More about Best Western Princess On Portland
Very nice hotel!
by A TripAdvisor Member
We are two sisters from Finland who spent four days and nights in Manchester in the middle of March. We arrived at 11 o'clock in the morning at the Princess on Portland and we were pleasantly surprised to get the keys to our room immediately. The hotel looked rather shabby from the outside but inside it was very nice and clean. We had reserved a non-smoking room with two beds and our room was very big and nice. We are very satisfied with our choice of hotel (based on TripAdvisor, thank you!). The staff was very friendly and helpful and the breakfast very good and fresh. The hotel corridor was quiet and overall the hotel felt very safe and secure. There was of course a lot of noise from the streets, especially during Friday and Saturday night, but that's what you have to count on if you want to stay in the centre of the town. There are a lot of pubs and restaurants in the area and just five minutes walk to the shopping streets. We are very satisfied with our stay in Manchester and we would like to recommend this hotel. It's not the cheapest one but it was definitely worth the money. I would gladly choose this hotel again. Britt, Finland
missing the lovely lady manager
by A TripAdvisor Member
What a difference a year makes..stayed in May 04, and had a great stay due entirely to the lovely lady manager who seemed to inspire all those around her in true customer service. This year, just another city faceless hotel, and suddenly the noise, dirt and poor bathrooms matter...funny that..
and the prices have shot up..
Great city centre hotel
by TripAdvisor Member Daveyboyuk
Stayed at the Princess Hotel several times now since it changed hands.
Very comfortable rooms..especially the beds. Noise from the road outside can be a problem if you are not used to it.
Great location..very close to Chinatown, and not far from the shops and theatre.
Fantastic breakfasts.....best I've had in a hotel in a long time.
Nice Hotel Spoilt
by A TripAdvisor Member
A nice hotel, very comfortable room, although the bathroom was not cleaned properly, the toilet had been used when I checked in, returning to my room on the second evening, the toilet had still not been cleaned. Stayed two nights, Monday and Tuesday. Monday night was OK, light traffic noise no real problem, Tuesday night however, "Satan's Hollow" the nightclub situated behind the hotel was open and the noise was unbearable. It kept me awake and I am a very sound sleeper. It's not the music that was such a problem, it was the fighting and trouble in the streets around the hotel. This nightclub apparently is open until 4am every night except Monday and I heard from a number of locals that it has an extremely bad reputation.
My advice is AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Unless you go "clubbing" every night and then you will never hear the noise.
I checked out and moved to another hotel for the remaining four nights of my stay in Manchester.
noisy beyond belief
by A TripAdvisor Member
stayed at princess hotel on a friday and saturday whilst on business. On the 5th floor and kept awake all night despite ear plugs - traffic and pubs.
Room not cleaned on the saturday. Fire alarm kept going off even at 6am, breakfast poor. Someone had vomited in lift and hadn't been cleaned. Definitely not to be recommended. Not if you want any sleep anyway......
like trying to sleep on a motorway!
by TripAdvisor Member ClaraM
We stayed at this hotel last night and neither my husband or I managed to sleep at all because of the traffic noise. Also at about 4am. there was an extremely rowdy fight going on in the street below.
The room and bathroom was OK and I suppose considering that I had booked last minute with Laterooms and only paid £60 for a double room including breakfast I shouldn't really complain - but we certainly won't be returning.
I would imagine that all hotels on this very busy street probably have the same problems, so if you do intend to chose one ask for a room away from the road!
Very Good Experience
by TripAdvisor Member LosZorros
I was dubious about staying following some of the negative postings. I can only talk from personal experience and it is very POSITIVE.
As a whole, the stay was excellent. Great location right in the centre and near to the Tram station. Chinatown just across the road, plenty of bars. Very friendly staff. A comfortable night with no noise at all (try staying at the Copthorne with their paper thin walls!)
Good value at £95 for a Saturday night stay - good value in light of the fact the city was full of England fans for the World Cup qualifier.
A really great hotel bar with character (not like some hotel bars which are featureless). The breakfast was absolutely excellent - one of the best I have had in a hotel and included in the price.
I would say that some of the rooms are a little tired looking and it may be pot luck whether you get an good room or not (we did ask to be moved as the first room was a smoking room and very small - our request was arranged without a problem).
Be aware the parking is a little bit of a walk to an NCP which will cost approx £10 per night.
We also had drinks put on our room bill by someone else in the bar. It was easy to prove they were not ours as it was not my authorised signature - but as always - check your bill on check out.
Overall the best stay we have had and much better than the Copthorne, Golden Tulip at Old Trafford and the Britannia.
This is a hotel for an overnight or weekend stay. For an overnight stay I will definitely stay again.
Good deal for the price
by TripAdvisor Member Zelda_T
I booked a weekend break at the Princess and got a good online deal: £120 for two, for two nights incl breakfast. At this price I was a little worried what the hotel would be like but I was very impressed.
I'm sorry other reviewers had bad experiences. I can only suggest the levels of noise very much depend on what side of the hotel you're put on. We were round the back and didn't hear anything.
Although having said that, we were out clubbing until 3am so we'd have slept through anything!
I would say the hotel would suit those people who are looking for a central location to sleep and shop and stagger back from clubs and bars from. It's not really suited for those looking for a quite, romantic break.
It's a great location and the breakfasts were very good for a 3-star hotel. First buffet style breakfast place I've stayed at where they cook your eggs to order.
Avoid like the plague
by A TripAdvisor Member
Hotel lost our booking (made before Xmas), so we arrived to blank faces. Receptionist said he had seen something with our company logo on but wasn't sure where it had gone. Our company credit card was faxed through twice and yet they never received it. We stayed 2 nights and charged drinks evening meals etc to our rooms the first night but second night we couldn't, "our rooms had no credit" we were told by the stoney-faced maitre d. Very loud street, woken up both nights by fighting outside in the early hours.
Worst of all one of our party got virulant food poisoning from the hotel's clam chowder which ruined the rest of his business trip and made for an extremely unpleasant trip home. Avoid this absolute disgrace of a hotel.
Excellent Experience
by TripAdvisor Member Québécoise
Staying for only one night, we had a great experience at the Princess on Portland.
As they could not located our reservation when we arrived, they had not set room aside for us. As we had gotten a bargain, I was a little bit affraid that they were going to put us in the worst room left. But, with a nice smile, the receptionist handed me a key to an executive suite! An excellent surprise, as the hotel seemed empty and it was a quiet monday evening.
The room was great, though the shower had seen better days. The beds were comfortable and we were not woken up by any noise. Maybe a little expensive if we had paid the full 140 pounds, but it was nice for only 80.
Besides, the hotel is only 10 minutes away from the shopping district. We went for a ride on Exchange Square's ferris wheel and ate in Chinatown, across the street. The breakfast was very good and extremely convenient as we had a train at 8:30. Picadilly station is only a 10 minutes walk away and is easy to find.
Overall, a great no-fuss hotel if you need to be down-town. If not, the Tulip Inn next to the Trafford Center might be a better choice for more comfort at a lower price.
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