Copthorne Hotel Manchester, Lower Quays Restaurant & Bar

Reasonable location. Room was okay but the heating was on in the middle of summer and bathroom amenities were minimal. Service was rated low because both of the carpark check-in screens were down. No different from a budget hotel. Breakfast was alright.

Location wise, it couldn't be better. Parking when we arrived was plentiful and free to guests as long as you were logged in. The hotel public spaces are good, but on this weekend, the heat was the main concern, due to noise abatement doors had to remain shut in dining room and conference areas but air-conditioning wasn't working well enough if at all. Many people reported feeling unwell due to the heat and smell in the conference areas. Water was supplied for water bottles, but replenishment of glasses for use was poor. The hotel feels tired in the rooms, lack of electrical sockets ( an extension lead was supplied after a day), a fan was supplied to keep air moving, but we had nowhere to plug it easily Some rooms were missing sink plugs, and bedside lights seem to be one per room. Our shower worked but most of our friends had poorly working showers and the couple who had to share a bed ( no twin available despite booking) found themselves with no shower or bath for the last night as the stopcock was needed to stop the flow from the broken shower. No room was available for swapping ( although a 30% discount was mentioned). The key card entry system to the rooms was very poor, and we spent a lot of time getting to the room only to find we couldn't get in and traipsing back to reception to get revalidated. We know not to keep keys next to phones, credit cards, and magnets, and I kept mine in an RFID case, but still, it failed. Staff were very patient in explaining how to use the cards, and we were patient letting them despite our experience. The one thing that took more than 24 hours for a more knowledgeable member of staff to explain was that if one key card was faulty and they reset it, the other card was cancelled automatically. Once we were given 2 new cards, the problem ceased hurrah. Please especially thank the night staff for their patience in assisting people via a master card over and over again. As usual, communication is the key ( in this case, very much ), so please can the manager ensure that all reception staff are aware of this to save their own legs, too.