This was my second stay - the last time about 18 months ago - when I have to say things were better.

The room was quiet comfortable and minimalist, but with the few minor problems (which the hotel were aware of and partly resolved), the hotel acquired more of a sense of a hall of residence in some university rather than a supposedly upmarket hotel.

But the big disappointment came at dinner time. We were "encouraged" to go a la carte, and indeed provided with a 25% discount voucher. When told of the dish of the day on the a la carte, and having ordered the wine to suit - we were told just 5 minutes later that it was no longer available (despite the restaurant being two thirds empty at 7.45pm). So we resumed the fixed price menu and were vaguely alarmed when the waiter suggested that we should be ordering vegetables on top, despite the generous descriptions of what was on offer. When the food arrived, it was then understood. The portions were minute .. and when the saffron potatoes were identified as what appeared to be a couple of sugar cubes, the waiter quickly returned with a complimentary bowl of mash. We simply wrote the dinner off in our minds, but when the head waiter asked at the end what we thought (why ask if you don't want honest feedback?), he seemed put out to get negative feedback, saying - as if he would normally say it - we could have a free drink in the bar. The unhappiness escalated enough to elicit a visit from the hotel's duty manager whose attitude was in fact first class, and managed to settle us down and provide some light relief and amusement. (Nevertheless, at 4am we stumbled around the bedroom searching for the one uneaten pork pie from the previous day's picnic .. !)

The breakfast was fine and the room comfortable enough for a good night's sleep, so when the shower handle fell off, one took it in good spirit ... knowing that one would never return.

Great location and close to Picaddily station.
Great staff and extremely clean throughout. The continental breakfast is poor and that is the only reason i didnt give this Hotel top marks. Tricky entrance to the car park and is so easy to miss. Its on the side of the Hotel facing Picadilly Station. Take a right turn after the Hotel revolving door entrance.

This property is one of the former Mint Hotels, recently acquired by the Hilton group. In fact there was still a sign outside saying "Mint Hotel" and inside, whilst slowly being turned into a Doubletree, the hotel retains the funky indie feel that Mint hotels were known for.

Check in was quick and efficient, and I was upgraded to a suite on a high floor, with great views of the city. There was a nice fruit bowl in the room and a bar of posh chocolate. The room was spacious, clean and both rooms had independent temperature controls.

The bathroom was spotless, and towels were obviously quite new. Toiletries supplied were good quality, from the White Company, and there were plenty of bars of soap etc. There was a seperate shower cubicle for those who prefer to shower, and a deep bath for those like me who prefer a soak.

The funkiness extended to having 2 iMacs, one in each room in the suite. This took some getting used to, as the TV and radio was also accessed via the iMac. The unit in the bedroom worked well, but the unit in the living room was a little temperamental with the thing being unresponsive to the remote. Sometimes hotels try to be a bit too flash and I felt this was one such case.

I slept well, and breakfast was in the hotels sizeable cafe. It was mix of a buffet for cold items, and cooked to order hot items. The breakfast tasted good and the cooked to order hot food looked and tasted fresh.

Location wise, the hotel is in a prime location. Walking distance to the Arndale and tram and bus terminii, the hotel is directly opposite Piccadilly station making a good choice for late arrivals. I'd heartily recommend, and will be back. I usually stay at the airport for work, but given there are frequent trains from Piccadilly, I may base myself here next time.

Right opposite Piccadilly station, with nearby car parking, this is a well presented hotel with outstanding service.

Lots of attention to detail - from the hot baked cookie at check in to the phone call to your room to check all is ok.

Fresh, comfortable and a surprisingly pleasant well priced city centre hotel. Will definitely come again.