The Light hotel is a unique place to stay in Manchester. It’s a boutique aparthotel that builds high hopes with slick marketing, sales-speak and advertising, but it pulls it off. It’s a great place to stay, and a place that other boutique hotels should look to for inspiration.
Let’s be honest, if you’re going to build a hotel designed by Conran, you know you’re in for something special.
The tower itself is in the centre of Manchester, being about as close as anyone would want to be to the very heart of the city. It’s right by the Arndale Shopping Centre and The Northern Quarter.
It has its own underground car park, which is unusual for a city hotel, but when you count Simon Cowell, and a handful of footballers as your clientele, you wouldn’t want their Bentleys and Ferraris getting dirty would you?
First up are the rooms. These are hotel rooms with a twist. Each is modern, self-contained apartment which can be rented for months at a time. The smallest is a Studio, which is £99 per night, then one and two bedroom apartments, then the penthouse. These are £550 a night, and are the epitome of luxury apartment living.
Each room we viewed was clean, modern and well appointed. The kitchens were immaculately clean and contained Bosch equipment, a great start. We had a penthouse, which meant 3,000 square feet of room to play with. To say the apartment was spacious was an understatement!
There was an extra space next door, which mean if we were having a party, the wall folded back to give us another 1,500 square feet. Parties are well catered for here. There is a chef who can cook in your apartment for you. Either a romantic meal or a party.
There is also a mixologist who can mix drinks in the apartment too. Not someone who works for the hotel who can spin a cocktail, a proper bona fide mixologist who can create almost any drink you can think of. These are excellent perks, and show the company’s dedication to providing everything their guests might need.
The Penthouse had two spacious bedrooms, both with decent sized beds. There was a roof terrace with a hot tub and barbecue. It overlooked Manchester city centre, which was a real bonus. As we were in the middle of everything we could see the city at its best.
The living accommodation was great. All the gadgets were new, high tech and high quality. The bathroom was immaculate, with products, towels and everything you need. The kitchen had all the kit, the utensils, appliances, pretty much everything you could want.
White walls, wooden flooring and high specification fittings throughout. While these alone don’t make a boutique experience, they work well with the other points to make a real modern, homely feel.
You get a complimentary hamper for your stay, which includes bread, butter, jams, fresh orange juice, cereals, milk. Tea and coffee are also provided in the apartments along with all the glasses, bowls, plates and cutlery.
The bed was very comfortable. The quilt large and heavy but gorgeously warm. The pillows were soft and all the bed linen was sparkling clean. It really was a great place to stay. We didn’t see anyone famous, but did feel like movie stars ourselves while we were there.
The staff were friendly and helpful. The porters know the area, what takeaways are any good, and which to avoid. Reception was fast and efficient, and housekeeping performed admirably.
For those who like the finer things, the hotel also has a spa, a fully-equipped gym, meeting rooms, event catering and deals with all the local nightspots, even the MEN arena!
For visitors to the city who want to stay somewhere special, the Light is a great place. It makes you feel important, valued and comfortable. It’s well insulated, we didn’t hear anyone, there’s plenty of space, and once you’ve parked your car, you can walk anywhere in the city.
The Bill: £600 per night
