Velvet Hotel opened its doors to the public in April 2009 and is absolutely gorgeous.

Already famed for its welcoming subterranean restaurant, and more recently for its sumptuous street level bar... the other four floors of the Velvet building, in the heart of Manchester's bustling gay village on Canal Street, have now undergone a complete transformation into what is undoubtedly one of the city's most impressive boutique hotels.

Each of the 19 rooms has been individually designed and decorated, making the most of the features of the original building. Beams and brickwork are featured rather than hidden, and where it's difficult to open high windows, electric motors have been fitted to make life easier. The widescreen TV and DVD player, de regeur for any good hotel these days, are joined by a bedside iPod/iPhone dock, clock and speaker system... a great touch! The bathrooms all have motion-sensitive blue nightlights, so no need to reach for the switch if you're up in the night, and there's even a lovely Velvet branded rubber duck for the bath! And on the subject of the bathroom - I challenge you not to sneak the washbag of gorgeous honey toiletries into your case before you leave!

There are almost too many nicities to mention in one review, but expect to feel pampered as your complimentary tea and a jar of biscuits, ice, a jug of fresh milk and some lemon and lime slices are delivered to your fridge on arrival.

And it gets better! After popping down to the lovely Velvet restaurant for an evening meal we returned to our rooms to find the curtains drawn, relaxing music on the radio playing, slippers out, the temperature set to cool the room down for the night, the bed turned back and a chocolate on the pillow! The beds are quite seriously some of the most comfortable beds we've ever tried... And we've tried quite a few!

The hotel is very well served by the restaurant, where breakfast is on offer until a leisurely midday, and by the bar which regularly has live DJs and is always a cosy place for a cocktail with friends.

The only downside is that you may never want to leave the building! Do try to find time to get out and explore one of the most vibrant village scenes in the country...