For plenty of sky-bound business people heading through one of England’s busiest airports, turning left has brought relaxing benefits before reaching the aircraft. Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport is a regular and re-assuring pit-stop for many executives due in late or setting out early for flights. With Emirates and Etihad operating frequent services through the north-western hub, this 360-room hotel is a familiar sight to UAE travellers. And with two receptions - one from ground level serving meeting rooms and another opening directly to a passenger walkway linking the airport terminals - it is arguably the most convenient of the overnight options for Manchester passengers. Having landed just before midnight on a flight from Athens and with a morning train booked, the Radisson provided us with a perfect resting address - not least as the hotel is situated just over five minutes covered walk away from Terminal 2. Accommodation choices include standard, superior, premium and family rooms as well as six executives suites. The latter also brings dedicated check-in on the ninth floor with breakfast buffet, Nespresso coffee machine and access to a stylish executive lounge with panoramic views of the airport. The view from superior room 750 was also worth investigating, looking out towards the runway and the pre-takeoff jetliner ballet. A generous space with a queen double bed, there was plenty of room to unpack and store cases and a lamp-equipped desk with chair for working. Standard rooms and up include an iron, ironing board and trouser press, a deeper than usual safe and hairdryer, plus coffee and tea-making provisions with a comfortable chair and large upholstered rest on which to enjoy the latter. Fixtures and furniture follow a contemporary but warm style which extends to the bathroom. An open wardrobe includes plenty of hangers and two fluffy robes. A large HD television faces the bed beside which is where you’ll find the two USB charging sockets in the room, located beneath bedside tables. There are plenty of conventional power sockets for your devices, with the same plug pin format as the UAE. An extensive in-room dining menu offers dozens of choices, as well as the option to order “whatever you fancy”. Sample items and prices include Strathmore sparkling water at £3 (Dh13) for 330ml. Fresh fruit salad will set you back Dh31; Caesar salad with chicken Dh54, butter chicken balti with naan Dh80, and soup, Dh40. If you prefer a wander, Collage restaurant is a British brasserie with a “twist”, intimate booths and tables with more views across to the airport. Little m, next-door, is a cosy but spacious bar with plenty of dark wood decor, TVs and a menu offering light snacks and pizza. Beyond the hotel, Manchester city centre is 15 kilometres away, via the nearby transport interchange and regular train, bus and tram services. For execs on the road, the hotel has 220 on-site parking spaces and is close to the M56 motorway with easy links to the national motorway network. With no less than 27 meeting rooms in a variety of configurations - including airy breakout areas - plus 2,000sq m of event space over two dedicated floors, the Radisson is well placed for a range of board gatherings, conferences and exhibitions. Among the meeting room variations is the Brain Box, a learning styles-inspired UK “first of it’s kind” hotel space designed to enhance efficiency, inspire active engagement and stimulate creativity courtesy of write-on walls, atmospheric lighting and innovative AV equipment. “The meeting rooms are used both by international guests and domestic guests, including pharma, automotive and training companies,” says hotel general manager Alastair Campbell, who confirms that 35 per cent of guests are business travellers. He adds: "We have a high volume of guests staying just the night for flying in or out of the airport.” Overnight guests can also access the Pace Health Club for an indoor swimming pool suitable for lane swimming, sauna and steam room, free weights and a good range of cardiovascular and resistance machines. All in all, Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport measures up as an ideal and comfortable stop for UAE business travellers accessing the UK via the north-west at unsociable hours - or seeking to host their client meetings without straying too far from this major air hub. <em>David Dunn was a guest of the hotel</em>
