Review of Jurys Inn, Manchester

Jurys Inn, Manchester

“But this isn’t Salford, it’s Manchester,” said one of the men in the bar I’d wondered into on Bloom Street. I showed him my phone with the details of the venue I was meant to be at in less than half an hour. Well, I’d obviously come to the wrong Bloom Street. But such is the overlapping proximity of these two cities, and the centrally-placed location of my base at Jurys Inn, that in twenty minutes, and with the help of some friendly Mancunians, I walked easily to Salford, to the other Bloom Street, which, it turned out, was close to the hotel.

Offering 265 bedrooms, all of which have ‘Dream’ beds, air conditioning, a flat screen TV, coffee and tea-making facilities (and in mine – and presumably the rest - a great hairdryer), the Jurys building is a large redbrick edifice that is completely in keeping with the architecture of the former mill district in which it is situated, on Great Bridgewater Street, just off Deansgate. Despite significant regeneration, there are still echoes of this once-industrial landscape on approach to the hotel, especially with the presence of one of Manchester’s most celebrated Victorian pubs, The Peveril of the Peak, its green tiled walls advertising the fact that it stands detached, marooned in a sea of modernity. Great Bridgewater Street was once home (on the Canal side) to Havelock Mills, built in 1820, noted for its silk and cotton production and controversially demolished while still a Grade II-listed building in 1992. Amidst all the new-build, traces of that industrial past persists in the area, giving it enormous charm and sense of authenticity.

Jurys itself has recently had a £2.9 million transformation and it shows. The décor within is subdued, restful, a little Zen with its dark wood, pale-green and urbane white palette, but totally suited to the busy city visitor. The digital registration and key system is wonderfully unfussy and easy to follow. My own room on the fourth floor welcomed me with a large chocolate muffin and white chocolate disc for which I was entirely grateful after my long trip from London. One of the most striking things about my stay here was the silence of this spacious room: no sound entered from above or below, or from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. I have to say that in this room I had one of the soundest night’s sleeps I’ve had in an age.

The breakfast buffet on the ground floor opens until 10.30am each morning and has a huge range of options including a variety of mueslis and granolas, the full Irish/English, organic coffee, Twinings tea etc. Lunch and dinner are available from the Oddsocks Bar and Kitchen, which also offers “In Room Dining” after 10pm if you happen to arrive back late.  I can vouch especially for the large breakfast bagels and loved the fresh watermelon water. In my short stay, I sensed that the objective in this new ultra-modern Jurys is to accommodate in a light-touch, unobtrusive manner, so that guests feel free and relaxed, more in charge of their experience. (Though the Irish staff-member at reception was more than happy to direct me to St Peter’s Square etc.) And with the music of Lisa Hannigan playing in the background at breakfast, I felt that for Irish visitors especially, Jurys Inn Manchester is very much a home from home.

Great Bridgewater Street is close to tram links at Deansgate-Castlefield and St. Peter’s Square and is minutes from the Manchester Coach Station, behind Portland Street, so is ideally placed in terms of public transport, though there are also car-parking facilities at the hotel for a discounted fee. Whether the purpose of your visit is for business (there are conference rooms available at the hotel), or to take in Old Trafford (less than two miles away), or to visit the BBC Media Centre in Salford or the wonderful Lowry building – or just to go shopping etc, Jurys Inn is conveniently situated. And if, like me, you find you get a little off-track, the friendly Mancunians will, I’m sure, help direct you to your destination. Rooms are from £90 for a standard double, which, in this chic and comfortable hotel, is fantastic value for money.

Details:

Jurys Inn Manchester

56 Great Bridgewater St, 

Manchester M1 5LE, UK

Phone: +44 161 953 8888