, previously Manchester Docks, which became one of the UK's largest regeneration projects, now Greater Manchester's unique waterfront. The redevelopment of Salford Quays created a world-class business, cultural and residential area. We park, and across the water see the iconic Old Trafford football stadium. (City fans can request a tour to include the Etihad Stadium). In the back of his famous, black electric cab with panoramic roof, John sets up - table with tablecloth, flowery china, teapot with tea cosy and cake-stand to present the most delicious afternoon tea from Slattery's, Manchester's award-winning patissier and chocolatier. There's a variety of dainty sandwiches, mini pork pies and savoury pastries, scones with clotted cream and jam plus a selection of delightful cakes and fancies.
We're staying at the impressive, upscale Hyatt Regency, positioned on a peaceful square - it's away from the hubbub but within effortless access to the city centre and next door the Royal Northern College of Music. From my open bedroom window, I hear a tinkling piano practice. An inspired base for a mini-break, the hotel is spacious, contemporary and stylish but with added warmth and the service is first class - the atmosphere serene and friendly. Rooms are flooded with natural daylight offering city and university green views. They include free Wi-Fi, desks, smart tvs and heavenly bedding. We enjoy cocktails in the elegant, airy Graduate Bar and dinner in the Laureate Restaurant which serves a vibrant international cuisine and is named in homage to Manchester University's 25 Nobel prize-winners. A high-tech gym opens 24 hours-a-day. The adjoining Hyatt House apart-hotel offers studios and one-bedroom suites with lounges and fully-equipped kitchens. Residents can use all the Hyatt Regency's facilities.
It's well worth making time for a mini-trip to Manchester, the city which offers something for everyone and a warm welcome all year round.
Marion Ainge January 2022
Factfile
Hyatt Regency Manchester room from £85 per night; Hyatt House from £95 per night
