The Holiday Inn Express at Salford Quays is an excellent place to stay on business, or for a weekend getaway.

Like all the Express hotels it is reasonably new, very clean and functional. Rooms are quite basic, with a shower rather than bath, and terrestrial TV supplemented by pay movies.

There is a bar, but no restaurant. The bar shuts before midnight, but if you are desperate there is a vending machine area which sells canned beers and other mini bar items alonside confectionery and savoury snacks.

Breakfast is included and is buffet style: pastries, toast fruit and yogurt with juice, tea, coffee and cocoa. Newspapers are free, with plenty of copies of the Independent and the Manchester Evening News. These aren't just around in the morning, but supplies last into the evening so you can pick one up as you arrive.

Although they don't serve meals at lunchtime or in the evening, you can order in. Pizza Hut deliver as do the local chinese and indian take outs, and you can eat in the breakfast area to save stinking out your room! Ask staff nicely and they'll even let you use their cutlery, although they draw the line at crockery.

The hotel also offers you discounts on the local restaurants. It is just a short walk to an Arbuckles American style place, a Bennigans clone and a tex mex restaurant. You can also walk to a Beefeater steakhouse. There are some fun bars in easy walking distance and the area feels safe.

Manchester United fans can request a room with a view of the ground, and go to sleep in the red glow of the Theatre of Dreams, normal people can simply close their curtains!

Rack rate is around £70, but you can expect to pay closer to £55 midweek if you haggle, and weekends are cheaper still. This makes for quite a good deal as many of the rooms allow you to pack 4 people in, although standard allocation is for either a double or twin.

I would recommend this hotel to an
yone wanting a safe clean base with easy parking outside the city centre.