Why it’s good for business
Mention the name Forte and business traveller in the same sentence and many
will think back to the glory days of the Trusthouse Forte chain and the
workaday Posthouses but the very individual hotels that make up the Rocco
Forte Group could not be further from that image. The Lowry in Manchester is
a classic example. It’s the most upscale hotel in the city and since it
opened five years ago has created a reputation as the place to stay for
celebs – Take That, Sven Goran Eriksson, the Arsenal team, Craig Cash and
Caroline Aherne on the day of my visit – as well as business travellers who
don’t have to worry about the budget.
Yet the approach to the hotel does not inspire confidence. You arrive through
a car park and come upon a facade that might make you think of those
standardised Posthouses of the past. However, the glass-fronted side
overlooking the River Irwell and the Trinity Bridge is much more impressive
but you rarely get to see it.
Trafford Park, home to 1,400 companies including TetraPak, Allied Mills and
Teco, is a couple of miles away. The new Spinningfields financial services
development, with around 2.4 million square feet of office space in 12
buldings, is in the process of being built on the opposite side of the
Irwell. It is a ten-minute taxi ride from G-MEX and the Convention Centre.
The room
As with many new-builds hotels, the rooms are substantial – typically 35
square metres for a standard room. The bed is equally huge – two metres
across – and only serves to underline the loneliness of business travel. The
décor is modern classic – swathes of neutral beige and khaki with the odd
dash of bright red to liven things up.
A place to meet
The River Bar is a perfect spot for an informal meeting. Tables furthest from
the bar are sectioned off and the background music is not too loud during
the day. On my visit, Sven Goran-Eriksson was having a meeting with one of
the Arsenal coaching team over a cup of peppermint tea, perhaps to discuss
Joe Cole. The hotel also has a dedicated conference floor with facilities
for up to 400, which has a separate entrance from the main hotel, meaning
the celebs don’t have to rub shoulders with the suits.
Technology credentials
The hotel has wireless internet throughout at a pricey £15 for 24 hours. The
hotel has a full time IT manager on site during working hours and a number
of staff trained as IT concierges. There is a helpline for getting connected
to the internet. The hotel also has a guest computer which can be hired.
Fed and watered
The River Restaurant is under the eye of German-born Eyck Zimmer, formerly at
London’s Ritz and with 40 food awards to his name. Business travellers often
need comfort food when they are travelling and trhe River Restaurant serves
up a treat in that respect with its classic British menu – four courses for
£38. You start with minted pea soup and roasted Cornish scallops in cider.
Main course is a tournedos of Aberdeen Angus with horseradish mash. Afters
is of course nothing less than bread and butter pudding. The restaurant has
recently gone non-smoking.
In the know
The concierge recommends the Restaurant Bar and Grill for a
place to wow a potential business partner. This trendy restaurant opened at
around the same time as the Lowry and specialises in fusion food and top-end
burgers. The chilli squid and lamb shank are popular dishes. Around £30 a
head. 14 John Dalton Street, Manchester. Tel 0161 839 1999
Business class – business farce
Business class: The Lowry has attentive but melt-into-the-background staff
Business farce: High rates compared to Manchester’s other business hotels
The bottom line
Single rooms from £205 plus VAT; Continental breakfast £14.50, full £18.50;
shirt pressing £4.81 (two-hour service); minibar miniature whisky £5
Need to know
The Lowry, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Salford, Manchester. Tel 0161 827
4000. www.roccofortehotels.com. Check-in 2pm/check-out noon.
