WORDS
SIMON KURS, MAT WIGGINS
HOTELS LISTED BY AIRPORT DESTINATION
H O T E L
R E V I E W S
V I E W P O I N T S
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thudding sound systems may
have been
swapped for lush rooms and a serene
spa, yet the musical heavyweights who
performed at Manchester’s Free Trade
Hall (before it was transformed into a
luxury Radisson Blu) haven’t been entirely
silenced. On the top floor of its suave
penthouse, the self-contained suites of
rich chocolate and mahogany bear names
of former performers, such as Dylan or
Mercury. Views over the Mancunian
skyline are mesmerising, much like the
local black pudding served up at breakfast
and the steaks with unlimited fries plated
up by night. Hot-stone massage, sauna
or dip in the spa are all great precursors
to a night out in the city’s sprawling town
centre, where its ever-current music scene
is right on the hotel’s doorstep.
Book at
hotels.easyJet.com
Axel Guldsmeden
Copenhagen
|
Boutique
|
From €103
if there’s one thing
that sums up what’s so great about the
Axel Guldsmeden, it’s the breakfast. Bowls of crispy bacon
and scrambled organic eggs, local goat’s cheese, fresh fruit,
just-baked cakes and biodynamic juices, all served from cute
crockery in a warmly lit space, aromas wafting from the kitchen.
After such a start, you feel absolutely ready to explore – and
that’s another thing this four-star boutique stay does so well.
Located in the buzzy Vesterbro district, it couldn’t be better
placed. On one side, it’s a five-minute stroll to the famed Tivoli
Gardens and the main shopping streets. Head the other way
and you reach Kødbyen. Formerly the city’s meat-packing
district, the area is now something of a nightlife hub, with bars,
restaurants and clubs – so that’s your socialising sorted too.
The Guldsmeden group has three more hotels in the city
– the Babette, Bertrams and Carlton – and all share the same
laid-back, Bali-inspired vibe. It may sound odd for a Danish hotel
to reference a tropical island, but the juxtaposition really works.
Alongside seriously comfortable four-poster beds, the
Axel’s 129 rooms all evoke exotic climes in a way that makes it
a wonderful refuge after a day in the real world, with bamboo
furnishings and aromatic bathroom products. And, if you’re so
inclined, the hot tub in the spa ain’t half bad either.
Book at
hotels.easyJet.com
Radisson Blu Edwardian
Manchester
|
Luxury
|
From €202
01
01
Warm up in
Axel’s Balinese-
inspired spa
02
One of the hotel’s
seriously comfortable
four-poster beds
02
03
