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Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter

Boutique hotel in central Manchester – Great John Street Hotel

January 20, 2011
By olivia

You’d be a real dunce not to consider this  former school, now a boutique hotel, if you want somewhere comfortable and different in which to stay in central Manchester.

 

Fashioned from a Victorian school building, it has only 30 rooms, the temptation to cram in as many as possible being resisted.  Artfully retaining some of the associations with its previous use, such as framed original old school class photos on the walls, chunky old-style radiators and sash windows, and retention of some of the signs like “boys’ staircase”, makes for a unique and rather special place to stay.

 

A feature of the hotel is a heated roof terrace with views of the Coronation Street set, for Corrie fans and a good view of Manchester for the rest of us.

 

The lounge bar has comfy sofas and reading lights; on the upstairs mezzanine is the pretty breakfast bar with daily newspapers. The Continental choice offers almost everything you could image apart from full English:  buffet options might include fresh strawberries, just-baked pastries, cold meats and cheeses, fresh juices, hot toast, decent tea and coffee plus a couple of hot options from the kitchen.

 

Taking advantage of the tall ceilings, the design cleverly incorporates a mezzanine floor for most of the bedrooms, affording space for the bathroom or shower room.  There are five grades of room, all named “grand” with the best two suites being particularly sumptuous and the ones that are snapped up first.

 

One of the “eclectic grand” rooms has as a commanding centrepiece a magnificent French rococo style carved king-sized bed with large chaise longues at the foot, a crystal chandelier, sumptuous floor to ceiling curtains in deep burgundy, the colour of which is picked up in the lightshade, chair and cushions and a distinctive roll top bath with claw feet in the corner.  Upstairs are his and hers square sinks with decorative mirrors, rainforest shower and separate toilet.  Temple Spa toiletries, fluffy white towels on a heated radiator and towelling robes (in the cupboard downstairs) ensure that sybarites are mighty happy.  An adjustable radiator, air con and the possibility of opening the window means you can get the room comfort you want.  WiFi (chargeable) is available; there is a flat screen TV and music system.

 

The mini bar is expensive as always but there is complimentary tea, coffee and fresh milk, a nice touch.  Another nice touch is the “teacher’s note” – a sweet concoction to enjoy from the kitchen with a hand written note suggesting you have an enjoyable stay.

 

It would be hard not to have an enjoyable stay here.  The staff are friendly and helpful, there is little noise at night in this quiet part of town, the bed is extremely comfortable and all the wonders of Manchester are a short walk away.  If you can drag yourself away from your room, that is.

 

Contact tel: 0161 831 3211, e-mail: info@greatjohnstreet.co.uk

Cost standard double room: £££, suite: ££££

Services hotel bar, internet access, air-conditioning

Useful links
Great John Street Hotel, Manchester

 

Categories : Hotel Reviews, Reviews, UK
Tags:

Trips 2018/2019

2019

January: Zanzibar

March: Cape Town & Pretoria

May: Slovenia

October: South Africa (tbc)

November: Kenya (tbc)

 

Trips 2018

March:  New York, including Frick Gallery

May:  Vietnam including Halong Bay

June:  Giverny and Monet’s garden

June:  Majorca

December: Hyderabad and Chandigarh, India

Trips 2017

January: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
February: Bangalore
April: Lake District
May: Malaga
September: Mexico, Cancun
November: Delhi, Agra, Shimla
December: Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Venice

Trips 2016 (not clickable)

January: Oxford, Tenerife
February: Hampshire
March: Manchester
April: Sicily, Germany
October: Bangalore, New Delhi
November: Bangalore, New Delhi
December: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

List of trips 2015 (not clickable)

January: European ski resorts; Milan
February: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
March: Istanbul, Jersey, Vienna, Prague, Budapest
April: Road trip Ireland
May: Road trip France, Germany, Benelux and Copenhagen
June: UK luxury hotels
December: Cannes

List of trips 2014 (not clickable)

January Weimar, Vienna
February - Berlin, London
April - Chicago, Toronto, Montreal
May/June - Driving trip, Spain
July – Majorca
July - Paris
August - Southern UK
September – Northern Italy including Venice
October - South of France
October/November - Germany, Austria and Switzerland
December - Cape Town, Durban, driving along Garden Route South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda

List of trips 2013 (not clickable)

  • January - Tenerife
  • March - Istanbul
  • April - Italy luxury hotels - mid and southern Italy including Sicily
  • June - Las Vegas
  • June - Massive west coast road trip - Vancouver, BC
  • June - Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego
  • September - Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
  • September - Carolinas, Georgia, northern Florida (Talahassee area)
  • September - New Orleans, Orlando, Miami; Vancouver
  • October - Puglia, Italy and Milan

List of trips 2012

  • January - Hawaii, USA
  • February - France - Le Touquet, Lens, Lille
  • March - Nelamangala, India
  • July - Milan, Italy
  • August - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • August - Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  • August - Montevideo, Uruguay
  • September - Delhi, India
  • November - Dubai, UAE

List of trips 2011

  • January - Madeira, Portugal
  • February - Bangalore, India
  • April - British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
  • May - Sicily, Italy
  • May - San Francisco, USA
  • June - Bangalore and New Delhi, India
  • July - Prague, Czech Republic
  • July - Munich, Germany
  • July - Washington DC, USA
  • August - Lake District, UK
  • September - La Grande-Motte, France
  • Annapolis, USA
  • October - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • December - Helsinki, Finland
  • December - St Petersburg, Russia

List of trips 2010

  • February - India - Kerala & Chennai
  • March - Manchester & the North West
  • March - Austria
  • April - Czech Republic
  • May - Lake District
  • June - Cologne
  • July - India - Bangalore and Delhi
  • August - Eastern Cape & KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • September - Grasse, south of France
  • September - Wick, Scotland
  • October - Utah, USA
  • December - Montreal, Canada
  • December - Madeira, Portugal
Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter
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