On the 26th July I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Manchester for the first time ever and staying at the ibis Styles Manchester Portland Hotel for an ibis Lates on Tour gig which they had put on in collaboration with  Teenage Cancer Trust.

Though it was a fly by visit (I arrived at 5pm and left at 10am the next day) ibis truly presented the ideal base to explore this thriving city from and I wouldn’t hesitate to return and stay again.

I ventured up to Manchester from London Euston on a direct train taking me just 2 hours 6 minutes and delivering me at Manchester Piccadilly Station – a mere 5 minute walk from the hotel.

Note: It’s a 5 minute walk if you don’t accidentally put the ibis location into your Google Maps and end up at the wrong hotel like I did. (They are both on Portland Street with ibis Styles at number 3-5 and ibis hotel 96).

ibis have three brands under its umbrella: ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget. You can read more about the differences between the three here.

I am a serious advocate for unique experiences with low cost price tags and I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail and creativity that has clearly gone into the design of this hotel.

The hotels interior here at ibis Styles Manchester Portland Hotel was chosen to reflect the unpredictability of Manchesters weather, capturing the very best of the english weather within the design of the rooms. The Sunshine rooms evokes warm, sunny days with its bright yellow door, daisy filled carpets and light blue walls; the Raindrop Room features teardrop lights and raindrop hangers; the Breezy Room, with its earthy prints and leaf pattern floors, brings to mind autumn walks in the woods.

I stayed in a single sunshine room and the rainbow of colours splashed around the room definitely added a non essential but super fun element to my stay. I would be lying if I said I didn’t run around my room for 15 minutes taking ALL the photos.

I absolutely fell in love with the pastel blue tiled bathroom and I definitely want to note how clean and well groomed the room was.

The reason I had ventured up to Manchester was to experience ibis’ latest charity partnership with Camden Roundhouse and Teenage Cancer Trust – ibis Lates on Tour.

Together they have created a pretty epic concept supporting young talent, which sees ibis hotels all over the country host an evening of live music, drinks and all around good vibes. Tickets for ibis Lates on Tour are only £5 and £4.17 of every ticket goes directly to ibis’ partner Teenage Cancer Trust who provide specialist support for young people in the UK living with cancer.

On the ground floor of ibis Styles Manchester Portland Hotel there is an in house venue called Jamboree Foodfest & Bar which not only hosts the stage and bar but the continental breakfast (free with your stay) and an extensive international menu.

I enjoyed grilled Miso salmon with sweet potato fries and peanut butter coleslaw which was a pleasant surprise to say the least!

It’s been a while since I went to a live music gig (one that’s not within a festival) and I was absolutely taken away with the talent of Kenan Kian @kenan_kian, Malunga @malungamusic and China Lane @chinalaneband. Not to mention the interludes of popular hits mixed by DJ Nikita throughout the evening. For talent that strong, the tickets were so cheap.

Knowing that I could drink, dance and sing with the comfort of my bed being just a few steps and an elevator button push away, made for a relaxed evening and added the cherry on top of a very enjoyable cake.

Oh and did I mention you get a free continental breakfast with your stay?

ibis Lates on Tour is set to take over a few more locations in the next months – an awesome reason to plan an overnight stay and explore a new city by yourself or with some friends.

Next ibis Lates on Tour locations include:

• Bristol (October 2017)
• Scotland

Remember – you can come down, enjoy the music and support an awesome cause without actually staying at the hotel. 

Grab your friends, grab a ticket and head on down to the bar!

Click here to join the  ibis’ Facebook page and keep up to date with information about future ibis Lates on Tour gigs and events!

I absolutely love this concept from ibis and hope it’s a project that continues on not only to support a worthy cause but because it’s an awesome reason to get out and explore somewhere new.

To book your stay at the ibis Styles Manchester Portland Hotel click here.

I hope this has helped you plan a UK adventure!

Other posts you may like if you’re thinking to plan a UK adventure:

• My weekend guide to Brighton
• An epic 4 day Cornwall roadtrip
• 10 ways to save money for travel
• 10 reasons I love hostels over hotels
• A guide to the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge

Need to book accommodation? Here’s £30 off your first AirBnb booking – my budget travel godsend!

Or search for the best hostels or hotels here

Have you ever stayed at ibis?

Where’s on your UK bucket list?

I’d love to know! ?

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*This post was made in collaboration with and is sponsored by ibis as part of their ibis Lates on Tour collaboration with Teenage Cancer Trust. As always, the creativity, opinions and content you see in this post are all my own.