Velvet Hotel

Manchester


Nineteen beautiful bespoke rooms each oozing style: there's the sleigh bed in room 24, the double bath of room 34, the saucy framed photographs of a stripped-down David Beckham (this is Gay Village, after all!). Despite the tantalising decor and location, this is not an exclusive hotel and is as popular with straight visitors as it is with the same-sex crowd.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Manchester attractions

1. Alan Turing Statue

0.1 MILES

A statue of the noted mathematician, code breaker and gay martyr Alan Turing, who taught at the University of Manchester from 1946–52, when he lost his…

2. Manchester Art Gallery

0.28 MILES

A superb collection of British art and a hefty number of European masters are the highlights at the city's top art gallery. It's home to the best…

3. Greater Manchester Police Museum

0.32 MILES

One of the city's best-kept secrets is this superb museum housed within a former Victorian police station. The original building has been magnificently –…

4. Midland Bank

0.35 MILES

The year 1935 saw the opening of Edwin Lutyens' stunning art-deco Midland Bank, now home to a branch of Jamie's Italian – even if you don't eat there it's…

5. Town Hall

0.39 MILES

Manchester's most impressive building is the Grade I–listed town hall, completed in 1877 after a design by Alfred Waterhouse. The Great Hall is decorated…

6. Central Library

0.39 MILES

Britain's largest municipal library was built in 1934 to resemble the Roman Pantheon. A major refurbishment has seen the addition of a wonderful Children…

7. John Rylands Library

0.57 MILES

Less a library and more a cathedral to books, Basil Champneys' stunning building is a breathtaking example of Victorian Gothic, no more so than the…

8. National Football Museum

0.61 MILES

This museum charts the evolution of British football from its earliest days to the multi-billion-pound phenomenon it is today. One of the highlights is…