Selina is a hotel chain I first discovered when travelling around Argentina earlier this year. The brand is Latin American at heart, but has since strayed around the world, with locations on every continent (except the icy one). In the UK, there’s one just a stone’s throw from my home in Brighton, as well as outposts in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Margate. I had the pleasure of staying at the Selina NQ1 Manchester, which boasts generous communal rooms as well as private lofts… Here’s how we found our stay.
Selina NQ1 Manchester, Reviewed
Right from the start, I was impressed by Selina Manchester. It’s located just a 10-minute walk from Piccadilly Station, right in the heart of Northern Quarter. It’s an ideal location for a hotel, and yet, it boasts great value for money.
The hotel is located in a renovated Victorian building, and boasts a glamourous exterior, friendly lobby, and then huge rooms with huge ceilings. We stayed in one of The Loft rooms, which offers more privacy, including a private room, private bathroom, and kitchenette.
The Loft
As you can see from the pics, I arrived past sun-down, but was still able to take beautiful photos of the room! The bed was huuuuuge, had clean, soft bedding, and gave us both a great night’s sleep. The kitchenette came with a mix of cutlery, crockery, and even a hob. Personally, I was expecting a microwave, so a hob was a nice surprise!
The major draw of The Loft has to be its private bathroom. Here, I was able to unpack my cosmetics and take my time getting ready. I also got to take my * with me – these are so great for travel! (Plus, you can get 30% off with the code: BESMA30)
We did have to speak to reception to request a hairdryer and washing up sponge, but that’s no different to requests I’ve had to make at far pricier hotels.
Social Good
And, what’s lovely is Selina’s focus on supporting local businesses. Selina NQ1 Manchester hosts a whole range of events – one almost every day – and offers discounts to local establishments, as well as free drinks at the bar next-door.
In terms of sustainability, the hotel encourages the usual steps – turn off the lights, reusables over disposables, free water refills, low-flow shower heads, etc. – and is taking steps to monitor their global emissions. In Costa Rica, all of their hotels are carbon neutral certified, and I’d love to see this apply to the whole group. They’re also aiming to stop using all disposable plastic by 2025!
Overall…
Personally, I would choose Selina over a typical hotel chain when I can. I hope to see more in the way of sustainability in coming years, too. But overall, they provided us with a comfortable, affordable, and friendly place to be while in Manchester!
