The Most Romantic Hotels to Book in Manchester, England

The bright lights of central Manchester are just a 15-minute drive away, but once ensconced in this handsome Victorian villa in the well-heeled suburb of Didsbury you might feel tempted to stay in and cocoon, rather than go out exploring. The 27 bedrooms set the scene for a night of romance, with serenely chic decor, tactile fabrics and mellow lighting. All but the smallest come with freestanding roll-top baths, perfect for bathing à deux.

Manchester’s former Stock Exchange is now one of its ritziest hotels, following a sensitive conversion that’s retained the building’s Edwardian grandeur and added contemporary perks like a Tom Kerridge restaurant in the old trading hall. Share small plates of refined British comfort food and enjoy people-watching in the bar, then retire to one of 40 bedrooms, all glamorous, cosseting affairs, with luxurious fabrics and finishes, thick fluffy robes and fragrant Dr Harris potions, stocked in the swish marble bathrooms.

If you love hotels with heritage, the Edwardian is hard to beat, its fascinating back story featuring everyone from Dickens to Dylan, suffragettes to Sex Pistols. These days, though, it’s all about five-star luxury. Rooms come with desirable goodies like Nespresso machines, REN toiletries and fine Egyptian linens; foodie options include a classy afternoon tea and Japanese-Mexican fusion food; and for full-on pampering there’s a basement spa, complete with ESPA treatments and a heated indoor pool.

If it’s sexy sophistication you’re after, the Dakota delivers in spades, with its sultry lighting and sharp design. Even standard rooms feel like luxurious, indulgent places to hide away. But if money’s no object, the Grand Deluxe Suite is the one to go for. This eighth-floor penthouse comes complete with acres of space, a wraparound balcony and a large sunken bath for two, plus a host to whip up your favourite cocktails on arrival and generally cater to your every whim.

Sharing the same leafy street as its sibling, Didsbury House Hotel, this suburban Victorian property has 20 elegant bedrooms and a residents-only lounge and bar that helps create a private, exclusive feel. There’s a pretty, peaceful garden, where you can play croquet on the lawn and canoodle in the hammock, and if you book the Luxe Terrace Junior Suite you’ll get not one, but two roll-top baths: one indoors, and the other outside, on your private terrace.

Another former industrial building repurposed for the 21st century, this lovely little indie hotel has all the ingredients for a romantic break, from its intimate scale (just 16 rooms) and great location (amid the galleries, bars and boutiques of the Northern Quarter) to the thoughtful design in the rooms. Rooms may be on the small side, but they’re filled with little spoil-yourself luxuries, including Hypnos beds, goose-down duvets and bronze rainfall showers.

“We don’t discourage a little bit of decadence,” whispers the Gotham, and the owners clearly had couples in mind when they created the hotel’s 60 luxurious bedrooms, specifically designed to be a full-on sensory experience. Beds are topped with fine Egyptian cotton linens, thick faux-fur throws and peacock-patterned bolsters; there are velvet armchairs and quilted leather bedheads; and you’ll find waffle robes in the bathrooms and “intimacy kits” in the minibars.

Behind the terracotta-tiled facade, this hotel is a riot of original Victorian features, all columns, arches and listed ceramics, with a beautiful glass dome above the lobby and a handsome bar-restaurant/conservatory area that’s buzzing all day long. The high-ceilinged bedrooms combine retro elements (vintage-trunk-style ottomans, wood-panelled walls), industrial influences (brass lamps and white-tiled bathrooms) and jewel-bright flashes of colour. For that final romantic flourish, order in a chilled bottle of champagne and a scattering of rose petals.