Macdonald Manchester (I)

I’ve stayed at the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly before and, unfortunately, this visit was a significant disappointment. Based on my previous experience, I feel the standards have declined noticeably. The biggest issue was housekeeping. Dirty drinking glasses were left in the room on multiple occasions instead of being cleaned or replaced, the bathroom was not cleaned to an acceptable standard, and on one day the room wasn’t serviced at all. I eventually had to call reception to arrange for housekeeping to attend. The greatest disappointment, however, was the Executive (M) Lounge. During previous stays, the evening offering was one of the hotel’s highlights, but it now appears to have been scaled back considerably. The hot food selection has been reduced from two or three dishes to just one. On one evening this consisted of chopped sausages, while another evening featured rather soggy spring rolls, which were even served without the accompanying sweet chilli sauce. I can’t comment on the other evenings as the selection simply wasn’t appealing enough to try. Wine and beer remain available, but the complimentary spirits (whisky, vodka and gin), which were previously offered, have disappeared. Whether this is part of a wider cost-cutting programme or the result of a change in management, I don’t know, but I did overhear several other guests expressing similar disappointment to the lounge staff. The one area where the hotel still performs well is breakfast. The buffet in the main restaurant offers an excellent selection, including a full English breakfast, yoghurt, fresh fruit, pastries and breads. Most of the staff were friendly and attentive. The only exception was one morning when my son asked if scrambled eggs could be prepared with cheese, and the chef declined, stating that it wasn’t permitted. It seemed an unnecessarily inflexible response to what appeared to be a simple request. Overall, this hotel no longer offers the standard I remember from my previous visit. The decline in housekeeping and the significant reduction in the Executive Lounge experience were particularly disappointing. Unless improvements are made, I would find it difficult to justify returning when there are other Marriott properties that continue to deliver the level of service and benefits that loyal Bonvoy members have come to expect.

Lovely one night stay here. Good location. Staff lovely and very obliging and helpful. Great to get into my room early too. Big room with everything I could want. Would say breakfast is a bit expensive but that’s my only little niggle.

Was amazing from start to finish definitely recommend