Fingland coaches are just as good as any other bus service in Manchester (bar Stagecoach who charge…read morepremium rate) and is by far the cheapest. It's definatly a cheap, quick and generally hassle free way to get around manchester.

For students who mostly have a Stagecoach/Magic bus pass, these things are hated in the university…read morefraternity. However, they usually turn up whenever you don't need one especially on nights out. Perfectly comfortable buses but sometimes an old-fashioned fleet does turn up, definitely not as regular as the Stagecoach buses and primarily work on Oxford Road and never further than that. Hop on, hop off. Simple!

Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink is one of the most used stations on the Manchester Metrolink Station,…read moreit opened in 1992 before being rebuilt in 2009. It consists of a single island platform with services mostly running every 12 minutes on key routes. It's pretty much your bog standard tram platform, there are some backrests and seating while waiting for your tram, and some shelter, although on days with heavy rain and wind, it won't do much at all. Each side of the platform has ramped access and stairs making it easy to get in and out of, it's also facing Piccadilly Gardens bus station and City Tower, making it easy to continue on your journey. Ticket machines are available on the platform, but it's easier just to tap in and out with contactless nowadays, where the fares are now capped. It's a very busy interchange, so can get very crowded on the platforms, one thing I think isn't well thought out at the Metrolink stops in the city centre is that people just stand in the way, which makes it difficult if you're rushing for a tram, or trying to get off, there isn't really anywhere to go. Due to the central location, Piccadilly Gardens is on multiple lines and serves trams to Altrincham, Ashton Under-Lyne (via Piccadilly Station and Etihad Campus), Bury (via Victoria Station), Eccles (via Media City) and other part-route variations of the above. 3* - Bog standard tram stop, right in the heart of the city centre. It isn't somewhere you'd want to spend too long and can be uncomfortable at peak times, but with trams coming every couple of minutes, you shouldn't need to be there long.

Piccadilly Gardens acts as a busy interchange for buses and trams in and out of the city. You can…read morepretty much get a tram or bus to anywhere from here. So if you're in town and need to get out, Piccadilly Gardens will probably have a bus or tram going to somewhere at least vaguely near you. With the high volume of traffic going through, things can get pretty hectic down there, so make sure you're looking both ways when you're crossing the street and finding which stop is yours. It seems as if buses and trams are coming from all directions! If you're getting a bus up from Fallowfield on an evening, chances are you'll be sharing the bus with loads of pissed-up students on their way to some club. When you finally arrive in Piccadilly Gardens, they'll barge past you to get out of the bus and then they'll literally run as fast as they can to the nearest doorway or corner to empty their bladder. Lovely.

Market Street Metrolink is located right at the top of Market Street, in Manchester city centre, it…read moreis opposite Primark and is one of the busiest stops on the network as a whole. If you're heading to the Manchester Arndale, Piccadilly Gardens and many attractions/events in the city centre, this stop could be handy for you. It is on the yellow, green and dark blue lines meaning trams from here go to Piccadilly, Altrincham, Manchester Airport and Bury (via Victoria). As with all stations on the Metrolink network, this stop is step-free. You are able to use ramped access on both sides of the platform, although there is the option of taking a couple of steps too if you're in a hurry. The station isn't too exciting - it does have adequate shelter for the regular rainy days we have in Manchester, as well as a couple of seats, it generally isn't a place you're going to spend too much time due to the regular services from here. While the station isn't staffed 24-7, at peak times and whenever there are maintenance works at the station or on the network as a whole, you can expect staff members on the platform to offer assistance. 4*

The Metrolink tram system covers a good part of Greater Manchester (from Bury to Altrincham and…read moreManchester Piccadilly to Eccles). When making an onward connection at Manchester Piccadilly, it's clearly sign-posted, simple and speedy to find. The maps on the platform are easy-to-follow. On-site machines permit you to get your ticket just before you board (although you might need to allow a little extra time for this). Trams run very regularly, around every 12 minutes. Once on-board, the large windows are a boon - even in the rain - as they give you a good perspective on Manchester's diverse offering - from the impressive new super-modern developments to the canalside, former mill areas and historic buildings.

We needed a place to stay for just one night as we were heading to the airport the next morning…read more The location of this Travelodge suited us well because it is short walk to to the train station. The only way to get inside the hotel is either with a room card or get buzzed in by reception. We arrived 1.5 hours early (before the official checkin time of 3 p.m.) and tried to get buzzed in. It took awhile but someone finally did buzz us in. Of all the seven hotels we stayed at during our long trip, this was the first one that told us we would need to pay if we wanted access to the room. We only had 1.5 hours to wait so we went to a nearby Costa Coffee so that I could access WiFi in order to check into our flight. We went back after 3 p.m. only to wait for someone to be available to buzz us in again. When we were, there was no one at reception. Someone finally came out to check us in and we noticed she wasn't wearing a face mask despite signs in the hotel requiring everyone to mask up. We got our key card and went to our room. Upon entering, my daughter said, "I've stayed in much nicer hostels than this place!" Very strange and cheap room set-up. I realize this is a budget hotel but we stayed at a budget hotel the two previous nights in Glasgow, paid nearly half of what we paid here, and it was loads better! And that one came with a free, delicious breakfast! Here, we paid for our breakfast and for the spotty WiFi. Breakfast was not good. There were two lovely, unmasked, older ladies working there but breakfast was lacking in every way. The hot items were looking very sad but I decided to try the potatoes, which ended up tasting of freezer burn. I also took a packaged yogurt and a packaged croissant - not fresh. If you stay here, do NOT get the breakfast! There are many places nearby that offer inexpensive, freshly made breakfasts. Other problems with our stay include a poor shower situation. While the water pressure was very strong, the shower curtain was not magnetized to stick to the tub. This meant that there was a vacuum created when you turned on the shower, the curtain billowed inside the tub (sticking to me instead) and water escaped onto the bathroom floor. Additionally, when we finally turned off the lights to go to sleep, it suddenly felt like a disco in our room with a light flashing on and off. It turned out to be the radiator flashing an error message. There was no way to turn it off so I had to put something over it so we could sleep. I would not stay here again.

Warning: don't book your accommodation while you're drunk... we only meant to visit Manchester for…read moretwo nights but due to my inability to compute after two glasses of wine, we ended up visiting for three. First up, I'll focus on the positive. This hotel is in a great location, right on the Northern Quarter and pretty central. It's a new-ish building and check-in was straightforward. We actually to check-in twice due to my drunken booking antics above, and every staff member we encountered did their job well... if not a little robotic. Our room was on the 2nd floor at the back of the building. As the UK was in the midst of UK Heatwave 2015, this was actually a blessing as the room was pretty cool when we arrived. The windows didn't open which was massively annoying. The rooms are the definition of basic - bed, desk, one chair, TV, bottle opener attached to the desk. There wasn't even bedside tables. The bathroom is fine as well although it reminded me of an airplane loo. The downsides? The noise. Each night we could hear doors slamming through the night, and on the Friday night the people next to us were partying at all hours. I called reception who sorted it out but by that time I was pretty pissed off so didn't really get any sleep that night. When we complained in person at reception in the morning, she said she couldn't leave them a note asking them to be quiet the following night in case they got offended. I thought that was a pretty lame response. There is a bouncer on the door at night as well. This really made me wonder what kind of trouble normally goes on in this hotel! We had a nap on the Saturday afternoon in our room to make up for lack of sleep and again, it was really noisy with the cleaning staff shouting to each other. We ended up going to Boots to get earplugs to make sure we got a better sleep. Wifi is only free for 30 minutes, then you have to pay. In 2015. Are you kidding me?! The other downside? There's no car parking. On their website they recommend two car parks - one of which is £18 a day! Ha! We ended up parking off Ducie Street which was about a 10 minute walk to the hotel. That car park was £8 a day. You really do get what you pay for. For three nights we paid £154 which is a really great price, but I just can't see myself staying at a Travelodge again.

I made a terrible mistake booking here, it was cheaper than other hotels but impossible to sleep…read morehere due to excessive heat. The room was actually dangerous with the power socket hanging off the wall with wires exposed behind it. I saw reception and all they could say is a fan is inside the wardrobe. Fan was noisy. Bathroom was from 1970s. Never again however cheap, two nights here and I'd have been sick.

Such a bad hotel! The room was super outdated and the bed didn't even have a fitted sheet! I pulled…read moreback the covers and there as just a mattress pad on the mattress. So gross! The sink took forever to drain and the place just felt like it was unclean in a way...also the walls are super thin I could hear people talking/watching TV when I was getting to my room. Lastly they make you PAY FOR WI-FI IN YOUR ROOM!! I've literally never stayed in a hotel that you had to pay for Wi-Fi in your room.

Stayed in this hotel in Feb 2010. Rooms were more luxurious than expected! For all you ladies out…read morethere - there's a pair of GHDs in every room! Freebies on arrival too! The service was impeccable and the stay was well worth the visit. Nice and easy to access from the train station and motorways. The best hotel I've stayed in for years!

Completely agree with previous reviewer Sara at Anne Summers; this hotel is excellent value for…read morespacious, modern, clean and well appointed rooms with all mod cons (including a pair of GHDs, whatever they are, for the ladies according to Sara daren't think). Friendly helpful and efficient staff and check in. Free Wi-Fi in lounge area and free cabled internet access in the rooms. Really nice full breakfast, even choice of hot porridge (plain with no sugar, just right), wide selection of fresh fruits, juices, cold buffet and of course full English from the self service trays. (Self service can sometimes be dried out, tired but not here all freshly cooked and topped up constantly with piping hot replacements including delicious black pudding, herb sausages and succulent portobello mushrooms. You won't need another meal for a week after that lot.) Tumble out of the back entrance of Manchester Piccadilly railway station, across the road and under the bridge, there it is, couldn't be closer to scuttle through the Manchester rain excellent, highly recommended.

We booked a budget hotel in the center of Manchester for ease. Coincedently, it ended up being…read moreright next to my husband's old place of work! There's a few Ibis hotels on the same block; this is a new one! Right when we walked into the hotel lobby, I blown away by how cool it is inside! I loved the decor. It is the "Styles" location after all, but it's completely tailored to Manchester and its weather. There's dozens of umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. The door handle to enter the hotel is a silver rain boot! There was a desk in our room and its table leg was a bright orange umbrella! There was a big wall-size mural in our room of a man and and small child being blow away in the wind and rain! I loved all these details. It's pretty funny since Manchester is always gray and rainy. The room was a decent size and the bathroom was nice too. Breakfast is included too, which featured boiled eggs, pastries, toast, cereals, yogurt, ham, tomatoes and cucumbers, plus coffee and teas. Our room rate was great, this location is ideal (in the center of Manchester and not far from the train station), our room was clean, and the hotel offers free Wifi and free breakfast, plus it has a cool style. I'd definitely stay here again!

The greatest reason for the poor review is the cleanliness, or lack thereof that we experienced…read moreduring our stay. We were exhausted and only staying for one evening or I would've requested a room change if possible. I was told this is a budget hotel chain, so I wasn't expecting anyone to roll out a red carpet - fair enough if the place isn't brand new and is a bit dated but I do expect a level of cleanliness at any hotel I stay, budget or not. The corners of the room in particular were very dusty, an easy fix if you ask me? The bathroom however was the absolute worst- there was black mold all over the corners, tiles, and ceiling of the shower- how someone cleaning this room could completely disregard and ignore this is beyond me, it is nothing that a little bleach couldn't fix. The staff we encountered was friendly, but given the room being so filthy I would highly discourage anyone considering from booking here!

Imagine this: You just spent your first night in London in the nastiest hostel ever. Your room was…read moredirty and falling apart, the bathrooms smelled disgusting and had no hot water, the staff were rude, and your bed was hard as a rock and sported probably-unwashed sheets. After a cold shower in the morning, you hop a train to Manchester and check into the hostel you've booked for the night. It's is a quick walk from the train station, and you find the lobby gleaming and staffed by smiling people. They invite you to use the common area kitchen anytime, day or night, and encourage you to help yourself to free tea and toast. They also give you tips about the coolest places in the city to check out. When they show you to your room, you find that it's spotless, and the bed is actually kinda comfy. The en suite facilities are also gleaming, AND there's hot water! Have you suddenly arrived in Heaven?! Nope, just a place called Hilton Chambers. I would definitely stay here again, and would recommend it to anyone visiting Manchester!

All rigth, this is mi first review, what can I say? Mmm the Hilton Chambers it's part of the…read moreHatters hostels, this is a really central place for stay, the staff are really kind, at the moment that we arrived they immediately offers us a cup of tea or coffe in the kitchen. The other nice thing it's that they have free toast at every time. My boyfriend and I arrived on Friday so the price of the room was £70 it's expensive, but we are only going to stay for 2 nights and we really want a place close to the center. The bedroom it's very spacious, and the bathroom really really big! The beds are amazing, really comfortable. For a southamerican couple this is an awesome place the only "but" is the price!!!

This was a handy spot for an overnight stay in Manchester. It's super close to Piccadilly and check…read morein was straightforward. My room was a standard room, the bed was huge and generally the room was nicely decorated. It did seem a little tired though and slightly worn in parts - the desk had a weird stickiness to it on the edge which was a bit off putting. The bathroom though was spotless and the bath totally sparkled. I ordered room service which was easy and arrived within about 20 minutes. The food was excellent which was good to see as I've had the Mal Burger in Glasgow and this one was just as good. It has relish with it that is crazy delicious, it tastes a little like McDonalds sauce but in a good way, if that's possible. They get an extra star just for that. Overnight the bed was comfy, good amount of pillows and a warm doona (duvet). Downside was that there seemed to be quite a lot of doors opening/closing in the hall which I found disruptive even though I normally sleep through everything. Breakfast was good but I only had time to sample the continental. I'm not sure I'd book to stay here again when I return to Manchester as it didn't have much to it to entice me back but it was pleasant enough for my overnight stay.

It's hard to think of a better hotel to stay at while visiting Manchester. The Malmaison is part of…read morea 13 strong chain that has hotels sited in large UK cities. The Manchester branch is situated about three minutes from the Piccadilly Station and very convenient to all major transportation in the area. The hotel's bones come from a 1851 era building that served as a factory and warehouse. They've added on a modern wing to the building, and other than the lovely street facade you'll be hard pressed to find original details. None the less, the interior does not disappoint, with heavy usage of strong grey, black, and purple colors in the rooms and hallways. It's a thoroughly modern palette that feels posh, not stripped down. Brittany A. and I checked in after arriving on a busy Sunday afternoon. The proximity to Piccadilly Station makes it an attractive location, especially since we were lugging an extra large suitcase and dog in tow. Check in was fast, however they are sticklers for a 3PM check in time. We showed up at 2:50PM and had to wait ten minutes for our room to be ready. No worries though, the staff took our luggage for room delivery while we enjoyed coffee from the attached Starbucks. The hotel is dog friendly, although they don't go out of their way to advertise the fact. We paid £10 extra for our one night, and a large dog bed and bowl was awaiting our pooch in the room. Our digs were a large corner room on the fourth floor (there are five total). It featured a large king sized bed, desk and chair, two large lounge chairs, a 40 inch LED television, large closet with a refrigerator, and a bathroom with both tub and a walk-in shower with rain-shower head. The bed is a major highlight. The mattress is a Sealy, firm but comfortable, and the linens and duvet felt brand new. I could have used a couple of extra pillows though. I had one of the best nights sleep in awhile on the bed, and I could see myself coming back just for that reason. A minor complaint of the room is the lighting. Coupled with the setback of the sink, it was quite difficult to shave properly in the morning. Check out is generously at noon, giving you enough time to pop downstairs for breakfast and get ready at a nice pace. Our room package (a steal at £105) included two glasses of prosecco from the lobby bar and continental breakfast. The muesli with fresh fruit and granola is a real standout at breakfast. The coffee is weak for my tastes, but at least the Starbucks is a few steps away. I haven't felt this pampered since staying at the Mondrian in London, and at such a bargain, you'll have more pounds to enjoy in Manchester. Overall I can't recommend the Malmaison Manchester enough. It has character and charm (check out the canal running underneath), and a high level of service that will make you feel well treated.

I booked a really cheap deal at the Gardens Hotel in Manchester for a Christmas Shopping Trip. I…read morewas able to get a Double Room for the bargain price of £13 with a Discount voucher when I registered with a well known hotels website. Because it was only £13 my expectations of this 3* Hotel were not high, if I had of paid the full asking price £45 per night I may have been a little dissapointed. For me Location was the top priority and being located opposite Piccadilly Gardens was a bonus, less to walk when carrying all those Primark bags! Which incidently is only approx 150 yards away from the hotel entrance (another added bonus! well for me anyway!) The hotel itself was a little run down and rough around the edges. Whilst the Bedrooms were very spacious, the decor was dated and in need of some TLC. The Bed was rock hard, not even the hint of a bounce! The Beside Light Shades were burnt inside which looked like a bit of a Safety Hazard! The Bathroom, again big, was dirty and stained. However the staff were very friendly and helpful and always at hand if you needed anything. Although Breakfast was included in the price we decided against it and opted for Subway next door! If your going to this hotel, dont go with high expectations, its a place to lay your head and not much else but for location it gets 10/10.

I'm so glad that Manchester is now doing what London has done with its old buildings in the city…read morecentre. This was a great place to crash. I felt I was in an international chain-quality hotel instead of a budget hotel. And this was super budget! It looks as if it was updated within a year. My room was clean, bright, nothing old and tatty like many of the London hotels now. I thought it was going to be loud with my room facing Piccadilly Gardens and single-pane windows. But it wasn't loud after midnight. Though, the hotel would do well to incorporate secondary glazing. On my way to check out, someone was smoking in their room. Maybe "budget" attracts people who are going to disregard the rules! Reception appreciated my reporting of it. I would stay again.