Velvet

amandakate

Stayed at Velvet during Halloween 09, travelling up to Manchester for a Green Day gig at MEN. (Tip - go for the £10 Cross Country first class upgrade for a seriously relaxing journey). We chose Velvet to make a bit of a weekend of it, and what a great choice it was.

Although we'd never stayed there before we were greeted like old friends, with the perfect blend of VIP service and humour which was great as it made the whole experience feel relaxed, rather than the usual pretentious formality of very smart or trendy hotels that I personally find excruciating. On being shown to our Penthouse we were offered complimentary champagne and given some recommendations on what to do during the afternoon. The location is great - just a few minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly (thank goodness as unsurprisingly enough for Manchester it was chucking it down) and a brisk 10/15 minute walk to the MEN.

The room (apartment would be more accurate) was great - really well appointed with the bedroom on a mezzanine floor and a WC so that you didn't have to traipse downstairs to the bathroom during the night. There was fresh milk in a fab china 'carton', biscuits, fruit, lemon and lime for the bar, dressing gowns, slippers, a hairdryer that wasn't chained to a drawer (!!!), coat hangers that weren't chained to a rail (even more !!!) and a truly luxuriant selection of REN toiletries including face masks and moisturisers which were a real treat.

The bed was exceptionally comfortable and large - so much so that we went for a late check out and enjoyed a lie-in. Again, on this point, great service, even though we phoned half an hour before we should have checked out we didn't get any of that huffing and puffing you get in so many hotels. The bath tub filled quickly and was so deep and relaxing that I could have stayed in it all weekend.

After the gig we popped into the bar for a night-cap. Four hours later we were still there - great atmosphere and although it was totally packed the service was prompt and polite. There was a fairly lively fancy dress Halloween party going on that was open to non-residents so the door policy was quite watchful, but although we popped out numerous times during the evening for some, ahem, 'fresh air' the doorman remembered us and didn't hassle us about coming back in.

Breakfast was the perfect tonic the next morning - fab quality and very fresh and the checkout felt like we'd all been on a joint night out ;-) There was a couple who were complaining about their air-con not working and the noise but to be brutally honest (and apologies for this but I hope it might help other people) they didn't really seem like the kind of people who Velvet cater for.

In conclusion we went back to work feeling like we'd been away for a week. Pretty good value I think...

PS On the service point I forgot my toothbrush - on asking for one from reception I had a full-size Colgate toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss delivered in a lovely bag...nice touch

cleobeo

Velvet must be the best place on Canal Street to eat. Unlike the other places offering burgers and beer (ok I know that they're not meant to be fine eateries) Velvet is a little place of luxury. Going down the steps you walk over a glass-topped fish tank and you are invariably greeted at the bottom by one of their lovely waiting staff. On a Saturday night it was busy but we hadn't booked and luckily were early enough (6pm) to be seated straight away. My steak and chips were huge and were followed up by the chocolate purse dessert which was stunning. Brilliant champagne cocktails finished the meal off wonderfully, under 50 quid for 2 people, including wine. Fantastic value for delicious meals and a night to remember.

secondexpress

A bitterly cold winter's day in Manchester, I stumbled through the door of Velvet looking for somewhere warm that served food.

The interior is what you'd expect from the name - rather plush, although not overwhelmingly so. The staircase is great - you walk across a glass topped fish tank! We were immediately greeted by a very friendly and helpful waiter.

Food was good value, tasty and exceedingly generous portion sizes - I had possibly the largest club sandwich (and one of the best!) of my life, along with a mountain of fries and an excellent salad, and it only cost just over a fiver!

Despite being tucked away in a basement, on this winter day the place was doing a steady trade with an assortment of people from all age groups - no doubt the place's reputation precedes it.

sue at 28/12/07

Love the sound of that staircase fish tank!

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