Velvet Hotel, Manchester
Expert reviews
“Nineteen beautiful bespoke rooms each oozing style: there’s the sleigh bed in room 24, the double bath of room 34, the saucy framed photographs of a stripped-down David Beckham (this is Gay Village, after all!). Despite the tantalising decor and location, this is not an exclusive hotel and is as popular with straight visitors as it is with the same-sex crowd.”
“On Manchester’s vibrant Canal Street in the city’s Gay Village, Velvet Hotel is an unashamedly grand boutique option with individually styled rooms. The buzzy bar is a great place to start an evening out and, if you’re embracing the local nightlife, a discounted clubbing package is available including a bottle of fizz.”
What guests liked
- Top location
- Comfortable beds
- Friendly staff
- Bar
All you need to know
With its 19 exclusive rooms, the Velvet Hotel provides a uniquely personal experience right in the center of Manchester. It is situated on Canal Street, towering four floors above the Velvet Bar & Restaurant.
Being just a stone’s throw away from Piccadilly Station and Arndale Center, the rest of the vibrant city is ready for you to discover during your stay at the Velvet Hotel.
Each of the hotel’s 13 King Rooms are individually adorned, featuring luxuries such as superior quality bed linens, soft towels, extra large beds, and attached bathrooms.
The rooms are brimming with personality, showcasing elements like bare brick walls, striking wallpaper patterns, and diverse pieces of art.
The trio of Balcony King Rooms offers more space compared to the other King Rooms, boasting beautiful views over Canal Street. Every detail in these rooms has been meticulously considered; one room features a four-poster bed, another has a double rain shower, while the third boasts a sumptuous, large soaking tub.
The hotel’s ultimate treasures are its three Penthouse Suites. These suites are generously spacious with distinct areas for living, dining, and meetings.
Hotel deals & lowest price guarantee
We collaborate with Booking.com and Agoda. These two reservation platforms assure you the lowest possible rate, ensuring you always get the finest bargain for this hotel. If you’ve found a more favorable rate elsewhere, simply reach out to the booking platform and they’ll reimburse you the difference right away. You have the option to compare prices until the day preceding your check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
24 June 2025
A little bit of luxury in the Village
Staff were lovely. Very welcoming and friendly. They made the place really. Glass of prosecco on arrival was a really nice touch. The bed was soooo comfortable. Best night's sleep in ages. The room itself was luxurious but a bit masculine for my liking. (It's a really dark room and then the walls were painted grey. It made it very gloomy.) The L'occitane toiletries were a really nice touch. Breakfast to the room was good. Just enough for me.
There was not enough information about the room and how to use the lights, the aircon etc. It would have been nice to have a menu from the brasserie next door as well. The shower trap was very dirty. I left it open for housekeeping to clean, and they still didn't clean it properly. There wasn't enough milk for the coffee pods and tea bags, and the milk was not replaced. They forgot my breakfast on my 2nd morning but soon brought it to my room after I phoned. Nothing that the hotel can help, but if you are considering walking with wheeled suitcases from Picadilly Station, the 6 minute walk will seem much longer because of uneven surfaces and cobbles.
21 June 2025
Good
All good
Aircon was slow. I didn.t know the hotel was in the gay area, maybe his could more visible. Not really an issue though.
17 June 2025
Really enjoyed
Really nice room clean and freindly staff
Nothing
14 June 2025
I had a solid good night's sleep which was excellent as I am in general a poor sleeper.
The guy on reception was very welcoming - very good at his job. The pillows were exceptional, I would buy some for home if I knew who the supplier was.
The communal areas look as if they are getting a bit nearer to needing a re-fresh.
13 June 2025
Very good
Can’t recommend enough. Def wasn’t our usual type of location but would definitely return. Staff couldn’t do enough. We were upgraded.
Wasn’t originally sure on location but certainly didn’t disappoint
9 June 2025
Lovely venue
There was a mistake on their side saying I'd cancelled the room when 8 hadn't. The lady on Reception was amazing, sorted it all out within 5 mins and upgraded us for the stay. She also gave us a glass of Prosecco on arrival, very accommodating!
It's my own fault as I didn't realise I booked a hotel on the main gay quarter stretch so the music outside was going until 4am and I just couldn't sleep.
1 June 2025
Very good
Great location, really large room, very comfortable bed.
The opening mechanism of one window was broken, the room was not as clean as expected from a 4*-Hotel. The elevator smelled.
1 June 2025
Very good
Location
Light switches difficult to operate and understand
29 May 2025
Fabulous
Location and cleanliness
Shouting from outside in the early hours as people passing by so woke up .
24 May 2025
A perfect city break!
Loved the location, the room was excellent, bed was so comfortable. Loved everything! Was so comfortable and excellent value for money. The free glass of prosecco was a great touch at reception!
I didn’t like the glass door to the bathroom. It was quite transparent which left little room for privacy. Noise from the nightclubs below was a little annoying too.
24 May 2025
Not amazing
Location was great
The staff were uninterested, and were not very inviting, the one who smiled- eventually, was like it was forced, tried calling reception from 8am until 11am to arrange late checkout and my 12 calls were ignored, when I asked reception if the phone was broken she replied yes I think so, so I called the phone- it obviously worked and the girl was absolutely shocked looking like a rabbit in the headlights, the rooms have gone from being flamboyant and boutique, to standard and dull. All in all very unimpressive.
21 May 2025
comfy, with a great bathroom and in a fab location
we loved it, the location was perfect, the check in glass of prosecco was a happy bonus
a bit disappointed there was no decaff coffee option, only the coffee machine and there was only one sachet of milk. yes we could have ordered more but it should have been fully stocked too.
20 May 2025
Beautifully central, spacious rooms and a darn comfortable bed.
Nice boutique hotel on the side of the canal and, I believe, is a converted store/warehouse.
Nothing. All really nice.
20 May 2025
Fabulous location, comfy bed, nice styling - a little more attention to detail would make it perfect
Great location. I enjoyed the industrial feel of the room. The bed was super comfy and the shower was great.
I've stayed in other places in the UK which were not as expensive but which provided more. Each thing may seem small but they add up to a lesser experience despite a higher price point: no tissues, no conditioner (only shampoo), multiple cracks in the bathroom tiles, a toilet roll holder that wasn't properly attached to the wall, a tv that cut in and out if you tried to use Netflix.
19 May 2025
Great ambience and design but beware of noise at the weekends
Decor, comfort and design
Not a good place to stay at weekends - the noise was simply too much until 3am in the morning. Sunday night was perfect.
13 May 2025
Luxurious with comfort
The room was lovely, clean and comfortable.
Nothing
12 May 2025
worth it, good location
the shower could have better water pressure
8 May 2025
Fabulous
We love this place. Classy but super friendly.
6 May 2025
We love your hotel. Location, style, the free prosecco on arrival...fabulous rooms.
The room was beautiful and the bed fantastic.
4 May 2025
Lovely hotel in the heart of Manchester with great rooms and friendly staff
The rooms were lovely
Air con didn’t work
26 April 2025
Lovely Birthday getaway in beautiful surroundings.
Location, Decor, outside area. Bed was really comfortable. Well stocked with drinks and snacks and we loved that we were offered a glass of Prosecco on arrival.
Noise from above room was really bad during the night, like they were moving furniture so didn’t get much sleep. Nothing bad to say about the actual hotel or staff though.
26 April 2025
Pleasant
Good stay nice hotel but on arrival they take a deposit of £100 and supposed to get refunded within a week, its been 3 week and still yet to get the deposit back
25 April 2025
Great overall
Beautiful property and great location staff were so nice
Stayed in room 21 beautiful room but so noisy the people above were so loud felt like the ceiling was the floor boards woke us up all Night ! And not happy we got charged for 2 waters from the fridge
24 April 2025
Fantastic stay
Fantastic position in CC Lovely decorated room , very clean and comfortable Always enjoy staying here
23 April 2025
Was enjoyable
It was in a good location
The cocktails wasn’t two for 15 when we got there and the room 26 was a bit dark
20 April 2025
Lost its wow factor
Location is ideal for central Manchester - very easy to find. The bed was comfortable.
We've stayed here three times before this last stay, admittedly the three times we did stay were around 8-10 years ago so it does feel a little unfair to judge from this time period but this stay did not meet the expectations we had from previous visits. There were silverfish in the bathroom, there were broken lights in the bathroom too (the ones built into the bath itself) and there was a general shoddiness to the decor. Felt tired rather than luxurious. I appreciate it may have just been the room we were given but it felt very lacking compared to the last time we visited.
15 April 2025
Perfect , amenities great couldn’t fault
Amazing location and friendly staff
15 April 2025
Very good
The location was excellent, the staff couldn't have been nicer, and the decor was fab!
The heat in the bedroom was so uncomfortable. The underground heating in the bathroom could not be turned off, which heated up the bedroom. The staff did provide us with a fan, which made it more comfortable to sleep.
12 April 2025
Good location
Location was ideal for exploring the area. Only 5 mins walk from Manchester Piccidilly station.The room was very spacious, and a great night sleep bed was very comfortable. Tea/coffee brilliant. The bathroom was amazing. Air con worked a treat. Staff were very helpful, nothing too much trouble. Online check-in in advance is brilliant. As a solo traveller, I felt very safe.
Overall, really, anything major, to be honest. Need to point out not black out blinds on windows so awoken by sunlight at 6.30 am. I was on the third floor at the back. There was an extractor type noise that kept going off intermittently through the night. Need to add more than 2 English breakfast tea bags, I had to keep asking for more. Only one of the rainfall shower heads was working (as I was on my own, it didn't matter). The basket is a nice touch but so overpriced when you can purchase cheaper in local supermarket. The same goes for the mini bar. No milk was added for the second day. I had to ask for more.
3 April 2025
Excellent Hotel
The beds were lovely, very large and decorated very nicely.
There was no door on the bathroom of the area
29 March 2025
Really enjoyable stay
Brilliant location. Cool decor. Helpful staff.
29 March 2025
Would stay here again
Location and friendly staff
Rooms a bit dark
25 March 2025
Great stay, fab stay, lovely welcome. Would stay again
Lovely welcome, upgrade to room, glass of Prosecco on arrival ans going back to our room after dinner. Little tray of goodies in room when returned after dinner. Location 2 mins from local parking and 5 mins walk from train station. Restaurants about 5 mins walk.
We had an issue with the lights going off and having to be reset a few times - got offered to move rooms but we were settled for the night. Lights issue again at 5am, lights came on ans woke us up, put them off but couldn't nod over again. Lights again, got up on 2nd morning (departure day) lights were off, decided to just get ip and head home. Downside, no telephone in room to call reception. We had to go to reception to report issue. Complimentary drinks offered from minibar on first night once lights were back on.
25 March 2025
Highly Recommended! ❤️
Amazing Staff, Beautiful Room, Incredible Service ... and welcomed with a glass of Prosecco! Signature Suites are amazing and great value. 5 min walk from Picadilly Station and really handy for a night on the tiles! Would 100% stay again, thank you
24 March 2025
Mini break
Room size, location
23 March 2025
A lovely gaycation
We liked the location and the decor of the suite. It was nice and clean. We also appreciated the free glass of Prosecco on arrival.
Some of the things in the suite were falling apart. For example, the tap came off the wall, the socket for the keycard came out from the wall and a panel on one of the cupboard doors came off. All of this was easily fixable, but not something you really expect from a suite in such a hotel.
18 March 2025
Stylish hotel, perfectly located, some minor issues
Design of the room was impressive and unique, in particular the renaissance-style mural, large floor mirror and chaise lounge. Location was perfect for us, being located in the heart of the Gay Village and the Northern Quarter just a 5 minute walk away. The welcome glass of prosecco was a nice touch! Staff were nice and professional.
Room was a little dusty. TV signal was weak, making it unwatchable. We could hear doors closing in the corridor from within the room. It was a little odd that the security deposit was charged and refundable 7-10 days later, rather than simply put on hold.
13 March 2025
Lovely welcome with a glass of fizz to welcome, an upgraded room in the perfect location
Great location, friendly staff and a lovely room
10 March 2025
Very good
The location was great, lovely street next to canal, the night life was brilliant and so close was very useful. We had a great stay there we would definitely go again.
The noise from outside was very loud, luckily neither of us are light sleepers so we didn’t lose any sleep but it was loud when we got back at 1-2am.
10 March 2025
Very good
Breakfast was amazing, staff were amazing, room was incredible even better than the pictures and size was perfect and location was perfect walking distance from everywhere needed like shops, bars etc
Hotel was amazing, only thing I could fault was the air con did not work the temperature kept rising which made the room really warm but opening the windows helped a little bit to cool down. We done everything to get it to work but definitely was an issue with the device.
25 February 2025
The hotel is fine, the breakfast is not to be recommended. The food in the restaurant was very good.
In general the staff was very friendly. The only option, if you wish to have breakfast in the hotel, is a breakfast in the room. We ordered for 8.00 am and called at 8.16 am as the breakfast did not show up. It finally came at 8.30 am which created a lot of stress, as we had an appointment to reach.
There was no toilet brush in the bathroom. We believe this is pretty standard to have.
24 February 2025
Pleasant
Great big bed was massive
Was a bit dark inside
23 February 2025
Nice hotel, smallish room for price
Great location, friendly staff, clean room
Step from laminate to carpet caused my wife to sprain her ankle
20 February 2025
Perfect room but very expensive
The staff were really nice, the rooms were clean and had the nicest showers ever
A little overpriced for the room maybe
10 February 2025
Nice, classic hotel, period rooms, comfortable. Perfectly situated near the train station.
Room was very classy, period style, and comfortable. Location near the train station but on a canal is great. Looks like there is a nice bar and restaurant, but didn't have the chance to try them.
Only real downsides to this hotel are that it can be expensive on some nights, and that the lobby is small, and the access to the rooms is a bit labyrinthine. Not sure if there was breakfast, I think it is only offered in the room (continental) and expensive.
7 February 2025
Nice hotel, lovely staff…but the place needs a bit of love…
Great location funky decor
Rattling air con. Some slightly tired furniture..
7 February 2025
Very good
Heating was not working. Very cold night
7 February 2025
Fabulous
Clean, spacious room
My only cruise the £100 deposit they took young my arrival which is the first time I had encountered this in many hotels that I’ve stayed at
26 January 2025
We were overall happy
Location and quietness
Room cleaning
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
Services
- - Room service
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Express check-in/check-out
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
- - Daily housekeeping
Outdoors
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor furniture
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Heating
- - Allergy-free room
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Designated smoking area
- - Adults only
Activities
- - Nightclub/DJ
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key access
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Breakfast takeaway containers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
Reception services
- - Invoice provided
25 June 2025
I really enjoyed staying in Manchester at the velvet and it was a great location.