Best Manchester Airport Hotels

With direct access to terminals 1 and 2 (via an elevated walkway), this Radisson Blu is the only hotel physically connected to Manchester Airport. (The hotel also offers free shuttle bus service to and from Terminal 3.) Reminiscent of an airport, the lobby has a trio of check-in desks and a departures/arrivals board -- there is even a separate, swankier reception area for business-class guests. Interiors are sleek and contemporary, with open-concept spaces and aerial-themed photography decorating walls throughout. The hotel's 360 rooms are smart and modern in decor, and come with large flat-screen TVs, free high-speed Wi-Fi, and minibars. An on-site health club with pool and gym is a bonus, but the prices at the hotel restaurant are a little inflated. 

Premier Inn Manchester Airport (M56/J6) Runger Lane North is located off M56 (North Cheshire Motorway), just a three-minute drive or shuttle ride to Manchester Airport. It’s a no-frills, budget-friendly hotel, with an restaurant/bar that serves breakfast and dinner and an outpost of Costa Coffee offering pastries and more substantial items, like wrapped sandwiches to go. Standard amenities in the 166 rooms (which are basic, but comfortable and generally well-maintained) include air-conditioning, kettles, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. 

Like its sister hotel, this Premier Inn is located off busy M56 (North Cheshire Motorway), a short drive or shuttle to Manchester Airport and its train station. Highlights include a breakfast and dinner restaurant with a bar, and a morning airport shuttle and on-site parking for an extra fee. Its 195 guest rooms are modern, but slightly drab despite accents in pleasant shades of purple. All are relatively spacious and comfortable, with kettles and free Wi-Fi, but bathrooms are small and dated, with cramped stall showers, and some past guests have complained about nonworking AC. 

The Clayton is a classic airport business hotel, with a free 24-hour shuttle providing round-trip service to the airport and train station. (For those with cars, it's a two-minute drive.) Another highlight is the on-site restaurant, which offers a breakfast buffet, to-go bags for an extra charge, and an a la carte dinner menu. A bar with light fare and 24-hour room service are also available. The hotel's spacious 365 guest rooms have flat-screen TVs, kettles with free tea, safes, and free Wi-Fi, though not all have AC. Some past guests have complained about long lines at registration and hearing airport noise from rooms. 

Old World charm and a bucolic setting are hardly what you'd expect from an airport hotel, but the charming Etrop Grange has both. The old country manor is located right beside Manchester Airport (the hotel runs a free airport shuttle), offering a refreshing alternative to the area's cookie-cutter chain hotels. Rooms are decorated in a classic, country-home style that complements the traditional look of this heritage building, and all have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and tea- and coffee-making facilities. The Grange Bar & Grill has a dining room overlooking a courtyard and The Library space for private meals for small groups. Traditional English breakfast is available for an extra fee.