On Manchester’s grand King Street, Hotel Gotham is extremely central and is housed in one of the city’s grandest, listed buildings – a former premises of Midland Bank. it’s just a 10-minute walk to Piccadilly railway station, and less than five minutes to Manchester Art Gallery, while the shops on Market Street and King Street are just outside, the area is quiet at night. Standing at the head of King Street, proudly atop the hill amidst architectural nods to the Grecian and Baroque, Hotel Gotham draws inspiration from these surroundings and rises as an imposing castle of stone and steel. Designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1928 in the Art Deco style of the time, is it any wonder it was referred to as ‘The King’? In terms of architecture, the neoclassical design is unusual for Manchester.

Taking its name from the fictional city in “Batman,” Hotel Gotham evokes a 1920s New York with Art Deco and noir-inspired interiors. Expect a moody and sexy colour palette with lots of greys and black, velvet and leather Chesterfield couches, and industrial elements like hanging light fixtures. As it occupies the former Midland Bank, odes to its past are represented in hanging briefcases in the exclusive Club Brass and in-room laundry bags that resemble moneybags. Each of their 60 bedrooms and five inner Sanctum Suites is a full-on sensory experience. Everything you see and touch, from the opulent linen to the fine fittings, is designed to fill you with satisfaction.

The accommodation of Hotel Gotham is made up of six room types – Club Rooms, Executive Rooms, Directors Rooms, Gotham Suite, Bank Manager’s Suite and the Inner Sanctum Suite. We were fortunate enough to stay in the Bank Manager’s Suite and how gorgeous and spacious it was. With a rolltop tub in the main bedroom itself and a shower in the bathroom, an emperor size double bed, minibar, waffle robes and quite simply the softest Egyptian Cotton Sheets I’ve ever slept on, our room was beautiful. The views from the window showcased the Manchester skyline while the Inner Sanctum Suites featured high leather-clad alligator walls and a wonder wall screen projecting the sites of Manchester. To kick off your stay, we recommend booking Gotham’s Martini trolley to visit your room and have the perfect, bespoke drink made for you right on your very doorstep!

On the top floors of Hotel Gotham, you’ll find their Honey Restaurant and Club Brass – a spectacular restaurant with delicious plates and private members’ cocktail bar with beautiful cocktails and views of the city that will leave you feeling on top of the world. The sixty-seater restaurant was light and airy with stunning arched windows providing spectacular views across the city of Manchester. As we took our seats at a table by one of the arched windows, we peered out over the city rooftops whilst we sipped our cocktails and took in the busy ambience of this boutique restaurant awarded with 2 AA Rosettes.

Honey Restaurant serves up a brasserie-style menu, with a wonderful fine wine list that partners perfectly with the menu’s elegant dishes. All of our chosen dishes were fantastically presented and delicious – for sure, one of the best meals we have experienced during a review. The staff at Hotel Gotham go out of their way to give you an enjoyable experience. Attentive, relaxed and informal but providing five-star service throughout your stay. Breakfast is also served in Honey Restaurant in the morning and the menu was a typical mix of cooked plates such as the Gotham full city breakfast, pancakes and omelettes and fresh pastries and continental options.

To finish off our superb evening, we headed over to the Club Brass private members bar, where only staying guests were welcome. And let’s be honest, there’s no better way to round off a fantastic evening than with the cocktails at an uber-cool rooftop bar with city views. Located on the 7th floor, the private bar is only open to staying guests and members of Hotel Gotham and had an incredible roof terrace with views to boast about. (No wonder they wanted to keep this little gem private!) With an impressive 20+ page drinks menu featuring wines, cocktails, beers, spirits, mocktails and of course bubbles. As we relaxed on one of the terrace sofas and cosied up with a blanket, we sipped on our cocktails and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Manchester on a Saturday night. The privacy of this members-only club makes the Brass Club the perfect pre or post-dinner drinks spot and the exclusivity of the bar keeps it at the perfect occupancy for an enjoyable cocktail experience.

Overall, our stay at Hotel Gotham will not be forgotten. From the moment we arrived until the moment we checked out, we felt like the only guests staying from the attentiveness of the staff in every corner of the boutique property.

A:   100 King St, Manchester M2 4WU
T:   0161 413 0000
E:   Reservations
W:  Hotel Gotham

Written by Amber Lauren for Luxuria Lifestyle London and International