HOTEL of the week

VELVET HOTEL MANCHESTER

WHERE AND WHY Set on Canal Street in Manchester’s Gay Village district, this 19-bedroom boutique hotel is an ideal base from which to explore this great northern city.

From the new Home film and theatre complex in the heart of the city, to tasty Chinatown, trendy King Street or the buzzing Northern Quarter.

Our balcony king room had a wonderful urban loft feel, with exposed brickwork and bright colours. We loved the comfy bed with labelled soft and hard pillows, and fully stocked mini bar, while the sizeable balcony came with a heater. But the highlight was undoubtedly the enormous bath – big enough for two people to have a luxurious soak.

ON THE MENU Stylish restaurant, Mr White’s English Chophouse, which opened earlier this year in the hotel’s basement, is the brainchild of celeb chef Marco Pierre White.

So you can expect classic hearty fare such as 35-day aged steak (sirloin €29) and haddock with triple-cooked chips (€18). Starters ranged from pumpkin velouté (€8) to seared sea scallops with black pudding (€14).

And you can indulge in a cocktail or two in the Velvet Bar, which has resident DJS on weekends.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to shops, galleries, bars and restaurants in Manchester.

It’s worth browsing round Oxford Road’s award-winning Hatch (hatchmcr.com) where pop-up traders sell their wares in converted shipping containers.

In particular we loved the street food courtyard (try The Mac Shac’s delicious mac’n’cheese), Scandinavian jewellery treasure trove Nordic Muse, and make-up haven London Copyright Cosmetics.

And culture vultures can catch the Represent! Voices 100 Years On exhibition, which tells the history of suffrage at the People’s History Museum in Spinningfields (until February 3, free entrance, phm.org.uk).

WAKE-UP CALL

Double rooms from €110 per night. Continental breakfast from €4.50 and full English from €14. velvetmanchester.com VIKKI WHITE