Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre (UK)

What is your Priority Club status?
Diamond Ambassador

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, extremely

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked standard room on points for two nights, received Club Room with Club Lounge access

How are the rooms?
Club rooms were good. On their own dedicated club floor with the club lounge. I did notice that floor 4 at this hotel is the "IHG Rewards Club" floor, or at least that was plastered along the wall outside the lift. No idea what it means in practice though.

Room was fairly compact but wasn't too small. Massive bed, super king size.

Bathroom was quite compact but very well designed. Had a bath and separate shower. No shower over bath nonsense thankfully!

Bath robes, slippers, decent toiletries, minifridge with water and snacks.

How is the exec. lounge?
For a Crowne Plaza this was very good. I missed the evening drinks but had breakfast.

Breakfast was an excellent continental spread but no hot food although I did see someone else ask for hot food and the staff brought it up from the main breakfast area.

Always staffed. All were extremely friendly and attentive without getting in the way. Soft drinks provided throughout the day.

Always easier to be impressed when you receive the services for free but I would have been impressed if I'd paid for a club room too.

What was good and what was bad?

Good - the best thing here was elite recognition. Two nights cost me 46,000 points. Received a club room, club access, free breakfast each night for 2 as a diamond member, late checkout to 2pm and 10% off all other F&B. All offered proactively, nothing asked for.

I know from the reviews before diamond that this property looked to treat elite guests well but they really went to town on it at check in, which was really nice to see.

All staff here were excellent, extremely polite and very attentive.

I spent zero £ at this property and really got the value as a diamond member. My normal property in Manchester is the Kimpton but this stay has made that choice very difficult for future stays. It's hard to argue with the offering here with such decent elite recognition.

Bad - properly nit picking now but the loo roll in the club rooms was that awful tracing paper type stuff which seemed a little unnecessary.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
Definitely

View from lounge

Club lounge