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Yang Sing Oriental, Manchester

Dianne Bourne
13/ 9/2008

MANCHESTER might not be able to boast the soothing sound of waves lapping on a sandy beach, or even much in the way of sun if this soggy summer has been anything to go by, but the city's newest hotel may have just found a way to make up for all that.

For, while a break away at any hotel is hopefully a pretty relaxing affair, the Yang Sing Oriental Hotel seems determined to take us to an even deeper state of relaxation.

The hotel's owners, those stalwarts of the city's China Town - Gerry and Harry Yeung of the Yang Sing restaurant fame - reckon they've got a UK first in the top emperor suite of their new hotel venture - its own mezzanine meditation room.

At first, I was a little sceptical after a hard week at work, but when I climbed the spiral stairs of the suite and nestled into the huge leather meditation seat, it focused my mind on getting rid of those stresses and strains.

Attention to detail

Even better, the meditation area also doubles as your own personal spa and, coming as part of the £739 price-tag for this suite, is a complimentary treatment.

Not forgetting the fact that the entire contents of the minibar are all for you - free - and that's in every room, not just the super-suite. Ah, bliss.

The emperor suite, all 89sq metres of it, is on the top floor of the hotel. It means the room nestles into the eaves, with skylights providing light, rather than the huge windows that are a feature of regular bedrooms in the hotel.

I admit that it's not going to suit everybody's taste - I like to have a room with a bit of a view, even if it is of Princess Street and Portland Street.

The interior styling goes some way to make up for the lack of a view of the outside world, though, with quirky details like an antique-style telescope and orchid plants.

Not content with merely creating pretty hotel rooms, the Yeung brothers - working with top designer Roberta Fulford - have paid attention to the tiniest detail to try to mark their hotel out from the rest.

And, in a city marketplace that's experiencing something of a hotel boom, with new ones springing up on every corner lately, that's not a bad idea.

Relaxing

Everything about the hotel is intended to create an unique experience for the guest. Each of the 48 bedrooms has been individually designed, inspired by the Far East. They really are unique.

Every sense appears to be catered for - even down to the room's smell. You get the chance to hand-pick the "scent" of your room through aromatherapy oils. I opted for a nice, soothing sandalwood.

All the usual mod-cons are here: plasma screen with complimentary movies and free use of Wi-Fi, plus, you can roam among the hotel's other facilities - like the private residents' lounge, Sutra, in the basement where you can nestle into a Ming dynasty bed, no less.

After a relaxing night's sleep, I was looking forward to checking out the Yang Sing's oriental take on breakfast, down in the Oku bar, although it all became a bit stressful when I couldn't choose between the oriental fried breakfast and the deep- filled mini-croissants.

After much deliberating, I opted for the former and, while I was rather fond of the hoi sin sausage and scrambled egg with shiitake on crispy noodles, I looked on jealously as my partner tackled those yummy croissants crammed with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

I started to feel that tension rise again, so off I sloped back to my meditation zone to return to that higher state of consciousness. Now that's what I call a weekend away from it all.

Yang Sing Oriental
www.yangsingoriental.com
0161 233 8880
36 Princess St, M1 4JY

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