If you’re going on a work trip to Manchester, you might be considering staying at CitySuites. If you’re looking for more information, here’s my honest review of CitySuites based on my own experience.

About CitySuites Manchester

CitySuites Manchester I and II are serviced apartment hotels located next to each other in Salford, close to landmarks such as Manchester Cathedral and Deansgate.

Combining the comfort of a home and the services of a hotel, CitySuites offers a variety of options, including studios, one bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments.

Due to due to its proximity to Manchester’s business district, CitySuites is especially ideal for business travelers but also a great option for families and tourists looking for a premium but home-like experience near the city center.

Amenities and Services

CitySuites offer the following services and amenities:

• 24-Hour reception

• Swimming pool - open from 7am

• Gym - open from 6am

• On-Site restaurant and bar which is also where breakfast is served

• High-speed Wi-Fi

• Housekeeping with laundry service

My honest experience with CitySuites Manchester

I stayed at CitySuites II for two nights in October 2024. I had booked a studio apartment and my stay wasn’t exactly off to a great start.

The studio I was originally given had a leak under the kitchen sink. Thankfully I realised quickly after checking in, went back to reception to report the issue and was told to wait in my studio for someone to come and give me the keys of another one. After waiting a long time without seeing anyone, I went back downstairs with my luggage and had to nudge the receptionist to finally get the key of another studio.

Despite the welcome email stating that robes would be provided to use the pool, I was told at reception that it wasn’t included in my booking (?). I was “kindly” given one because of the issue I encountered at check in.

Based on my own experience, here are the pros and the cons of staying at CitySuites.

The great things about CitySuites:

• The pool area is amazing. The pool itself is long enough (20m I would say) for swimming and there’s also a jacuzzi as well as a steam room. Being able to enjoy these facilities early in the morning was the highlight of my stay.

• The wifi was extremely fast and reliable.

• The area is fairly quiet despite trains passing by, which you could barely hear with windows closed.

• The studio apartments are bigger than what you’d expect. There’s a fully equipped kitchen, a sofa, a coffee table, enough storage and a huge shower in the bathroom. You definitely have room!

• The gym was spacious and well-equipped. There were plenty of resistance training machines and cardio equipement. If we’re going to be nitpicky, maybe more free weights and benches would be great, but overall it’s much better than your average hotel gym.

What I personally didn’t enjoy:

My check in experience wasn’t the best so it didn’t set the best tone for the rest of my stay.

Whilst the studio was fully equipped, it didn’t feel as premium as CitySuites position themselves. I’d say that the facilities like the pool and gym are premium but the accommodations are not.

For instance, the pillows were incredibly thin, the towels felt rough, there was barely any cutlery (only one teaspoon and one fork) and there were several scuff marks and other signs of wear and tear on the walls and floor.

Basic items were also missing such as a toothbrush glass holder and the toiletries were definitely not premium.

As for the breakfast, I wasn’t extremely impressed. It wasn’t a buffet but a la carte only and you could just pick one dish. There were mostly savoury options with eggs in different forms and not much choice for vegans and veggies.

I went for the continental breakfast which consisted of a mini pastry, toast, granola, yoghurt and fruit salad which was missing as they had run out… The coffee came from a machine that only had regular milk, so you couldn’t order an oat flat white for instance.

I wish there was an option to only book the room without the breakfast, because I would have had a better one from the Pret down the road.

Would I book it again?

The short answer is no, despite the amazing fitness facilities, I didn’t think the room, breakfast and level of service were worth paying nearly £300 for 2 nights.

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