The Macdonalds Hotel for the Ipod Generation

There's a lot of visitors coming to Manchester, and the hoteliers of the world have cottoned on to this fact. Macdonald's (the hotel group, not the fast food guys) are set to open one of the city centre's biggest hotels in the former BT building in Piccadilly.

Plans for the £33million hotel have been revealed and although its going to be a huge hotel (234 rooms, no less) this isn't going to be another Premier Lodge. The Macdonald Hotel will have an on-site bar, restaurant, gym and health spa. The rooms will be very high end, with i-pod docking stations, free wireless internet, 24hr room service and a separate bath and shower (clad in marble).

The hotel will cater for the business community, with a 300 capacity hall and meeting rooms. It's location, right next door to Piccadilly Station and at the end of the A57(M), means it should be busy.

The hotel is set to open in September 2007, and the rooms are priced (at our discounted rate) at £107 for a double. That's not the cheapest (you can grab a room at the nearby Malmaison for less than £100) but the Macdonald clearly aims to be a cut above...whilst not quite in the league of the ever-popular Deansgate Hilton.