Which Manchester hotels have made The Good Hotel Guide 2021?

The Good Hotel Guide 2021: Great Britain & Ireland, the leading independent UK hotel guide, has today launched its 44th edition.

Co-edited by Adam and Caroline Raphael, together with former travel editor and former assistant travel editor of The Times, Jane Knight and Kate Quill, the 2021 edition features 750 hotels, inns, B&Bs and guesthouses, with over 400 main entries.

The 2021 guide features a range of properties that is deliberately eclectic, with 37 new main entries and a shortlist section with 51 new entries.

And three Manchester hotels have made the shortlist section, which features “interesting new entrants and properties of a notable standard”.

First up is Cow Hollow, on Newton Street.

“Once industrial, now simply ‘in’, the city’s lively Northern Quarter is a fitting spot for this Victorian textile warehouse-turned-hip hotel,” says the guide about Cow Hollow, which opened in 2018 and is named after a chic neighbourhood in San Francisco.

“Fronted by a cool cocktail bar, the boutique-y venue is owned by Mujtaba and Amelia Rana, who have kept the metal staircases and exposed brick, and added indoor greenery and modern style.

“Clean-cut, contemporary bedrooms have an up-to-date tech (a smart TV; a Netflix subscription); rainfall showers and high-end toiletries are standard. Complimentary treats include Prosecco and nibbles in the evening; milk and cookies later.

“A breakfast bag of granola, juice, fruit and a pastry is delivered to the room in the morning. No restaurant, but popular eateries are close by.”

Two hotels in Didsbury also make the shortlist: Didsbury House and Eleven Didsbury Park, both part of the Eclectic Hotels group.

“Between two parks, this refurbished Victorian villa with sophisticated accommodation is within easy reach of the city. It is part of the small Eclectic Hotels group,” says the guide about Didsbury House.

“A voguish B&B, it was designed with a boutique mindset: vintage prints and statement wallpaper, tempered by fresh flowers, books, open fires and sink-into sofas; at the top of a staircase, an impressive stained-glass window.

“Tasteful bedrooms, some set over two levels, retain original high windows and delicate cornices; among up-to-date amenities is a butler tray with fresh milk, perhaps a roll-top bath or two.

“There are afternoon teas and aperitifs to be had; on the weekend, breakfast is served until noon.”

Eleven Didsbury Park is described as: “A retreat from the city, the large walled garden of this suburban Victorian townhouse is an inviting place to hang loose.

“Rattan swings are suspended from beams; on the lawn or under the covered terrace, sun loungers, hammocks and a sofa await.

“Squashy sofas encourage the laid-back atmosphere in the sitting room. Individually decorated, modern bedrooms are spread over three floors; the best, a split-level suite, has a veranda leading to the garden.

“In all rooms: spa-worthy toiletries, a minibar, a butler tray with fresh milk. Breakfast is in the bright conservatory. The city centre and airport are a short train ride or drive away.”

And over in Cheshire, the “quirky” Oddfellows in Chester also makes the list.

The Good Hotel Guide 2021: Great Britain & Ireland is out now, priced £16.