The Reach at Piccadilly, Manchester – A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

The Reach at Piccadilly, Manchester – a Tribute Portfolio Hotel within Marriott Bonvoy’s Collection – is the latest luxury hotel to open in Manchester. Honouring the city’s industrial heritage and its pioneering past. Located in the heart of the city centre the property offers chic design, features 215 stylish guest rooms, eight suites, and a beautiful destination ground-floor restaurant and bar Loch 84. Read the full review following our stay at this beautiful new addition to the Manchester hotel scene over on the website.

Look & Feel

Occupying ten floors in what was originally an aparthotel the building has been meticulously transformed by ICA Studios who also worked on The Halyard at Ropewalks Liverpool, Vignette Collection (read review) into a 215-bedroom and suite Tribute Portfolio property. Capturing the essence of a ‘coming home’ feeling, reminiscent of the Canalside Inns that once welcomed weary boatmen after a long day on the waterways. These inns provided everything they needed—freshly baked goods, cool ales, and the latest news from friends and beyond. 

The interior design bridges the pioneering spirit of the past with the entrepreneurial energy of today, honouring the legacy of ‘The Canal Pioneers’. It offers a modern interpretation of the industrial era, Canalside living, and the exquisite craftsmanship of narrowboats. Tactile materials were chosen to celebrate the goods that once traversed the Pennines to the great cities of England—coal, cotton, timber, wool, limestone, and salt.

Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio

The Reach at Piccadilly, Manchester – A Tribute Portfolio Hotel joins Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio – a collection of independent boutique hotels that each showcase their unique character while being united by a common spirit of individuality and community. Each property is known for its distinctive designs, often featuring bold colours, noteworthy art installations, and elements that reflect the local culture and history. Examples include The Alida in Savannah, Georgia, which blends Southern hospitality with contemporary design, and the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam, which stands out with its eclectic mix of Art Deco and modern elements. The collection spans across several continents, including Europe, North America, and Asia, offering unique stays in cities like Paris, London, Taipei and now Manchester.

Location

Located on Ducie Street the hotel is in a great location right beside the tranquil Rochdale Canal where a little pocket of calm amounst the bustle of Manchester, yet it is also just a two-minute walk from Piccadilly Train Station, making it an ideal base for exploring the city’s main attractions. There is no parking on site however a partnership with the secure car park, Q Park, which is only a five-minute walk away, offers guests discounted rates.

Rooms & Suites

Offering a variety of luxurious rooms and suites – including the City Cosy room, Deluxe Double, Deluxe Twin, Deluxe Double with Balcony, Junior Suite, and Suite. Each guestroom is designed with comfort and modern amenities like 50-inch Smart TVs, powerful rain showers, espresso machines, luxurious mattresses, linens and toiletries. Terrace rooms provide additional outdoor space while the suites increase floor space further with the largest suite accommodating up to four guests.

Our Room

During our stay we were hosted in one of the properties Delux Doubles with Balcony. Rooms feature wooden parquet flooring and panelled walls which meet soft wrap-around wall lighting evoking a sense of calm and tranquillity. A throw on the bed, scatter cushions and a wood-enclosed TV give the space a warm homely feel rather than a clinical hotel bedroom.

A semi-open plan wardrobe and amenities area maximise space in the room, where you will find a Nespresso machine, kettle, iron and ironing board, safe and ample clothing storage.

Little extras like the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray next to the bed offer a relaxing touch and amenities by Ducie Street Co are truly glorious and are made with activated charcoal, again taking a nod to the area’s history and past.

The bathroom is lit with soft wrap-around mirror lighting, and the large walk-in wetroom has both an overhead rain shower and a hand shower for convenience.

It’s not mandatory to bring your pets, but it is allowed. So we brought ours! The hotel is both dog and cat-friendly and they do push the boat out for their arrival with the fun little teepee setup in the room for them.

The terrace rooms include an outdoor terrace each of which can fit two people and has a view down towards Picadilly Station.

Lock 84 Restaurant & Bar

The ground floor offers an open plan reception which flows into the bar behind and restaurant in front while floor-to-ceiling windows running the length of the restaurant provide a view out to Rochdale Canal offering the ideal setting to enjoy their all-day dining and breakfast options.

Lock 84 Bar

Head to the bar for a pre or post-dinner cocktail where the cocktail menu takes inspiration from ‘The Rochdale Nine,’ a series of locks that run through the heart of the city as well as offering a twist on the traditional ‘fourpenny’ drink, which was historically used by workers to toast the end of the day.

Lock 84 Restaurant

Under the leadership of Executive Chef George Warwick and his talented team, the restaurant delivers an exceptional dining experience. The menu is a dynamic fusion of fresh, seasonal ingredients and innovative flavours, drawing inspiration from cuisines around the globe along with local produce where possible.

The evening menu takes the form of small and large plates with emphasis on sharing and exploring different taste combinations. We tried a selection of their plates including Smoke Salmon Tartare, Manchester Scotch Egg, Pulled Lamb, and Truffle Gnocchi along with three desserts. 

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in Lock 84 – à la carte featuring a plated Full English breakfast made with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, as well as a plated full vegan breakfast. Larger plates offer seasonal twists, such as ‘Nduja eggs with sourdough, Acai bowls, and a Manchester-style eggs Benedict. In addition there is a continental buffet with an array of local bread, cereals, cheeses, yoghurts, and fresh fruit. Along with fresh fruit juices, kombucha, Ancoats coffee, BrewTea loose-leaf tea, and flavoured waters and coffee.

Fitness Suite

A small but perfectly formed fitness studio is tucked away on the ground floor which also offers views over the canal – which if you’d rather workout outdoors is a great spot for a run too.

Final Thoughts

The Reach at Piccadilly, Manchester blends everything I love about the city of Manchester into one luxury hotel experience – expect friendly and welcoming staff, a great food and drink offering, a vibrant ground floor area and refined relaxing guest quarters, a very welcome addition to the city and we highly recommend it!

This property is included in our guide to the best hotels in Manchester.