Plus, what to do in Manchester for a weekend with children
Is it still possible to be bougie in the city when you have a two year old in tow?
We spent a weekend living our best Manchester life with a toddler and found out.
Roomzzz Manchester Corn Exchange
Roomzzz Manchester Corn Exchange
1 of 4Bedrooms
One of the most daunting aspects about staying in a hotel with your little one is space, or rather the lack of it. City centre rooms can be tiny at the best of times, even without a cot, a buggy, and the assorted bags of stuff you need to take with you. Seriously, how can one very small person need such big bags of equipment and clothes?That problem is taken care of at Roomzzz. Our studio was huge, super clean and felt brand new. Ceilings are high, the bed could have accomadated three of us, and the enormous windows let in lots of light.
2 of 4Bathrooms
The bathroom was spacious, and stocked with super luxe White Company cosmetics. Just the ticket.
3 of 4Building
The building itself is very interesting, and the tiled stairways spectacular. Some of the stairs are in unexpected places though, so say at booking if you're buggy reliant.
4 of 4Reception and breakfast
Staff were very friendly, and pointed out that soft drinks are free and available all day.Breakfast, included in the stay, was a grab-and-go (back to bed, if you're lucky) selection of pastries. yogurt and fruit. Our little one loved choosing his own and carrying it back to our room in a paper bag.
Roomzzz rooms are available from £89, including breakfast, and can be booked at roomzzz.com
Things to do in Manchester with children
In a word: quite a bit. We didn't find any parks, but we did find lots of fun.
Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester
Unlike the perhaps better known Legoland in Windsor, this one is for smaller children.
Our toddler LOVED making his own racing car and the very adventurous soft play area. He was too young for some of the rides, and found the princess adventure a bit overwhelming, but loved cycling on Merlin's Apprentice (above).
Us grown-ups were thrilled by the Lego northern cities and on-site Costa. Seriously, coffee is life with a toddler.
Sealife Centre Manchester
The SealIfe Centre is an oasis of calm in the delightfully odd Trafford centre.
We enjoyed the shark tunnel, a calming sit down by the rays and hearing about all the conservation work the centre does with turtles. Our toddler enjoyed the soft play and is still talking about stroking a starfish.
The giant crabs were a delight for all. Just how big can they be? Trust us, they must be seen to be believed.
Where to eat in Manchester with children: Blackhouse
We had the BEST time at Blackhouse. Our waiter was a delight, and not phased by our toddler's request (demand) for cushions so he could see the table.
In fact, although it's definitely a restaurant for grown-ups, the kids' mac and cheese was about the best mac and cheese we've ever tasted - when a place takes children's food this seriously you know it's good.
We started with a fabuously decadent garlic ciabatta that our toddler loved too, a steal at £3.50. Portions were huge (we took home a doggy bag), cocktails delicate and slipped down a treat.
Gino D'Acampo Manchester
Gino D'Acampo was buzzing on a Saturday night but still very welcoming to a family with a toddler.
The setting was stylish and the staff delightfully Italian, with Italians' love of children - in fact, the pizza our little one ordered was huge. No bad thing for a growing boy.
In fact, big portions were something of a theme, my husband's portion of sausage pasta was just what he needed after a day tramping the city, and the crema Catalan dessert bigger than my face. I have a pretty, big, face.
Afternoon tea at Malmaison
Is afternoon tea suitable for a toddler? Does a toddler like cake?
We had a lovely time at vibrant city centre hotel Malmaison. The setting was opulent but not too stiff for a two year old, and staff not phased by a last minute dietary request.
Our little boy loved the fabulously fruity milkshakes and the blackberry brownies. We loved the sliders and the generous portion of tangy cheesecake with a gingery surprise at the base.
Buy gin afternoon tea for two at a Malmaison for £49 from BuyaGift
Travelling to Manchester by train
We travelled from London to Manchester with Virgin trains. Single standard class fares available from £24. Typical journey time between London and Manchester is 2hours 8minutes. On a typical weekday Virgin Trains operates three services an hour between London and Manchester – a service every 20 minutes