So, what are the extras? Well, comparing to Premier Travel Inns (£50 a night), here's a summary of what you get above and beyond: full help-yourself cooked/continental breakfast is included, rooms that are much bigger and better equipped (ironing board, trouser press, more TV channels, and basic toiletries), room specification and decor are generally better, and there's the option of room service. The car park entry/exit has a security barrier, but the number of golf balls laying around the car park did make me slightly nervous - there's a driving range adjacent. The small bathroom contains a nice shower but no bath.

This particular hotel also has an additional outstanding feature - its just a 5-minute walk from the many delights of the Trafford Centre.

In short, I'll be staying here in future whenever I'm working with this particular customer, but next time, I'll probably take my wife with me. She'll have no problem filling in her day pottering around the shops while I'm busy, and there's no shortage of nice eateries to choose from at the end of the day, too.

I didn't eat in the hotel restaurant, except for breakfast, which was fine. In fact, I'd say you'd be mad to eat there with so many options over the road - maybe only if you're very tired. Or lazy.

The sign outside says that it’s the "Official hotel of Manchester United Football Club." God only knows what that means, probably just some marketing rhetoric best ignored.