The Stock Exchange, Manchester

For this Valentine’s special, we pick six of Cheshire’s most romantic getaways. But first let’s get loved up in Manchester, at the most exciting new venue in town...

- Katie Mulloy & Helen Warwick

The first time I stepped foot inside the Stock Exchange hotel, it was eight weeks away from opening and still very much an empire of dust – an army of workmen scaling scaffolding, sawing, hammering; working on everything from skirting boards to ceilings. Sure, I marvelled at the building. But mainly I marvelled at the notion they’d ever be finished to open on time.

Yet open on time they did. Gary Neville’s much-anticipated Stock Exchange hotel, a gamechanger for Manchester city centre, arrived with all the fanfare it deserved. It is the first Relais & Châteaux hotel – part of the world-renowned luxury boutique group – in the region. And, in terms of everything you want from a city centre boutique hotel, it is perfect. And it’s almost magical to see the transformation.