Pooch friendly hotels are giving us something to bark about, so I just
had to take the humans to this one in Manchester city centre
It can be a bit woof for dogs in cities, especially when our humans want to go away but don’t want to leave us. Have you seen their faces? They look so sad. You can tell that they are worried about what we’ll get up to. In my case, I sleep and look a bit miserable so that I get extra treats to ‘cheer me up’, but they probably think I feel abandoned, and I have to say, I sometimes do. So, waggy tails all around because more and more hotels are allowing dogs to share in the delights of everything from soft beds to the buzz of the bar.
Statistics show that the past year has seen a 75% rise in pet stays at hotels. Travellers are now seeking out destinations that cater just as well for their four-legged friends as they do humans.
And the INNSiDE hotel is one of these. It is next to the Manchester arts complex HOME, just off Whitworth Street, and it’s part of the huge Spanish Meliá hotel chain. It feels modern and young, which is very me! So, I couldn’t stop smiling at the lovely man who checked me and the humans in even before we bounced into the elevator and out into a lovely long corridor.
Wow! We had a bedroom on the seventh floor, which meant I could look out all over the city, although personally, I like it when I can stare menacingly out of the window and see a postman or someone who looks like they might be coming to the house, and then I can do barks until they go away again, but the humans loved being so high up.
I went down to the bar with them while they drank something white that made them talk louder and louder. Then, because it was a quiet night and I was on my best behaviour, they were allowed to take me into a restaurant called First Street Bar and Kitchen, which a celebrity chef called Gino D’Acampo has opened at INNSiDE by Meliá.
Strangely, Mr D’Acampo wasn’t there, but others were cooking up his own take on Italian classics and they don’t get more classic than arancini, which were little rounds of sticky mushroom risotto rice with some oozy cheese in the middle, and a plate of calamari, courgette, red pepper, garlic mayonnaise and lemon. Next, the humans ate a yummy plate of pumpkin and ricotta tortellini, sage butter and toasted pine nuts and a fillet steak with
peppercorn sauce and chips. Finally, there were desserts of crèma Catalana and tiramisu. I did get to taste a morsel of steak, which was reluctantly given to me, and it was delicious, perfectly cooked. And everything was done so nicely. The restaurant is modern and has space for a dog to stretch her legs and the staff are very f riendly.
There was more food in the morning. An excellent breakfast, which we ate in the bar. I can highly recommend the sausages and Manchego cheese, and the buttery, creamy scrambled eggs are to die for!
COLLABORATION ALERT!
INNSiDE Manchester has teamed up with the cool Ancoats’ Sticks & Stocks store to create two must-have travel hampers, the ‘Night Away Dog Hamper’ and ‘Weekend Break Dog Hamper’, available to buy at INNSiDE Manchester’s unique kiosk. Sticks & Socks has also created a bespoke birthday box for pampered pooches celebrating their special day at INNSiDE Manchester – plus, for any other extra special occasions, specially curated Sticks & Socks hampers are available for pre-order.
Words Peppa Pooch | Images Paul Morgans
