Review: TRIBE Manchester Airport, Manchester, UK

Let’s be honest – airport hotels don’t usually inspire much excitement. They are busy, forgettable places where lonely businessmen sip overpriced whiskeys before an early morning flight. But every so often, along comes an airport hotel that dares to mix things up a bit. And at Manchester Airport, there is a new addition that rewrites the script. Read on to learn how TRIBE Manchester Airport – Manchester’s largest hotel with 412 rooms – comes with enough edge to make you rethink everything you thought you knew about pre-flight accommodation.

Acceptance

This is only TRIBE’s second hotel in the UK (the first is in London’s Canary Wharf) and we arrived under very cold conditions when the hotel was busy dealing with recent flight cancellations. Now, part of Accor, the staff at the reception were very welcoming, inviting us to sit down as we followed the formal check-in procedures and were assigned our rooms.

The room

We were on the second floor of this 8-story building, in rooms 228 and 229 – one was a spacious room at the top of the building, with its own sofa that could double as an extra bed, and the other was a regular size. room but still provides more than enough space for pre-flight relaxation.

TRIBE rooms are a testament to smart design, making good use of available space. Beside the incredibly comfortable bed – with hotel sheets so shiny you’ll feel like you’re slipping into a freshly ironed shirt – you’ll find a soft chair to relax in and a thoughtfully designed workspace. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the room with daylight, while blackout blinds ensure a good night’s sleep no matter the hour.

A minimalist desk and a large TV create the perfect balance between work and leisure, and precise lighting prevents the dimness often found in hotel rooms. The room has no unnecessary frills – and that’s a good thing. At an airport hotel, it’s all about getting the essentials right.

The bathroom

The en suite bathroom is well-lit, compact and functional with everything you need – wash basin, WC and rain shower with the power to wake up even the most withdrawn souls.

The bath products are from Kevin Murphy’s Hydrate-Me range, apparently a favorite of actress Demi Moore. With bottles selling for around £40 each, there are no cuts when it comes to the products used here.

Resources

Taking the place of the stage on the hotel’s ground floor is a light-filled interior atrium billed as the TRIBE Social Hub. It consists of lounges, an eye-catching bar at its heart, and a hotel restaurant.

TRIBE Table simply called TRIBE Table is an on-site restaurant, serving breakfast and offering an all-day dining experience designed around authentic Italian home cooking.

The menu has a selection of sutzzichini, antipasti, pasta and pizzas, as well as other main items. Try Baked Aubergine Parmigiana for a sweet and savory start to winter.

And from the mains, we can recommend the Grilled Bavette Steak, Rocket and Parmesan Salad or Wild Mushroom and Black Truffle Pizza. Both were delicious.

Dessert options were Venetian Tiramisu, Mixed Berry Pannacotta and a variety of ice creams.

If your flight is early, the hotel has a 24/7 Grab & Go counter with barista coffee, snacks, drinks, and homemade food. For those with a leisurely start to the day, a daily buffet breakfast is available from 6am to 10am. Along with fresh fruit, pastries, tea, and coffee, there are standard cooked options as well.

We were slowing it down a bit, with a 7.30am flight, so we decided to check our luggage at about 5.45am and come back and have breakfast. It is so close to the hotel in the airport terminals that we were able to do this and get through security afterwards, we all have enough time to ourselves.

Although we didn’t have time to use it during our short trip, the hotel also has its own 24-hour fitness center on the ground floor.

And another good asset is the limited parking that can be pre-booked quickly outside the hotel (so close to all the ports). We were lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this opportunity, although it was a bit of a challenge to find the bays due to the recent snowfall. As it turned out, we had parked well, but we didn’t realize this until we got back when the snow had melted!

Location

If you live here, it’s probably because you have a flight to catch. The hotel is just off the M56 and a 2-minute walk from Terminal 2 and Manchester Airport’s transport hub including rail, Metrolink and bus stations. Other airports are easily accessible from here in less than 10 minutes. Despite being very close to the airport, we enjoyed uninterrupted sleep and it really didn’t feel like we were in the middle of the airport. Obviously, that depends a lot on the special fire-rated installation that not only ensures safety but also provides high acoustic performance, with a noise reduction of 50 decibels. This greatly reduces the outside noises of the airport.

For those on longer journeys, the hotel is well connected to Manchester city center and its many museums and art galleries, as well as its sports and music venues.

Another nice touch

Tea, coffee and water are provided.

Costs

Stays at TRIBE Manchester Airport usually start from just £100 per room per night. As a member of Accor’s ALL (Accor Live Limitless) loyalty program, however, you can get a room for less than that price (and program registration is free.)

The best beat

For us, the highlight was being able to enjoy a truly inviting and relaxing stay before our short city break to Innsbruck. Without it, we would have faced leaving home at 4am, at the latest. Instead, our vacation started on a very positive note, we had a calm and unhurried start to our trip, all in a comfortable place.

Final decision

We really enjoyed our stay at TRIBE Manchester Airport. From its welcoming staff, smartly designed rooms and comfort food on offer to its convenient terminal location, it proves that airport hotels can be stylish and functional. TRIBE Manchester Airport offers a modern and efficient solution for travellers, fully embodying the TRIBE brand ethos of “everything you need and nothing you don’t”.

Disclosure: Our stay is sponsored by TRIBE Manchester Airport.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is the Editor of the Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years. He is the winner of the Innovation in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog was also voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best in luxury” by The Telegraph.