THE LOWDOWN
THE third Treehouse Hotel (its siblings are in London and Silicon Valley, no less) has taken root in the spot of the former Renaissance Deansgate hotel.
Interiors are crafted from vintage and reclaimed materials and it’s a 15-minute stroll from Manchester Piccadilly.
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The city’s buzzing bars, restaurants and shops are all on your doorstep, plus the hotel has its own swish cinema.
WHAT WE LOVED. . .
The bespoke scent of wildflowers follows you wherever you go and Ibiza-style chill-out beats play in the lobby.
Comfy nooks are laden with board games and fidget toys, and rustic bird houses decorate the walls.
Upstairs, we fell for the city views and the whimsical design of our Studio Suite – think fabric headboards decorated in woodland animals, colourful patchwork quilts wrapped over super-king beds and rainbow curtains.
Natural botanical toiletries smell incredible and yoga mats are supplied for morning stretches.
Tuck into home-made crumpets with honey from the Treehouse’s own bees, £8, for brekkie.
Come dinnertime, opt for delicate smoked chalk stream trout with mustard cream, rhubarb ketchup and a rye cracker, and squab ham pigeon nestled in mustard leaves with a lemon thyme granita at eatery Pip.
Even the veggie braised leek Sunday roast is a winner, £31 for two courses.
WHAT WE DIDN’T LOVE. . .
This place is still feathering its nest, so it’ll be autumn before its Asian-fusion restaurant and rooftop bar open.
OUT AND ABOUT
Film buff?
Grab your trainers for a walking tour with The Locationist, AKA actor Lee Perkins, and visit locations from the likes of Peaky Blinders, Captain America and Sherlock Holmes.
You’ll be amazed to find out how many times Manchester doubles up for NYC! A four-hour tour costs £17 per person (Thelocationist.co.uk).
Sun shining?
Stop by Castlefield Viaduct, a luscious sky-garden sun trap.
Meanwhile, wine enthusiasts should not miss Kelly’s Manchester Wine Tour to visit four brilliant watering holes, such as natural wine shop Kerb and Gary Neville’s Sterling bar.
We’re still dreaming of his cheese doughnuts!
A four-hour tour costs £37.50 per person, including tastings and nibbles (Manchesterwinetours.com).
Handily, tours start at Cutting Room Square, the site of Ancoats’ The Makers Market, on the first Sunday of every month.
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Go early to pick up fab jewellery, art and artisan produce, including salmon and dill filo pastries from Primo Grano (Themakersmarket.co.uk).
For dinner, hit lively Blacklock and sip on a Usual Suspects – a mix of jalapeño tequila, Aperol and prosecco, £9 – while munching potted meats and kimchi, £1.50, plus spicy pig’s head on toast, £8, to start.
Go big or go home – order the sharing porterhouse loin for mains, £10.50 per 100g (Theblacklock.com).
The next morning, grab a restorative blueberry smoothie, £5.30, from the excellent Gran T’s (Gran-t-coffeehouse.co.uk).
THE DAMAGE
Double rooms cost from £199 (Treehousehotels.com/manchester). Plan your trip at Visitmanchester.com.