This review is with regards to the Ibis on Charles St Manchester, not the more central one; just to clarify.

Myself and a friend were to be in Manchester for a couple of days this summer and, although I am within travelling distance, we decided to treat ourselves to a Saturday night out in the city. This meant we needed accommodation. I trawled the internet looking for a cheap Saturday night, I found quite a few bargains but we decided to go with the Ibis for 3 reasons.
Firstly, it was a name we were both familiar with and had both used before.
Secondly, it was situated near Oxford Rd where we would be throughout the day time.
Thirdly, it was very cheap. £48 per room, per night. That worked out at £24 each, no breakfast. Well since we were planning on being stinking drunk we didn't fancy the prospect of breakfast much anyway.
I booked online, received email confirmation; all was dandy in that department. So, what did I think?
The very first thing to mention is the location. Being from the Greater Manchester area I have a scant idea of the city but still had to Google Charles St. Since we were at the RNCM on Oxford Rd all day anyway it was pretty easy to walk to. The hotel is situated on a corner of a crossroads. It is within walking distance of Canal St and Oxford Rd for a night out and Piccadilly an Oxford Rd stations for travel. You are a little bit of a walk out for shopping but literally, 10-15 mins. If you're that lazy get a tram from Piccadilly to Market St, again very easy. Personally I feel the hotel has a great city centre location.
Arriving at the hotel you enter through revolving doors into a reception area that is open plan with the bar/dining area. We didn't use the bar services so I can't comment but it all looked clean and pleasant enough. The lady on reception was very friendly and helpful, even gave us a little map of the area and asked if we needed anything etc. The only complaint was that we had to wait a good ten minutes to be seen. I appreciate the nice lady was seeing to other customers but she looked a little stretched there and could have done with some help. Anyway once she did get to us she was very prompt and polite, excellent customer service.
So the big one; the room. Well having stayed in an Ibis before I knew them to be clean and comfortably serviced but at the ridiculously cheap price we had I still had reservations. I need not have worried. The room wasn't spacious nor was it cramped. There was space provided to hang clothes and a neat little desk, bedside units and lamps on either side. The window didn't really look out onto anything spectacular but it was big enough to let plenty of light it. It also blocked out the sounds of the city and had black out curtains. Perfect. My friend and I shared a double bed which was very comfortable and the sheets were clean and soft. I personally prefer two pillows so was delighted to find spares in the wardrobe. The room had a full length mirror in which was great but unfortunately there were no sockets near to it, making drying hair a bit difficult. The biggest down side to the room was the lighting and I think this is typical of most hotels. The light cast an ambiance and was subtle and calming. Lovely for a cosy night in but rubbish for putting make up on.
The bathroom. I loved the shower, it was a walk-in affair and you could have fit three (skinny) people in there. The shower was powerful and hot and frankly I could have spent ages in there, a real treat. The rest of the bathroom however seemed to suffer for this. Although it was bright and clean with a massive mirror it did feel cramped. I didn't mind this so much but if I had to give a negative to the room that would be it.

All in all, I loved this place. It served its purpose for the night and felt comfortable with a relaxed atmosphere. I will certainly use the Ibis again.