My colleagues and I were lucky enough to be invited to experience a stay at Native Manchester, which offers an array of quality serviced apartments in Manchester. Having arrived at Manchester Piccadilly Station on a Friday evening, we took the short walk along Station Approach and reached the Native lobby within a matter of minutes.
Native Manchester – History
In addition to its impressive appearance, Ducie Street Warehouse boasts a remarkable history. Formerly known as the London Warehouse, the building was originally a storage facility for grain and hops shipped from overseas to the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool. It was named the London Warehouse as all the goods went on a direct train to London to be sold. This Grade II listed heritage building was once one of six warehouses in the 1800s; it is now the only one standing.
Native Manchester - Apartment
The moment we entered Native, we were greeted with friendly smiles from Emma McGahan, Head of Sales, Takis Melitsiotis, General Manager, and Federica Gallo, Sales Executive. Following a prompt check in, we headed to our beautiful homes for the night – where a thoughtful handwritten welcome note and a box of delicious doughnuts and cookies from ‘Gooey’, their in-house bakery, were waiting for us.
Each of us stayed in our own one-bedroom apartment. All rooms had a king-size bed, fully equipped kitchen, and dining/living area with a TV. These serviced apartments in Manchester were beautifully restored as to emphasise the original features - loft-style ceilings with exposed brick/beams. This apartment was full of luxuries including a ceiling fan in the bedroom, a Netflix subscription on the TV and a bathroom decked out with Bramley's toiletries. A lovely touch to the rooms was Native's own coffee mix created by a local coffee roaster, Blossom, just for these apartments – they even came with recyclable packaging.
Much like SilverDoor, Native Manchester is aiming to be a driving force for sustainability in their industry; they use energy A-rated appliances, toxin-free cleaning products and recycled carpets with underlay made from re-used plastic. The whole building is accessible, with step-free access points around the building and eight specifically designated accessible apartments.
Native Manchester - Features
Once we’d unpacked and freshened up, we all met downstairs where Takis led us around for a tour of the building. Native Manchester is far from lacking in on-site amenities: guests can indulge in ‘Gooey’, Native’s bakery, found at the entrance, ‘Counter’ a deli serving hot and cold food and drinks, and ‘BLOK’ a gym offering 21 classes across three spaces. All of which are downstairs below these serviced apartments in Manchester.
On entering Native Manchester we were greeted by the spacious social area and bar, featuring a DJ and deck. In the day, the bar is a bright, relaxed area with minimal music used by many customers using it as a place to work remotely whilst enjoying a fresh coffee. During the evening, the lights dim, and the music becomes livelier. The space in and around the bar is filled with ever-changing artwork from local/emerging artists.
Elsewhere on the ground floor, three large meeting rooms featuring large windows and plenty of natural light are available for guests to use during their corporate stay in the city. Two of the meeting rooms are joined by a folding wall and have access to the terrace. Native also offers guests the use of a cinema room which can be used for presentations and screenings - they even have a dog-friendly cinema night on Mondays!
Once we finished our tour, we went back up to our immaculate Manchester serviced apartments to get ready for dinner in the on-site restaurant. The moment we entered the restaurant the staff were extremely attentive. The setting was very intimate with soft lighting and matching music, and there was a general relaxed ambiance. Native features an open kitchen enabling visitors to view their meals being freshly prepared; the restaurant offers small and large plates to share, to encourage social dining. Their Head Chef Andrew Green aims to offer an ‘affordable yet premium experience’ for people dining with him.
The small plates meant that there were plenty of different flavours and cuisines to enjoy. Native Manchester also made sure that everyone's dietary requirements were met – they even went as far as making me a separate gluten-free meal and dessert. We finished with a drink in the bar, which had an array of weird but wonderful cocktails, before hitting the hay.
Manchester – The Area
Native Manchester is in a prime location surrounded by a multitude of sights and things to do. After a peaceful sleep, I bought a coffee from Counter and enjoyed the thoughtful artwork in the light. I then took a short walk over to Ezra & Gil for brunch. I treated myself to a mocha, fresh orange juice, avocado and salmon on toast, followed by a delicious GF white chocolate and raspberry brownie. Although I didn’t have time to check out the nearby Manchester Art Gallery, I look forward to immersing myself in the art when I next visit. There is a tram that stops around the city, but I found that everything was within walking distance and enjoyed exploring the city whilst walking to places.
My time in Manchester was short but sweet and I can’t wait to visit again.
