Manchester Hotels

A city rich with history, Manchester is working hard to shed its sweaty industrial reputation and reinvent itself. Some of the same buildings that once served as the setting for Charles Dickens' literary representations of the cruelties of an earlier age, now house some of the finest galleries and hotels in Manchester. Find a Manchester hotel in the downtown district, because that is the center of the city's rebirth and most attractions are within walking distance of one another.

Manchester offers a variety of attractions, museums and galleries. At the Granada Studios Tour you can get a peek behind the scenes of leading television programs. The award winning Museum of Science and Industry illustrates the city's rich industrial and architectural heritage. Its 15 galleries are sited within stunning Victorian buildings, including the world's first railway warehouse and passenger railway station. The City Art Gallery, houses a famous Pre-Raphaelite paintings collection. An intricately glazed Victorian market hall holds the planes that made flying history, while a recreation of Stephenson's Planet and a hands-on experiments laboratory for children, sit in contemporary interiors within huge Victorian warehouses.

The Lowry Centre is the jewel of Manchester's cityscape. With its theatres, galleries, exhibition spaces, shops, restaurants and bars, The Lowry is an enviable addition to the city's cultural life, reflecting Manchester's invigorating commitment to creativity and the arts.

Manchester's love of sport is well known and it was with great pride the city was host to the Commonwealth Games in 2002. A new world class stadium was built for the event. Manchester has two leading football (soccer) clubs - Manchester City and Manchester United - which are international ambassadors for the sport. The region is also home to Lancashire County Cricket Club. If you want to participate yourself, Manchester offers a broad range of indoor and outdoor recreation.

Manchester is a shoppers' paradise offering the ultimate in choice, from designer chic to antiques and crafts, specialist to second-hand, within compact pedestrian areas that are easy to find your way around. And while you are roaming Manchester, be sure to check out the Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, Chinatown, and the Gay village for three remarkably different faces of the city.