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Review: the new TRIBE Manchester Airport hotel, part of Accor Live Limitless

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This is our review of Accor’s new TRIBE Manchester Airport hotel.

In October last year HfP covered the opening of this intriguing new hotel at Manchester Airport. We have been intending to review it, and the opportunity came up when we were invited to aether, the newly (re)opened private terminal. My aether review is here.

TRIBE is part of French group Accor, although the brand was founded in Australia. It is now in 11 countries and has one other UK site in Canary Wharf.

I stayed at two hotels from Accor’s 25hours brand last year (here’s my review of 25hours Copenhagen Paper Island) which I rated for their creative interior design and great locations. TRIBE has a similar approach to design and comfort but is aimed at travellers on a smaller budget.

The TRIBE Manchester Airport website is here.

Review: the new TRIBE Manchester Airport hotel

I stayed for one night at TRIBE and the hotel did not know that I would be reviewing it. HfP paid cash for my room (£106.65 including breakfast).

Getting to TRIBE Manchester Airport

I arrived at the airport by train from Manchester Piccadilly. Coming up the escalator from the station to the ground floor the hotel is signed:

TRIBE Manchester Airport airport sign

You will see the hotel from afar – it is a stand-alone building with an attractive facade accentuated by its colourful window frames. It was a four minute walk from the station exit to the hotel entrance.

Lobby

The hotel has a wide paved frontage with a small garden and seating for summer.

TRIBE Manchester Airport entrance

The two check-in desks reminded me of lecterns. For the moment there are only two but the hotel expects two more to be installed. It will need them given that it has a whopping 412 rooms (it is the largest hotel in Manchester by room count) and, of course, most people are only staying for one night. That said, when I was there I never saw more than one guest in a queue.

I was asked which floor I would prefer to stay on and, for no good reason at all, I picked fifth floor (of eight)!

TRIBE Manchester Airport reception

In the centre of the building is a large atrium letting light flood down to the ground floor where the heart of the hotel is located. As you can see from the picture below a number of rooms face the atrium:

TRIBE Manchester Airport atrium

The ground floor is all open plan with reception, restaurant, lounge and the TRIBE Bar in the middle.

TRIBE Manchester Airport bar

What I liked about the ground floor space was that it felt very natural to just hang-out or work on a table with a coffee. The large space is beautifully designed with different floor coverings separating the various zones and there was an array of furnishings with flowing see-through curtains at the entrance.

The staff are young and very attentive, all wearing black t-shirts with a big TRIBE logo on the back.

TRIBE Manchester Airport social hub 1

Artworks decorates the walls and shelves. A high table with chairs is available for impromptu meetings.

TRIBE Manchester Airport social hub 2

My room at TRIBE Manchester Airport

The hallways are plain but felt very modern, drenched in anthracite, with a noticeably thick soft carpet under your feet.

TRIBE Manchester Airport hallway

My room was a TRIBE Essential, the entry level category, at £106.65 for one night including breakfast. The room was small at 17 sq m but functional, comfortable and with an excellent bed.

(You don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to rooms here. Your only options are TRIBE Essential, with a choice of atrium or external view, and TRIBE Extra, which is a family room containing a sofa bed. There are no junior suites or suites but there are 24 accessible rooms.)

TRIBE Manchester Airport standard room 1

The slim desk you can see below was used to write the first draft of this article. The sockets are directly above it (no creeping to the side or under the desk) and the chair was very comfortable – I really enjoyed working here.

The room has no mini bar but I had been left two large cans of water and there were coffee and tea making facilities. A suitcase should slide under the bed if you wanted to get it out of the way.

I appreciated that the customary iron and ironing board had been replaced with a handheld steamer. This is so much more practical!

TRIBE Manchester Airport standard room 2

The bathroom was very small but I couldn’t fault the look and function of it. The loo was right next to the sink (not pictured). The boldly marbled shower contrasted well with the mustard coloured wall and it somehow felt more luxurious than a £100 hotel should.

The sink is on the smaller end of the scale but the lack of space for your toiletries is compensated by drawers underneath.

The shower was clearly a priority for the designers – it is spacious with both rain and hand-held attachments. The toiletries are from Australian brand Kevin.Murphy. Behind the door on the left are towel rails.

TRIBE Manchester Airport standard room 3

Let’s talk about noise. One of the main concerns when staying at an airport hotel is obviously the potential for disturbance from aircraft.

My room was facing the terminal but, as the picture below from my window shows, the runway is quite a distance away with a number of buildings between. I only heard the very occasional rumble of an aircraft thrust. I don’t know what its like if you are on the side which faces the M56 or you overlook the atrium but I suspect it will be just as quiet.

TRIBE Manchester Airport standard room view

Eating at TRIBE Manchester Airport

The restaurant at TRIBE is large but was very lively in the evening. I suspect that pre-booking may be needed at peak times given the 400+ rooms.

I was impressed by the design with good use of colour, a number of different table sizes and beautiful lighting. Dinner and breakfast are both served here.

TRIBE Manchester Airport restaurant

Dinner

TRIBE Table offers food from 12.00 to 22.00. The menu is Italian with stuzzichini (appetizers), antipasti, pasta, pizza and mains – a handful options of each with three dessert choices to finish.

The food wasn’t at all bad but, given the modest room rates, isn’t cheap. I had baked aubergine parmigiana as a starter for £11:

TRIBE Manchester Airport dinner 1

…. followed by a grilled fillet of seabass, broccoli and salsa verde with fries at £28 combined.

TRIBE Manchester Airport dinner 2

For dessert I chose mixed berry pannacotta at £8.

TRIBE Manchester Airport dinner 3

A meal for two, even without drinks, will match the cost of a room. If you don’t want to spend that much, a 24-hour Grab and Go counter will launch in February which will include microwavable ready meals.

Breakfast

My room rate included breakfast as a £13.50 supplement to the ‘room only’ rate. I checked the price if you don’t have it included which is £15. In my view, this is decent value for money if you have the time to make the most of it.

Breakfast is buffet only, with drinks also being self service.

Alongside the usual fruit, cereal and juices were a good pastry selection including croissants, cinnamon rolls and pain au chocolat.

TRIBE Manchester Airport breakfast 1

Toasts and rolls and two types of jam were also available:

TRIBE Manchester Airport breakfast 2

The range of cooked items was quite extensive. Some extra items were available on request, cooked to order (no extra charge, I believe) including omelettes and grilled vegan sausage.

TRIBE Manchester Airport breakfast 3

Here is the small display of cold cuts, cheese, cucumber and tomatoes.

TRIBE Manchester Airport breakfast 4

The gym

TRIBE Manchester Airport has a gym. Although it only consists of two rooms I thought it was a good space, and benefits from being on the ground floor with floor to ceiling windows. This is not your usual dungeon gym in the basement.

One room was dedicated to cardio machines and strength ….

TRIBE Manchester Airport gym 1

…. whilst the other room focused on weight training.

TRIBE Manchester Airport gym 2

Conclusion

I had an excellent stay at the TRIBE Manchester Airport hotel. My room worked very well – I was particularly pleased with the excellent working area – and felt inviting and comfortable. The public spaces look lovely and a lot of thought has gone into the practicalities and needs for short stays.

To be fair, the hotel – being both new and visited on a wet Thursday in January – was clearly not running at full capacity. I am not sure whether the social space will be sufficient when all 400+ rooms are occupied.

I didn’t think the food was too exciting and it felt pricey, but it is a very short walk into Terminal 2 if you want to check out other options. The Grab & Go store will also open soon for quick snacks.

I haven’t stayed at the other hotels at Manchester Airport (Rob reviewed the new Holiday Inn just a few minutes walk away last year) but my stay here was enjoyable and I would come again without a second thought.

Booking with points?

In terms of booking with points, remember that Accor Live Limitless is a revenue based loyalty scheme.

Your points are worth a flat 2 Eurocents each as a cash discount, so the amount needed varies from night to night. If you are staying for cash, remember that you can double dip and earn Avios AND Accor Live Limitless points due to Accor’s partnership with Qatar Airways Privilege Club – see here for details.

You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here.

Looking for a hotel in Manchester?

We’ve reviewed a number of hotels in the city, including (click to read):

At the airport we have reviewed:

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Accor Live Limitless update – June 2025:

Earn bonus Accor points: Accor is not currently running a global promotion

New to Accor Live Limitless?  Read our review of Accor Live Limitless here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our analysis of what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from Accor and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

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Comments (51)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • TimM says:
    2 Feb2 February 06:40

    Thank you for this review. I hope never to have to stay there!

    It makes me wonder if hotel designers the World over are all plugged in to the same channel as this hotel appears to incorporate all of the current annoying design trends: “anthracite”; bold fake marbling; impractical washbasin; totally open-plan ground floor; the reception desk-free reception; ‘impromptu meeting’ table; gym (for an airport hotel?) and so on.

    It will appear incredibly dated in a few years. After that it could be a museum of our times but I imagine they will refurbish it before it looks too ridiculous.

    At £106.65 pn, I could have two nights in a five star hotel in a spacious room, all-inclusive by the beach with 24 hours food and drink and staff wearing proper uniforms, not T-shirts, just 4 hours flying time from Manchester. Hopefully I will never have to use the Tribe Manchester!

    • Allen says:
      2 Feb2 February 07:02

      Where can you stay 4 hours from Manchester for 2 nights in a 4 star hotel for £106.65 ?

      • Manuel says:
        2 Feb2 February 07:30

        No no no, 5 star!!

      • Lumma says:
        2 Feb2 February 07:38

        Marrakesh?

      • TimM says:
        2 Feb2 February 09:23

        Yes, 5-star. The Antalya Province of Turkey. Prices have doubled from pre-pandemic but still £55/night will buy you a spacious double room for solo-occupancy in an all-inclusive hotel near the beach with a 24 hour bar (with included branded spirits and cocktails) and 24 hour food in several venues. If you are prepared to share, the rate pp is of course lower. I will be taking my mother to the excellent Villa Side Residence hotel in 5 week’s time – with a room each. There are cheaper options. There are roughly 20,000 hotels in Antalya – plenty of competition and with resulting high standards.

        • BSI1978 says:
          2 Feb2 February 09:51

          That seems a reasonable comparison….

        • Richie says:
          2 Feb2 February 10:18

          @TimM Villa Side Residence hotel seems a bit too chavtastic for me, but have a lively time.

          • TimM says:
            2 Feb2 February 15:28

            The Villa Side Residence is a little Germanic but not “chavtastic”. In that part of the World Brits only account for around 5% of guests and there are typically around 100 nationalities in a larger hotel. They are the opposite of an American chain hotel! German guests ae great. If there is the slightest thing to complain about, I only have to wait a few seconds and someone else does it for me – making me look good 🙂

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
      2 Feb2 February 08:03

      Lots of airport hotels have gyms.

      It’s a “must have” for some but it doesn’t irk me in anyway that they are provided.

      • andyd says:
        2 Feb2 February 08:49

        Yes, I’m not going to turn my nose up at a gym in a hotel, especially as it looks to have some of those modern peloton style bikes at this one. An opportunity for some leisure time beyond sitting in a bar is welcome. My airport choice hotel is going to be driven by features and proximity – can I walk to the terminal, does it have EV charging if not, etc., so a gym plays into that evaluation.

    • Stuart says:
      2 Feb2 February 08:17

      But it was stated that the staff are “young and very attractive” in their black t-shirts. Not sure what the relevance of this is, I prefer hotel staff just to be professional and polite. Where’re the hotel reviews saying the staff were “old and very ugly”?

    • kevin says:
      2 Feb2 February 10:53

      If I have eg an early flight from Manchester, a hotel in Turkey is probably no good for me

  • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
    2 Feb2 February 08:00

    Might just be the angle of the photo but there don’t seem to be any shampoo / soap pumps INSIDE the shower cubicle nor a shelf to put your own on.

    • CheshirePete says:
      2 Feb2 February 08:20

      I think I spot the dispenser on the very left of the shower picture.

  • Yorkshire rich says:
    2 Feb2 February 09:08

    I had booked this hotel on free cancellation as Accor Gold for our morning flight from Manchester flight at the end of Feb.
    I’ve cancelled it now as the Radisson is Infact cheaper and appears more convenient for the unpredictable weather I may face at 5am. As for food, I’m not a lover of hotel food, so I think for a couple of quid for a 15 minute train journey into Manchester is a better idea.

    • strickers says:
      2 Feb2 February 10:20

      Don’t forget Wilmslow is closer by train, cheaper and has lots of restaurants. For something different try Potyo for South Indian food. Styal is even closer, the Ship pub is excellent as is the tapas at El Bosc.

  • SammyJ says:
    2 Feb2 February 09:21

    People will moan about anything! There are plenty of other options at MAN – for those that find this all a bit too modern, perhaps one of the Britannia offerings would suit better!

    Personally, for a one-night stay with nothing in particular to do there (ie at an airport rather than in a city centre) I like a quirky room, something a bit different and a little more memorable but without having to pay more than anything else in similar proximity. This seems to tick all boxes. Shame it’s Accor and not a brand I collect!

    • Scott says:
      2 Feb2 February 12:33

      Well, you could run it through Avios hotels if you dont have status, or want to bother with their points. They’re doing 20 Avios per £ at present, and maybe a couple of £ difference in price for a non-member rate.

      • Scott says:
        2 Feb2 February 12:36

        £84 with 1675 bonus Avios on the 10th Feb through the BA Avios app.

        Member rate: £84
        Non-member £93 with Accor.

        • Rob says:
          2 Feb2 February 13:02

          Yes, amusingly we booked via Hotels.com (to finally use up my outstanding credit – never need to touch them again) and found the same. Rate was the same as the Accor member rate.

      • SammyJ says:
        2 Feb2 February 12:39

        Yeah, I tend to use CompleteSavings to get 10% back on most things plus whatever else is around if I want to stay somewhere specific that isn’t part of IHG, Radisson or Hilton, but for those nights where I don’t really have much interest in where I’m staying, assuming price is roughly equal, I’ll always pick the IHG option to keep the nights numbers up.

  • aq.1988 says:
    2 Feb2 February 10:27

    Did anyone else read “TRIBE” as “TERRIBLE” on more than one occasion?

  • Br5968 says:
    2 Feb2 February 10:46

    Stayed in the Tribe in Dusseldorf just before Christmas and it was very similar. Felt like it was trying very hard to be cool, but room was good, breakfast was excellent (nice winter garden room to take it in) and staff friendly. Their gym equipment is all wooden (!) I didn’t like the steamer but if you’re not travelling for
    work (and just want to take creases out rather than put them in) I guess it’s okay. The Duss one is an ex intercity hotel, but has been heavily refurbed.

    • CamFlyer says:
      2 Feb2 February 12:28

      I find steamers useless. If my clothes are travel wrinkled, give me a real iron!

      • Dubious says:
        3 Feb3 February 01:37

        I’ve found them helpful at removing creases from suit jackets (which can’t be ironed).

        Can’t say the same about shirts.

  • RussellH says:
    2 Feb2 February 11:22

    There was a Tribe being built at Budapest Airport last summer. The exterior was largely finished; my memory told me that it looked almost identical to this one
    I suspect that they may have a set plan for all forthcoming Tribes…

  • Scott says:
    2 Feb2 February 12:43

    Any ideas of parking costs per night?

    £13 at the HIX on Thorley Lane
    £12? at the Premier Inns next door
    £15 at the Crowne Plaza
    £25 at the Holiday Inn

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