Manchester's BEST Western? This Hidden Gem Will SHOCK You!
Manchester's BEST Western? Oh, Honey, Let Me Tell You…(A Brutally Honest Review)
Okay, so "Hidden Gem Will SHOCK You!" is a bit much, even for a Best Western. But, look, I was in Manchester, and the whole point of a Best Western is… well, you get a decent bed, right? And maybe, just maybe, a free continental breakfast that doesn't involve mystery meat. So, I, with a heart full of cautious optimism (and a desperate need for a getaway from my chaotic life), booked a stay. Here's the unfiltered truth, people. Buckle up.
SEO & Metadata-Wannabe (Ugh, Fine):
- Keywords: Best Western Manchester, Manchester Hotel Review, Accessible Hotel Manchester, Spa Hotel Manchester, Free Wi-Fi Manchester, On-site Restaurant Manchester, Family-Friendly Hotel Manchester, Wheelchair Accessible Manchester, Best Value Manchester Hotel.
- Metadata Description: Honest review of a Best Western in Manchester, covering accessibility, amenities (spa, dining, etc.), cleanliness, and value. Read about the good, the bad, and the hilariously underwhelming!
Accessibility (The Most Important Thing, Seriously):
Alright, let's start with the good. This place tries. They actually seem to understand that not everyone can sprint up a staircase.
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yep, ramps and elevators are present. Not always perfectly placed or the most stylish ramps, but they’re there. The lobby felt pretty navigable, which is half the battle won.
- Accessibility: Good – I saw signs indicating accessible rooms and the website was relatively clear about which areas were step-free.
- Elevator: Working. Praise be.
Rooms
- Available in all rooms:
- Air conditioning: Functional, thankfully, because British heat is a thing.
- Alarm clock: Needed. I, for one, oversleep constantly.
- Bathrobes: Sadly, no.
- Bathroom phone: …Why?
- Bathtub: In my room, yes. Clean-ish.
- Blackout curtains: Essential. Slept like a baby.
- Carpeting: Dated, but clean.
- Closet: Adequate for my non-minimalist life.
- Coffee/tea maker: Hooray! Instant coffee, but hey, I’ll take it.
- Complimentary tea: Again, instant tea.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes, and they did a decent job.
- Desk: Functional. I actually had some work to do, so – useful.
- Extra long bed: My bed was not extra long. Normal bed. Solid, though.
- Free bottled water: Yup.
- Hair dryer: Yes, and it worked!
- High floor: Nope, but I didn’t specifically request one, either.
- In-room safe box: Present, but I don't trust those things.
- Interconnecting room(s) available: No idea.
- Internet access – LAN: I’m still not sure what “LAN” even is in 2024.
- Internet access – wireless: Yes, and it worked!
- Ironing facilities: Yes, and a very old iron that tried to burn my shirt.
- Laptop workspace: See "Desk."
- Linens: Clean. Comfortable. Not luxurious, but fine.
- Mini bar: Nope.
- Mirror: Yes.
- Non-smoking: Crucially, yes.
- On-demand movies: Nah.
- Private bathroom: Yes.
- Reading light: Present.
- Refrigerator: Nope. Could've used one for my wine.
- Safety/security feature: See below but yes!
- Satellite/cable channels: Yes.
- Scale: Are you kidding me? Absolutely not.
- Seating area: One sad little armchair.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Yes.
- Shower: Fine.
- Slippers: No.
- Smoke detector: Yes. Obvs.
- Socket near the bed: Yay!
- Sofa: No.
- Soundproofing: Okay-ish. I could still hear the upstairs neighbor's heavy feet.
- Telephone: Yes.
- Toiletries: The usual little plastic bottles. Pretty basic.
- Towels: Clean, white, and plentiful.
- Umbrella: No. Wish I had one. Manchester weather, am I right?
- Visual alarm: Not that I saw.
- Wake-up service: Yes.
Cleanliness and Safety (My Anxiety Level):
- Anti-viral cleaning products: Supposedly.
- Cashless payment service: Yes. Phew.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Seemed like it.
- First aid kit: Probably.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. Which is good.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: Hopefully.
- Hygiene certification: No idea.
- Individually-wrapped food options: At breakfast. (More on that later.)
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: They tried. It's tough in the breakfast buffet.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: Unclear but I hope so.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Didn't see it, but I didn't look.
- Rooms sanitized between stays: Seemed like it.
- Safe dining setup: It looked reasonably safe.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: I hope so.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: They wore masks, at least.
- Smoke alarms: Present.
- Fire extinguisher: Yes.
- CCTV in common areas: Yes.
- CCTV outside property: Yes.
- Security [24-hour]: Seemed like it.
- Safety/security feature: They tried. It was a little… institutional, but I felt relatively safe.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking (The Fuel of Existence):
- Breakfast [buffet]: Okay, this is where things get…interesting. Let’s just say, the "buffet" felt more like a slightly mournful collection of pre-packaged things. You had your instant coffee, a sad selection of pastries that looked like they'd seen better days, and the usual suspects: scrambled eggs that were… orange. And… sausage. The sausage looked…worrisome. I bravely tried a bite. It was… edible. Barely. But hey, it was there. And available!
- Asian breakfast: No.
- Western breakfast: See above.
- Coffee shop: Nope. Just the instant stuff.
- Desserts in restaurant: Didn't see any.
- Happy hour: Perhaps in the bar.
- Snack bar: No.
- Restaurants: Yes, in a way. The main restaurant served… well, food.
- Room service [24-hour]: Yes. Because, sometimes, you just need a burger at 3 AM.
- Vegetarian restaurant: No.
- Poolside bar: No.
Things To Do/ Ways to Relax (Or, Attempt To):
- Gym/fitness: There was a tiny gym. I saw a treadmill. Just…a treadmill. It looked lonely.
- Spa: Ha! Nope.
- Sauna: Negative.
- Steamroom: Don't be silly.
- Swimming pool: Nope. (And, honestly, that was probably for the best, given my questionable swimsuit choices.)
Services and Conveniences (The Comfort Factor):
- Concierge: Present.
- Daily housekeeping: Yes. See above - Pretty good!
- Dry cleaning: Yes.
- Elevator: Yep.
- Luggage storage: Yes.
- Meeting/banquet facilities: Yes.
- Currency exchange: I think so.
- Doctor/nurse on call: Potentially.
- Food delivery: Yes, and the front desk was helpful with calling cabs.
- Ironing service: Yes! See above (old-fashioned iron).
- Laundry service: Yes.
- Cash withdrawal: Yes, via the help of the front desk.
- Facilities for disabled guests: Yes.
- Car park [on-site]: Yes, free of charge, which is a fantastic win!
**For the Kids
Escape to Auld Holland Inn: Oak Harbor's Hidden Gem!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because this isn't your grandma's meticulously color-coded itinerary. This is… well, this is me attempting to conquer the Best Western in Manchester, CT, and you're all along for the wild, slightly chaotic ride.
Day 1: Arrival, Anxiety, and the Mystery of the Pool That May or May Not Exist
1:00 PM: Travel Time & the Pre-Trip Freakout.
- Okay, so I'm driving. Which means two things: 1) I’m armed with more snacks than the entire population of Manchester (probably) requires, and 2) I'm currently experiencing the pre-trip anxiety spiral. Is the car packed? Did I remember my toothbrush? (I always forget my toothbrush.) Did I, by some insane twist of fate, actually book the wrong hotel, and arrive somewhere in, like, Connecticut, where the population may or may not consist of squirrels.
3:00 PM: The Arrival & The Hotel Check-in
- Pulling into the Best Western's parking lot, I instantly felt the weight of the day. Found the lobby and had to get checked-in to our room. The front desk was friendly, but the decor was… eclectic. Think "Grandma's attic meets a slightly sad Vegas lounge." I was very eager to get our stuff up to the room.
4:00 PM: Room Reveal & The Great Luggage Fumble.
- The room! Well, it's a room. It has a bed, a desk that looks suspiciously like it was salvaged from a high school science classroom, and a TV that I swear is from the early 90's. The first thing I do – after tripping over my own feet, of course – is aggressively throw my bags onto the bed. That's how vacations start, right?
4:30 PM: The Pool Predicament.
The first thing I wanted to do was check out the pool! I mean, what is a vacation without a pool? After a quick search, it appears our hotel boasts a pool, so I run to the front desk and ask, just to make sure it's available to use.
“Yes, the pool is available!” the wonderful woman said. "Oh, wonderful!" I said.
So, the pool. Turns out, it was closed! A sign on the door said it was closed for a few hours to get cleaned. I was upset! It was a real bummer.
5:00 PM: Dinner Disaster & the Quest for Edible Food.
- Time for dinner! The BEST part of the day! Okay, maybe not.
- So, I looked at the reviews and picked an "amazing" pizza place. After a long drive, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet, I went back and got it, and that's when I heard, "we're closed!". Okay, cool. Fine.
- So, instead, I decided to wing it - ordering something for delivery seemed better than starving, right? Now I'm stuck with a burger that tastes suspiciously like cardboard after a 25-minute delivery wait. Lesson learned: Trust reviews, people, and always have a backup plan.
7:00 PM: TV Time & Room Relaxation/ Contemplation.
- Okay, I'm done. I'm turning on the TV. I'm going to find something mindless to watch. Maybe some mindless content will ease the burden and give me some peace.
- And now I'm just staring at the ceiling, wondering about life and whether I should find a late-night grocery store for tomorrow.
Day 2: Breakfast Battles, Manchester Exploration, and the End of the Line
7:00 AM: Breakfast Brouhaha & the Sausage Saga.
- The free breakfast. This is where things get really interesting. The "continental breakfast" promised in the hotel description was more like the Battle of the Biscuit, and I, unfortunately, was a participant.
- I’m talking stale waffles, questionable sausage (that's the saga right there), and coffee that tasted vaguely of burnt tire. I'm not a breakfast snob, but honestly, I think my dog could have whipped up something more palatable. At least the orange juice was orange-colored.
- Seriously contemplating a re-evaluation of my life choices while shoveling down the questionable sausage.
8:00 AM: Manchester Mission: Attempt One.
- After our breakfast, it was time to see Manchester. The town offers a lot, but my priority was a walk through the town, as it seemed like a lovely place to walk. My first stop - a local park, for some fresh air.
- I thought there I would see wildlife and some trees. The trees were great, but the wildlife, sadly, was the other inhabitants, and I was not prepared for them. I stayed only for a bit.
11:00 AM: Shopping Sensation
- Went window shopping at the local stores. Ended up at the town's biggest mall. I found some items I needed and purchased them.
1:00 PM: Lunch, and Contemplation.
- I had my lunch. I sat there and stared out the window, thinking about my vacation.
3:00 PM: Pack and Go!
- Pack everything up and go to the car to head home.
Overall Thoughts & Ramblings:
- The Hotel: The Best Western was… fine. It provided a bed, a slightly questionable breakfast, and a pool I never actually saw. Would I stay again? Maybe. It really depends on my desperation level.
- Manchester: Manchester seemed lovely. It had a nice town. It had a mall. Overall, a good town.
- My Mental State: A rollercoaster.
- The Big Question: You know, I still haven't decided if the Best Western in Manchester was a triumph or a disaster. Maybe it was supposed to be a little bit of both. Perhaps that's the secret to a truly memorable trip.
- Probably should bring my own toothbrush next time though. And maybe pack some snacks. And definitely double-check the pool hours.
- Until the next adventure….!
So, is this Best Western in Manchester actually *good*? Because, let's be honest, Best Westerns... aren't exactly known for being the Ritz.
Okay, rewind. My expectations? Low. Like, subterranean low. I'd booked it because of a work thing, the price was right, and the location seemed… *reasonable*. "Hidden Gem," my eye! I figured I was walking into a beige abyss, surrounded by questionable continental breakfasts and aggressively cheerful desk clerks.
But then… the *lobby*. Not some sterile, corporate monstrosity. It had...character. Quirky art. Maybe it wasn't *chic*, but it felt genuine. A little bit worn, a little bit loved. And the staff? Actually friendly. Not the "forced customer service smile" kind. This was… real. I was already starting to recalibrate my expectations. Shocked? Yeah, maybe a little.
What's the location like? Is it, you know, safe?
Location. Alright. So, it IS Manchester, and let's be real, some areas… aren't exactly known for their gentrification. But this Best Western felt… surprisingly safe. The immediate surroundings weren't glamorous, but they were functional. Easy access to public transport was a HUGE plus. Seriously, navigating Manchester is an adventure in itself. I walked back late one night (after far too much cider at a local pub, don't ask), and I felt… fine. Alert, but not terrified. Which, in some Manchester neighborhoods, is a win.
One minor hiccup: my first night, there was a bit of… *noise*. Sirens, shouting. Typical city stuff, right? Except it went on for a bit longer than I was comfortable with. I called reception, fully expecting the usual brush-off. Nope! They apologized, said they'd look into it (which they did – I saw security checking things out), and even offered me a free breakfast. Smooth move, Best Western, smooth move.
The Breakfast. TELL ME ABOUT THE BREAKFAST. This makes or breaks a hotel for me.
Okay, so breakfast. This is where the "SHOCK" really kicks in. I was steeling myself for lukewarm scrambled eggs and rubbery sausages. You know the drill. But! This was… decent. Seriously! They had a proper selection of hot items, not just sad bacon and beans. There was fresh fruit, decent coffee, and – this is key – *decent bread.*
I'm a breakfast fiend. Like, a serious, “make or break my day” eater at breakfast. And this, honestly, was well above average. I remember ordering a full English one day. The plate arrived, gloriously messy. And it was great. Okay, maybe the black pudding wasn’t Michelin-star quality, but it was *there*. And the fried bread was… well, it was pure, unadulterated comfort food bliss. I might have gone back for seconds. Don’t judge me.
What about the Rooms? Were they, you know, actually *clean*?
Rooms. Okay, let's be real. I'm a sucker for a clean hotel room. And this place DELIVERED. I’m not saying it was a five-star suite, but it was spotless. Everything was in good working order. The bed was comfy. The shower had good water pressure. It was *functional*. The bathroom facilities were surprisingly good. I could forgive a lot of things if I had a nice shower.
There’s a certain… *je ne sais quoi* to a well-maintained hotel room. It's a small act of kindness, y'know? Makes you feel like someone's taking care of you. This place nailed it. My room had a nice view of… honestly, I don't remember! But it didn’t matter. I was just happy my room was clean, cosy, and a place I could chill after a long day. Maybe I'm easily pleased. I'm happy with a comfortable bed and a good shower.
Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Or are you just easily impressed?
Okay, here’s the thing. I'm not normally one for hyperbole. But, yes. Absolutely, unequivocally YES. I would – and have – recommended this Best Western. The location is convenient, the staff are genuinely friendly, the breakfasts are surprisingly decent, the rooms are clean and comfortable, the overall experience just… *works*.
It's not perfect. It's not the Savoy. But it’s a solid, reliable, and surprisingly charming option. It's the anti-hotel hotel, in a way. It doesn't try to be something it's not. And, honestly? In a city like Manchester, that's a breath of fresh air. Plus, that breakfast… I'm still dreaming of that fried bread. Seriously, if you're heading to Manchester, give this hidden gem a shot. You might just be surprised. I was.
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