Manchester hotels for families

My next family trip will be from Manchester on VS75. There are five of us, two adults and three youngish kids (age 10, 8 and 4.) I’m looking for hotels and parking around the airport, what’s the v-flyer recommendation?

The Radisson Blu is more expensive than I’d like to pay but if push came to shove I’d pay it just for the airport views. The problem is they don’t officially allow 5 to a room even though it’s a business suite and the kids will all fit in a Queen Size bed. I spoke to a friend with 3 kids and she says they just sneaked them in but they didn’t hang about for breakfast as they were going to the V-Room.

The Hilton will accept 5. Is it walking distance from the terminal? How does car parking work with them, where do I drop it off and where do I collect it?

The Clayton (Bewley’s) and Crowne Plaza also won’t officially take 5. I’ve stayed at the Airport Inn when it was called the Moat House but it’ll be too small for 5.

I’m also thinking of using the twilight check in, have a good breakfast in the hotel and minimise our airport time rather than booking ourselves into a lounge. We won’t have access to the V-room and I’m not convinced about the Swissport lounge.

Can't comment on hotels around Manchester airport, but isn't Twilight Check In offered only at Gatwick?

Don't know about parking I'm afraid but the Hilton is easily walkable from the airport (albeit across a busy road with no official crossings). But they have a free shuttle so access to the terminal isn't an issue.

As pjh says I don't think VS have twilight check-in at MAN, only LGW. As for lounges there aren't any really good ones at MAN, certainly none worth paying for. The best of a bad bunch is the Escape lounge which is run by the airport. But I'd say go with your instinct and have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. The Hilton does a good buffet (better than Bewleys or the Crowne Plaza).

Ah, I've been sold a dummy by Google, it came up in the search but when I click thru the articles it's other operators (Thomson) not Virgin. Never mind, if I do online check-in the bag drop won't take very long the next morning.

The Hilton is sounding good then. Thanks.

[mitchja]

The parking system is the same at both the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza in that you check-in to the hotel then hand your keys over and your car is taken away. On your return, you call the hotel using the courtesy phones in the terminals, they collect you and take you back to the hotel where your car is ready for collection.

I much prefer the Crowne Plaza over the Hilton, besides it being IHG, the rooms are much nicer IMHO.

The Raddison Blu is over-priced for what is it IMHO. You are paying for the convince of it being the only hotel which is linked to T2 & T1.

Both the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza are within reasonable walking distance of all the terminals. I would say the Hilton is marginally closer to T2 than the Crowne Plaza is.

To walk to T2 from either of those hotels, you either first walk to the train station in the middle which is connected to T2 & T1 via indoor moving walkways or the other way is to walk to T1 and use the same moving walkways from there to get to T2.

All the hotels do offer free mini-bus transfers to/from all the terminals though.

Have used the Radisson a few times & it can't be beaten for convenience - but as the OP has said, it's pricey.

Back in May I was travelling with a friend & we stayed at the Premier Inn in Heald Green - 2 rooms @ £35 each. Checked into the hotel then drove to T2 at MAN to drop the car off at Meet & Greet parking (about £75 for 19 days). Train back to the Premier Inn (1 stop, so a couple of quid each & train station is literally next to the Premier Inn). You could spend the evening at the Premier Inn, as it has an attached pub/restaurant, but we went into Manchester for food. On arrival back at the Premier Inn we asked about taxis to the airport for the morning & they booked us one for a fixed price of £6.

So for £145 + taxi / train fares we got 2 rooms for the night before + meet & greet parking at T2, so on arrival back in the UK we were in the car in no time heading home. Sure, not quite as convenient as the Radisson - but you could argue that the taxi dropped us closer to T2 check-in than staying at the Radisson.

I'm starting to plan the next Orlando trip & will certainly consider the same overnight arrangements for the night before the flight again. IMO it's a little inconvenience (when it does not matter too much, i.e. the night before the flight) for a decent saving. That money can be better spent whilst on holiday!

We stayed at Bewleys hotel and found it very reasonable and very nice. I think they do family rooms but I'm not sure if you can get 5 in 1 room. I think we paid £60 and booked through expedia. Excellent transfer buses to all terminals. We used the long stay car park which works out much cheaper than parking at the hotel and you park your car yourself rather than leaving your keys with the hotel which I prefer.
As others have said there is no twilight check in at Manchester. I wouldn't bother with the lounges they are not very good. There is a Frankie and Bennies in terminal 2 which do a great breakfast if you didn't want to eat breakfast at the hotel.

[honey lamb]

Ah, yes! I have fond memories of Bewleys Hotel in MAN (as it is an Irish company) although the reason for me being there was sad - I overnighted from Cork to await the arrival of cousins from NOC to attend another cousin's funeral.

The hotel was busy and buzzy and there was a good vibe about the place. I can't remember if I ate there but the bar was great but my abiding memory of it was when the person in the room to the right of me sneezed and someone in the room to the left of me said, "Bless you!"