Tribe Manchester Airport

As I had a 6am flight, I chose to stay the night at TRIBE due to its convenient walking distance to the airport. I also selected it over other nearby options because it's a relatively new hotel, and I was happy to pay a bit more for cleanliness and comfort. The hotel does look stylish from the outside, and the public spaces are well-designed. However, the room itself was a disappointment. Cleanliness was not up to standards, which was a major letdown. When I pulled back the duvet, I found dirt marks and hair inside the covers. It made me extremely uncomfortable, and I ended up not sleeping under the covers at all because it just didn’t feel clean. Additionally, they used off-brand coffee capsules instead of proper Nespresso ones, which felt like a small but noticeable cost-cutting move for a hotel in this price range. Overall, the location is convenient and the design is nice, but the lack of attention to basic cleanliness really undermined the experience.

I booked this hotel because an offer meant it was the same price as the nearby Ibis Budget. It's a much nicer looking hotel than that, friendly and attentive staff and nice decor. The room is spacious enough with everything you'd need, including a hair dryer (such as they are at hotels, you're better standing in front of the AC vents tbh). I was asked if I was dining tonight and since there's not much else around the area except for more hotels I said yes, and was told they were expecting it to be busy so they took a reservation for me. I had a drink at the bar (£7.40 for a pint of Camden Hells, that's how you know you're not on holiday anymore, ouch!) and then had my meal; I had olives, garlic bread and lasagna, all very good. A little pricey but always have to remember you're paying airport premiums, because what else are you going to eat? The Tribe website advertised a 24 hour "Grab and Go" shop that sold drinks and snacks, but the one at Manchester Airport seems to close at 4pm, which was before I'd even checked in. This was a little disappointing, there were plenty of staff about so not sure why the shop has to close so early. I wanted some soft drinks to drink in my room and while you can order then at the bar and take them upstairs no problem, you're paying bar prices (maybe this is why the shop closes so early, though I'd like to think it wasn't). There were no vending machines or anything around either so once the restaurant and bar close there's nothing to eat or drink. Maybe this is just me but I like at least having the option of a small snack or drink at night. But then again I realise this hotel is probably aimed at a different kind of traveller than me; much more of a business trip kind of vibe rather than a lone traveller looking for bargains. That said apart from the Grab and Go counter closing at 4pm there was literally nothing to complain about here, especially with the price I paid. A nice way to start or end a holiday/trip.