While Manchester is a pretty big place with lots to offer, I had only visited for one or two day trips until recently.
Having studied in nearby Preston for three years, you’d think I’d have taken the time to get to know the city but the Coronavirus pandemic meant half of my degree was actually completed at home rather than in Lancashire so I was a couple of hours away.
Anyway, I’m making it my mission to become more familiar with Manchester in the next couple of years even if that is heavily influenced by the array of food places it has to offer.
I decided to stay overnight in the city to get a feel for what’s in store and the hotel I stayed in even had a Peloton exercise bike in the room! Here’s what I thought.
I stayed at a hotel in Manchester with a Peloton and gym equipment in my room
Arriving in the room
I stayed in a limited-edition wellness bedroom at INNSiDE Manchester and I was left more than impressed.
First of all the room was huge! It looked more like a suite than anything else.
It was clean, extremely spacious and had plenty of workout equipment, ideal for anyone who wants to keep on top of their exercise regime while they’re away.
On walking into the room, I was amazed by the space but also by the size of the bed which was a very generous size and one you’d just about get lost in.
The room had its own comfy sofa and fridge plus a coffee machine - which was ideal for relaxing without needing to get into bed prematurely in the evening.
This is something I’ve done too many times before in hotel rooms when the chairs have been a little uncomfortable.
The bathroom was in a nice area in the corner of the room, kind of open-plan, with a large sink and mirror next to a separate toilet and shower.
When a room seems so big and like it has everything you need, you kind of expect it to lack somewhere, or at least I did, but there were even two big wardrobes and a big TV on the wall – perfect!
Working out in my hotel room
As the Peloton sat in one corner of the room, I knew I had to try it.
I’ve never actually used one before but I've been intrigued for a while and I’m so glad it was there to try out.
I felt I could really just give it a go with no judgement since I was in the comfort of my own hotel room – ideal if you’re not a fan of working out in front of people.
To begin with, the Peloton wouldn’t connect with the Wi-Fi properly but I headed to reception and asked for some guidance and in what left like 10 seconds, the manager approached me and came up to the room to see what was going on with it.
He was lovely and after a couple of minutes, he solved the problem and explained what had gone wrong.
Once he’d left, I got straight to putting my workout gear on and it was then time to try out the Peloton.
While I wasn’t at the hotel for long, I think the Peloton was a great feature of the room because as someone who had been walking around Manchester trying all the food I could find, a little bit of exercise was needed.
@uktoday_ I stayed at the INNSiDE hotel in #Manchester and there was a Peloton in my room! #review #ukstaycation #peloton ♬ Midnight - whoisazar!
The Peloton comes with a huge variety of different classes so you can take part in anything from a short warm-up to a lengthy workout.
You can pick different instructors and adjust the intensity and resistance as you please – ideal for someone like me who was just learning the ropes.
Make sure you take note of which language the class will be delivered in though because although I’d chosen English when I logged in, I excitedly clicked on my first class and didn't realise I’d accidentally clicked on a class by a German instructor who was only speaking in, you guessed it...German – my bad!
Overall, I think the Peloton was a really interesting and useful addition to the room, especially if you’re keen on keeping up with your workouts while you’re away from home.
Also in the room was a yoga mat and different resistance bands so you could try a different workout if you wanted to or even combine the both.
As well as the new wellness bedrooms, the hotel also has an Escape Spa.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to give this a go but there are a range of treatments to be had in the treatment room which are delivered by Escape Spa professional therapists and combined with post-treatment facilities such as the Finnish sauna and steam room.
First Street Bar & Kitchen
The 4-star hotel by Melia is located on First Street, hence the name of the restaurant that’s within it.
On the evening I arrived, I had a three-course meal from a set menu which was honestly some of the best food I’ve had in a while.
I tucked into the heritage tomato and basil bruschetta to start and was amazed by the flavours. It’s such a simple dish but was a good size portion and really enjoyable. It reminded me of the bruschetta I had in Rome, Italy which was so tasty, it’s very hard to beat.
I then moved on to my main which was sea bass with tomatoes and again I couldn’t believe the portion size. The fish was tasty and so soft that it fell apart as I cut into it.
Despite eating from a set menu, the waiter made me aware that I could also add any sides from the main menu so I went for a side of truffle cheesy fries which was a great choice.
Then it was time for dessert and I was very excited when I saw the chocolate fondant come out. It was stuffed with chocolate truffles and came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The chocolate sponge and sauce were lovely and the ice cream complimented it well.
My plus-one ordered different dishes so I also got to try some of the fried calamari and fried vegetables, marinated grilled chicken in a mushroom sauce and the chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake.
Their portions were also really big and the food went down a treat - I loved trying it all.
The waiter was really nice and gave us plenty of time between courses which was appreciated since we’d eaten a lot of food!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are on offer at the restaurant and you can find out more about it as well as the hotel via the websites.
One of the best things about the restaurant is that you can eat there without having to stay at the hotel, making it more accessible for people to try the food.
Overall, I’d recommend trying the food at First Street Kitchen & Bar and if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, you could even experience the hotel too.
It's in a good location and next door to Junkyard Golf Club - we visited and did one course but as it was quite a small course, I'd recommend doing more than one if you go.
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