City guide to Manchester, including Manchester hotels

Introduction Manchester is a city in the north-west of England, situated ina bowl shaped land area. The city centre is located on the RiverIrwell. Planning for a vacation in Manchester is a great idea.Manchester is one of the largest cities of England and containsa rich cultural and traditional values, worth to see and feel.Great places to see, enjoy and stay make Manchester a city fortourists? place of interest. History The Manchester area was settled in Roman times: GeneralAgricola called a fort he set up there Mamucium, meaning?breast-shaped hill?. A facsimile of a Roman fort exists inCastlefield, in the city centre. Manchester remained a smallmarket town until the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the18th century. Its damp climate was ideal for cotton processingand with the development of steam-powered engines for spinningand weaving, the cotton industry quickly developed throughoutthe region. Manchester quickly grew into the most importantindustrial centre in the world. In 1838 Manchester, like many ofthe largest towns during this period, was incorporated as amunicipal borough. City status for the borough was conferred in1853. Recent history In 15t June 1996 criminals (PIRA) attacked the City Centre andthe consequent reconstruction spurred a massive regeneration ofthe city centre, with complexes such as the Printworks and theTriangle creating new city focal points for both shopping andentertainment. Since the regeneration after the 1996 PIRA attackand leading up to the XVII Commonwealth Games Manchester haschanged significantly. Old 1960s focal points in the city centrewere torn down in favour of a new more modern, up market look.Some areas, like Hulme, have undergone extensive regenerationprograms and many million-pound lofthouse apartments have sincebeen developed to cater for its growing business class community. Place of Interest Structures of interest in Manchester include: The Corn Exchange (now the Triangle shopping centre)The G-Mex Centre Imperial War Museum NorthManchester Central Library St Peter?s SquareManchester Town Hall Midland Bank BuildingThe Midland Hotel Piccadilly Gardens ThePortico Library The Royal Exchange SouthManchester Synagogue Sunlight House TrinityBridge over River Irwell Victoria Station TheVictoria Baths The success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games is commemorated by Bof the Bang, Britain?s tallest sculpture, located near the Cityof Manchester Stadium. Transport Man...

...chester International Airport, formerly ManchesterRingway Airport, is the third busiest airport in the UK in termsof passengers per year and is served by a dedicated railwaystation. The city has two main city centre stations ManchesterVictoria and Manchester Piccadilly linking Manchester to otherplaces in the United Kingdom. High speed trains to London arerun from Manchester Piccadilly by Virgin Trains. Manchester and the surrounding area have an extensive busnetwork, with regular services in and out of the city connectingto all the satellite towns and villages. Manchester has a tram system called Metrolink. Operated bySerco, Metrolink links the city centre to Altrincham, Eccles andBury. It is a high-frequency service, with trams running every6?12 minutes. Universities Manchester is home to two universities: The University ofManchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. The former isthe largest full-time non-collegiate university in Britain.Together with the University of Bolton and the Royal NorthernCollege of Music and University Centre Oldham all nearby, thesegive the area a student population in excess of 73,000, one ofthe largest in Europe. Sports Sport and especially football are an important part ofManchester culture. Two major football clubs, Manchester Unitedand Manchester City, bear the city?s name. Museums & Art Galleries There are many art galleries in Manchester, notably ?The Lowry?in Salford Quays, which houses works by the Salford painter L.S. Lowry, ?The Athenaeum?, ?Salford Museum and Art Gallery?,?Manchester Art Gallery? etc. Manchester has some great museumslike Greater Manchester Police Museum, Imperial War MuseumNorth, Manchester Jewish Museum and Manchester Museum. Thesemuseums are the lively example earlier and recent history andone of the main tourist attractions. Shopping Manchester has a number of busy squares, plazas and shoppingstreets. In the city center Deansgate has many shops, includingthe department stores, pubs and bars. There are two largeshopping centers; the Arndale Centre in the middle of the cityand the out-of-town Trafford Centre which includes food hall,multi-screen cinema and Namco games centre. Other shoppingcenters include the Triangle which caters for a more youthfuland up market clientele and the Royal Exchange Centre. Food & Drink Manchester has a vibrant and exciting range of restaurants,bars and clubs, spanning the famous curry mile in Rusholme tot...

...raditional ?grub?, China Town, modern bars and bistros atDeansgate Lock in the city centre. Regional favorites includethe Eccles cake and the traditional pie capital of the UK issupposedly at the heart of Wigan, 15 miles outside the city.There is a Hard Rock Cafe, chain restaurants such as Wagamamaand bars that include Waxy O?Connor and The Living Room. Other,independent restaurants, bars and clubs can be found in theNorthern Quarter area of the city centre. Manchester is alsofamous for its beer. Although ?The Cream of Manchester?,Boddingtons has left the city, there are still manyinternational, local and independent breweries operating in theGreater Manchester area. Hotels & Accommodation Whether you are visiting Manchester on business or just forfun, you may need to find accommodation inManchester and stay overnight in a B & B or a hotel. Manchester has a number of hotels in different locations, fromthe airport to city centre. These hotels can be divided indifferent categories, from posh to affordable cheap deals, fortravellers or for businessmen. Cheap hotels inManchester are available to make your stay in the cityenjoyable. Here is a selection: QualityHotel Manchester JarvisPiccadilly Hotel PremierApartments Manchester DaysServiced Apartments Manchester BritanniaSachas Hotel The GardensHotel TheMerchants Hotel MitreHotel Alias HotelRossetti ThistleManchester Stay InnManchester AroraInternational Manchester NovotelManchester Centre WestlynneHotel Atrium byBridge Street The Midland- A QHotel CopperheadsHotel RadissonEdwardian Manchester PalaceHotel JurysManchester Inn Great JohnStreet Hotel TheCastlefield Hotel CampanileHotel Salford TheManchester Whitehouse Hotel The GraftonHotel Airport Hotels For those who like to stay in hotels within 5 miles distancefrom Airport, here is a selection of Manchester Airport hotels: Holiday InnManchester Airport EtropGrange Stanneylands Hotel BestWestern Belfry House Hotel ThistleManchester Airport CheadleHouse BritanniaAshley Hotel The VillageHotel & Leisure Club Cheadle QualityHotel Altrincham The GalleonHotel & Leisure Club OasisHotel TheBritannia Country House Hotel DidsburyHouse ElevenDidsbury Park The BelmoreHotel TheBramhall County Hotel De VereMottram Hall Hotel Biography Name: Maria WilliamsOccupation: TravellerWebsite: www.sleepuk.comBiography: Maria writes for Sleep UK - providers of discountedhotels to make your stay in the UK as comfortable aspossible.