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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
8:00 PM 7th February 2017
lifestyle

Hotel Gotham - Manchester

 
Hotel Gotham
Hotel Gotham
You might have heard of the Hotel Gotham in Manchester as it is rated as one of the best new hotels in the city, with many famous guests having stayed there. Housed inside a former bank this Grade II listed building looks very imposing at the top of King Street. Built between 1928 and 1935 there are playful references throughout the hotel to its banking past.

Reception area
Reception area
On arrival guests are greeted at the ground floor entrance by two well tailored doormen in top hats. It did feel a little cramped waiting for one of the two elevators to whisk you up to reception which was on the 6th floor. A painted sign at the bottom of the staircase says that it is 1,000 steps up to reception but it isn't, I counted around 200 steps whilst returning at night, but I wouldn't recommend waking them up though with a suitcase!

"The coat that lady is wearing must have cost hundreds" whispers my partner to me as we wait to board the elevator to go up to the reception.

"Just look at how it fits and the quality of the material" she continues.

What with the well dressed fellow guests and the suited and booted doorman it felt like you were entering an exclusive hotel, which to be honest, it is just that.

Check in is from 3pm and most guests seem to arrive around then at weekends resulting in a busy reception area. A nice touch was the drink offered whilst waiting in the queue. A pleasant yet professional welcome seemed genuine.

The hotel has been given a 1920's New York theme which is a great concept - there is no other hotel in the UK that I have stayed in like this; it is unique in that respect. A novel idea is that all the hotel information is in a pink broadsheet called The Gotham Bugle. Again different and bespoke just like the ethos of the hotel.

Club Room
Club Room
Rooms range from the top end Club Suite to the Club Room which we were allocated. The bathroom was huge, but the room itself felt rather cramped. If you were on the heavy side (which I am not) it would be a squeeze to get around the King size double bed. The Egyptian cotton bed linen added a luxurious touch. Lavishly decorated with dark wood and leather the room did feel homely.

The wardrobe opens up and has the mini bar and the Espresso coffee machine. I liked the complimentary shortbread pig biscuits which were certainly different.

Wardrobe with mini bar
Wardrobe with mini bar
The money bag style laundry sacks in the bedroom was also a nod to the building's banking past.

Being on the 5th floor outside noise was not audible even though the windows are not double glazed.

We had one or two issues with housekeeping which were promptly dealt with and rectified by the Duty Manager, who was very apologetic. Also for a hotel this new it seemed odd to find that part of the enamel had worn away in the sink which seemed to fall below the rest of the high standards throughout the Gotham.

Meals are taken in the Honey restaurant on the 6th floor; called Honey because of the rhyming slang with the word Money. The ambience and atmosphere felt like you were dining in somewhere special. Starters of Blue Cheese Bon Bons and my partner's Root Vegetable crisps were the perfect start to a near perfect meal. My main of an 8oz Sirloin steak was cooked to my precise order and tasted excellent, served with Skinny Fries and Smoked Cheese Fondue.

Breakfast in the Honey Restaurant
Breakfast in the Honey Restaurant
My partner chose the Plaice but thought the rough garlic that was wrapped around it took away the taste of the fish. Desserts of Dark Chocolate and Fennel for me and Apple and Cranberry with Hazelnut crumble for my partner complimented a superb meal.

Breakfast is also served in the Honey restaurant which can be a continental buffet or cooked to order English breakfast. I found it odd that there were no bread rolls or sliced bread, but if requested sliced bread is available and brought to your table. Served hot and fresh the cooked breakfast was presented to a high standard.

Whilst the hotel does not have a gym, a big feature is Brass, a private members club which has fantastic views across the city. Housed on the 7th floor of the hotel it feels and is very exclusive.

The Gotham oozes opulence and is ideal to treat someone special or if you just want to indulge in a high quality experience. The shops are literally on your doorstep with Victoria Railway Station being a short walk away. Ideal too for the theatre and the business area of the city.

It felt like you had been to an event, so to speak, the whole package has been well thought out in style and presentation. A credit to the city and the owners.

Hotel Gotham, 100 King Street, Manchester M2 4WU
Telephone: 0843 178 7188
www.hotelgotham.co.uk