The Lowry Hotel

The five-star Lowry Hotel is in Salford, just across the River Irwell from central Manchester. Although technically not in Manchester city, it is only a five-minute walk over the Trinity Bridge to the heart of Manchester city centre.

The Lowry, which is named after local artist LS Lowry, has 165 guest bedrooms which are among the largest hotel rooms of any big English city hotel, particularly for a hotel that isn’t run as an apartment hotel.

Hotel rooms are split between Deluxe and Superior King Rooms, Riverside Suites and the hyper-expensive Charles Forte Suite.

The spacious Deluxe King Rooms come with a big king-size bed plus a chaise longue, a work desk, a television with premium channels, ironing facilities, tea and coffee making facilities, a walk-in wardrobe and an en-suite bathroom (which includes a bidet). These rooms are 35m² (376 sq ft).

The Superior King Rooms have more or less the same features as the Deluxe King Rooms (both rooms are the same size) but with a better view and a slightly higher standard of in-room amenities.

At 70m² (753 sq ft), the Riverside Suites are the size of a spacious apartment and include separate bedroom and living areas, two televisions with premium channels, ironing facilities, a small kitchen with a fridge and coffee machines and an en-suite bathroom with a bidet and a separate shower.

The standard rooms can be reasonably affordable if you book during a quiet period, but steer clear of the Charles Forte Suite (also known as the Presidential Suite) which at £4,000 per night is the most expensive hotel room in Greater Manchester. However, this suite is a massive 145m² (1,561 sq ft) – almost twice the size of the average new home in the UK – and features a lounge/dining room with a baby grand piano and a dinner table that seats eight, a kitchen with an espresso machine, a massive bedroom with a king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom with both a bathtub and a double shower.

All rooms have big floor-to-ceiling windows that let in lots of daylight and offer great city views.

Guests have free Wi-Fi wireless internet access, both in their room and throughout the hotel. However, Wi-Fi is limited to 512MB and you have to pay extra for more data.

The hotel also has a restaurant and bar on the first floor as well as private dining rooms. While the River Restaurant is rather fancy, the menu is unpretentious and it has reasonably-priced three-course set menus for lunch and dinner (except on Saturday evenings). The Bar features a terrace overlooking the river, which is lovely on a sunny day.

The hotel also has a spa, a sauna and a gym; but unusual for a five-star hotel, The Lowry does not have a swimming pool.

It is a big modern hotel that has top quality amenities but lacks the charm of hotels in more historic buildings. It is a popular hotel with visiting celebrities and Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho chooses to live in a suite at the hotel rather than finding a permanent home in Manchester.

Although there is not much in the immediate vicinity on the Salford side of the river, it is only a two-minute walk across Trinity Bridge into central Manchester with loads of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes within a 10-minute walk of the hotel. It is a five-minute walk to Salford Central railway station and 15-minutes to Manchester Victoria railway station. Manchester Piccadilly is a 20-minute walk across the city.