PhilH

I'm staying in Manchester next weekend and have narrowed down my choice of stay to the Marriott V&A or the Renaissance. Does anyone have any views on these properties and which one is preferable? The Renaissance is slightly more expensive. I'm a Marriott Gold if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

DesertDave

I cannot make comments on the Ren., but I stayed at the V&A last year and recommend it. Very nice staff, cozy rooms, good restaurant/bar and breakfast buffet. Easy walking distance to centre of town.

thegoderic

V&A is superior in almost every way.

The Ren is right in the centre at the end of Deamsgate, but that's probably all it has going for it.

V&A is a converted mill with exposed beams, great character and some really nice suites that I seem to get upgraded to almost every stay.

littlevoices

Personally I now choose to stay at the Renaissance when I'm in the centre and when there is availability - although I've stayed at all the Marriott hotels in Manchester multiple times (including the one at the airport). The V & A does treat you well with status as does the Renaissance, you don't mention a status in Marriott on your details so that might make a difference as to your treatment compared to me (I'm a plat).

My thoughts are;

V & A
+ Very nice cosy rooms
+ Good upgrade routine (as a plat almost always in a jnr suite or equivilent, perhaps 80% success)
+/- There is a smoking floor, this might be good or bad depending on your views
+ Recently renovated
+ parking is easier and less 'busy' than the Ren
- A bit further away from the city centre (unless you are going to the GMEX area) - there are the free Manchester buses from nearby if you like public transport
- Views from the room are nothing special
- No executive lounge

Renaissance
+ Very good staff treatment (by name at reception, good awareness and customer skills)
+ Always recognise platinum status & room preferences (I always ask for high floor + city view)
+ Have always upgraded me to club floor - 100% success
+ Very nice views from the higher floors, either looking away from the city or into it (my choice)
+ Nearer the city centre (very near the arndale centre)
+ The little freebies of the Renaissance brand (at check-in nibbles)!
- Rooms are older than the V&A and quite cold due to huge windows
- The building is ugly, it is also going to be demolished in the next few years to be redeveloped (I've seen in a local paper when I was there last)
- On arrival the parking is akward (you have to abandon your car on double yellow lines for the valet who might not be there)
- No executive lounge

So, I choose to stay at the Renaissance due to the better location and for the view - I lived for Manchester for quite a few years so like to look out on the city at night and sleep with the windows open to see on the few occasions I stay here.

However, they are both good hotels and you should enjoy your stay in either.

DawgmanOH

Just finished a stay at the Renaissance and haven't been to the V&A but was very impressed with the location and staff. As mentioned, the building is quite ugly, parking is awkward and it has to have the smallest entrance of any full service hotel I have ever been to.

However, the room was marvelous with a great view of the city, staff was very polite and cordial and I was able to walk everywhere in the city with no problem. Would definitely stay there again.

fmkgb

Manchester England downtown Renaissance and Marriott -- Any current comparisons? Does either property now have a concierge lounge?

littlevoices

Neither has a lounge (nothing has changed since 2008), the rest of the thread summarises the choices pretty well. I still prefer the more dated Ren with its larger rooms, if you want the best chain hotel in the city choose the Hilton Deansgate - otherwise both hotels have negatives and positives well described above - nothing much has changed except since 2008 the prices have increased with the economic recovery.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for putting the country. When starting to read the thread I didn't know if it was England or New Hampshire or some other state, since the thread title doesn't say it.

Cheers.

seawolf

Currently at the Marriott V&A. Some of the rooms are cozy with the exposed wood beams and brick wall. Others are standard Marriott fare. Breakfast was a £16.95...ouch. Parking is £14. Right next to the Marriott is a open-air car park, pay at kiosk get a ticket to display for £7.40 24 hours. Looks like in-out privilege.

No WiFi in room unless you pick a signal near the lobby. Otherwise it's wired. ISP partners with Boingo.

Not really walkable to Picadilly Station. Cab ride is about £5 from hotel and a little more due to surcharge from station. Cab to airport is fixed at £18. Close to Deansgate and walkable to St. Ann's Square. Nearest ATM is outside of Tesco Express on Deansgate and Quay St.

DYKWIA

17 quid for breakfast???? Rip off Britain...

I've booked my sister there on Saturday using my points. I'll check her in, so she and the better half get free breakfast

tbm13

I stayed at the Renaissance Manchester a few weeks ago and was happy with the hotel. I was surprised how large the room was. I'm not sure if this was because it was on the Club Level or if all rooms are like this.

Unfortunately, there's no lounge (but neither is there at the Marriott V&A) but you get breakfast in the restaurant.

djohannw

Currently weighing my options - will be in Manchester for a long day after arriving from a longhaul-flight - getting in around 8am, leaving at 8pm the same day.

Since this is a mileage-run I would like to keep costs low yet need a place to sleep for a few hours, get a shower, catch up some eMails and the like - which of these would you suggest for my purpose?

The Marriott V&A would the cheapest of the bunch (can LNF that to ~70GBP) and the Ren the most expensive (about twice that amount unless I find a LNF for that as well). I am aware of the Airport Marriott but had a bad experience last time I stayed there, it is only marginally less expensive than the Renaissance and as it does not have a shuttle getting there may be more complicated than using public transport to the city center...however the availability of the lounge would have some benefits there.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Greetings - Dirk

SkiAdcock

Given your parameters you've answered your own question.

Cheers.

ttusqrl

I've stayed at both of these now. The V&A is more "Quaint" however almost everything in the room broke at some point during a two week stay. The Ren is definitely better located and looks better after the mild renovation.

Both have horribly uncomfortable beds. It makes me die for a Sheraton, Westin, or W where the mattresses are the same worldwide.

Renard

I recently had a stay at the Manchester Ren. It was an overall nice stay.

I was just flying in from Houston so I arrived maybe about 11am which is very early for a check in. The couldn't get me in a room right off but consistently underestimated how long it would take to get me in the room--every half an hour they said 'just another half an hour' and this went on for about two hours. Looking back I should have just checked the bag and went off on my way. Now they were very nice but it became a little comical after awhile and even then it was only after I said that I'd take two queens instead of one queen. Don't get me wrong-- I appreciated the favor they did me but it seemed like there was difficult communication between housekeeping and the front desk--I think that it was housekeeping that kept over-promising and under-delivering.

The breakfast was nice. One comment might be that it was sometimes a bit challenging to track down the chef making the made-to-order omelettes. However, the food was tasty and the choices were abundant. Just what one would expect.

The rooms were nice and big. Housekeeping seemed to be a little lacking--I found some kind of a cork under the table in front of the couch. I didn't have anything that was corked so it must have been from a previous guest

The location was good. Manchester seemed very walkable.