The best budget hotels in Manchester, from hip city-centre stays to sleek aparthotels

This happening spot in Manchester’s Northern Quarter knows how to treat its guests. Exposed brick walls, copper accessories and marble fireplaces create a dramatic sense of style in the rooms, while extras such hairstyling tools, free Netflix and comfy Hypnos beds ensure guests feel spoilt. Many original features have been retained from the former textile warehouse it occupies, including fireplaces and exposed beams; original machinery can be found in some rooms. The Plantation Bar, is the place to go for free prosecco and nibbles (during happy hour), cocktails and coffee.

A hotel in the city’s First Street area with the famous Hacienda building just over the road. From the angular red building to the open-plan layout of the restaurant and bar, this hotel is stylish and modern. Thoughtful touches such as sketches of nearby King Street on bed headboards and a colourful tree in reception show that it’s not just a soulless chain hotel. Look out for the ‘doodle pillar’ in reception which has been decorated by local illustrator Dave Draws – it features all things Mancunian such as the Manchester bee. All 208 rooms are spacious – even the standard King Guestrooms – and have huge, comfortable, king-sized beds as well as a minibar with complimentary soft drinks.

This aparthotel in a central location close to Chinatown and Manchester Art Gallery is set in an interesting Grade II listed building, which is full of character, with enormous windows, exposed metal beams and high ceilings. Each of the 59 apartments is unique and quirky – some have double showers or sinks, four-poster beds or a television in the bathroom. You don’t have to stay in a suite for a touch of luxury: even the entry-level Smart Studios have stylish bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen with dishwasher, microwave and hob, and White Company toiletries as standard.

Motel One, just around the corner from Piccadilly station, is a great option for travellers on a budget who don’t want to compromise on style. The German brand offers a winning combination of a straightforward pricing structure, simple rooms with all the essentials, stylish public areas and a central location. Attention has been paid to detail in the public areas of this hotel, giving a good first impression when guests arrive – there’s a ‘Madchester’/Britpop-themed lounge and bar with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and guitars on shelves. The breakfast area has golden Manchester bees on a sparkly wall and gold pendant lights. The rest of the hotel is white, bright and modern.

A family-run b&b in the south Manchester suburb of Chorlton that is perfect for guests visiting Old Trafford (five minutes’ walk) or popping into the city centre which is 15 minutes away on the tram. The Edwardian building is full of character, all stained-glass windows and elaborate cornicing, and dogs are welcome. There is a television and complimentary Wi-Fi in every room, and rooms three and four have tubs as well as showers. There are no communal rooms, alas, but a 24-hour continental breakfast buffet on the first-floor landing may go some way in compensating for this.

Hotels don’t come any more central than this bright and breezy budget option with its witty décor based on Manchester’s famously rainy climate. Behind a handsome listed 19th-century façade you’ll find airy modern interiors crammed with playful design features – door handles fashioned as wellie boots, umbrellas hanging from the lobby ceiling and even a children’s play corner with an interactive meterology map and books about the weather. Rooms are cosy and welcoming, with colourful décor and furniture reprising the weather theme – tables shaped as clouds, murals of umbrellas and rainy scenes, and even carpets with patterns of leaves, grass and puddles.

This modern hotel, which is a 10-minute walk from Media City, aims to provide everything the Millennial traveller needs. There’s a gym, library area, and shop where guests can buy drinks and snacks. The modern, minimalist style means there aren’t any unnecessary decorative extras in rooms such as rugs or artwork, while the colour scheme is neutral brown and grey tones with wooden flooring and simple crisp white linen. If you’d like a view of Salford Quays, ask for an odd-numbered room – the higher the floor, the better. Breakfast is a self-service buffet offering everything from yogurt and fruit to a cooked breakfast, as well dishes such as churros as a reminder of the brand’s Spanish roots.

These bright and shiny apartments in a glass-fronted former office block offer style on a budget right by Manchester Piccadilly train station. Think funky beanbags and bright splashes of colour against a minimalist backdrop. The 182 pristine apartments over seven floors range from one-bedroom suites sleeping four to three-bedroom units sleeping eight. Interiors are minimalist but inviting, with bare matte floors, comfy sofas and quality linens. All have a double or single sofa bed in the living room, plus a dining table and chairs. Fully-equipped kitchens include dishwashers, washer-dryers, full ovens, microwaves and cafetières.

The Novotel is popular with corporate guests, but don’t let this put you off; it offers good-value rates, and the central location allows visitors to walk to city-centre attractions. Interiors are bright and contemporary, and there’s a sauna, hammam and small fitness centre. Rooms have excellent rainshowers and a separate loo; a sofa bed in every room allows children under 16 to stay for free. There’s also a bar and restaurant where the standard of food is surprisingly good with choices such as harissa spiced salmon and sweet potato and spinach curry. Breakfast is a good selection of hot and cold buffet options with some nice touches such as local honey.

This pub with 15 rooms in the heart of the trendy Northern Quarter is a great-value base the city centre. It’s proud of its roots, with local pictures of the city on the walls, Lowry prints, and rooms named after the guidebooks of Abel Heywood, a 19th-century Manchester publisher and mayor. Staff are friendly, and entry-level doubles are compact but comfortable and soundproofed. Standard rooms have retro radios while Loft rooms have record players with a vinyl collection to choose from as well as a double sofa bed. Breakfast includes quirky options like baked eggs with spiced tomato fondue and avocado, and cinnamon French toast sandwiches with peanut butter and toasted pistachio (£7).

Manchester hotel views don’t come much better for sports fans. With 85 of its bedrooms overlooking the Old Trafford cricket pitch, there’s the unique opportunity to watch all of the action of a match (or concerts: past acts included Radiohead and Beyonce) from your balcony. The style is modern, bright and uniform but touches such as cricket bails resting on bookshelves in the lobby, black-and-white pictures of Manchester on bedroom walls and the ‘Lancashire County Cricket Club’ red exterior are all a nod to its special setting. Rooms are decorated in muted greys with pale wooden furniture, and the extremely comfortable beds have simple, crisp white linen.