The Good: We chose the Malmaison for its location- close to the Picadilly train station and its convenience to family we were visiting in Manchester. These objectives were met. Additionally, the front desk staff were consistently cheerful, pleasant and responsive. The “Mal”: Mal Maison lives up to its name - it is, indeed a bad house/choice. If you are looking for a hotel in this area, it is recommended that you look elsewhere. As seen in most photos, the hotel itself is “dark" and the room decor is uninviting and depressing - more like a funeral parlor than a hotel room. A fellow guest who shared a ride on the cramped and slow elevator remarked that it is spooky! Disembarking the elevator, we were met with a blast of heavy hot air in a dismal corridor - corridors were not air conditioned during our three day stay. Upon entering the room, it was the same - hot and dark with its black velvet drapes holding the heat- and the A.C. was on! We turned the thermostat down, but an hour later, there was still no cool air. We decided to go out and explore the city and reported the concern to the front desk upon departure. They assured us that it would be addressed. Upon our return, several hours later, the room was still hot, but a standing fan had been left for us!
Upon reporting that this was unacceptable, they sent a technician to our room to try to get the A.C. to work. After an extended, but unsuccessful attempt, he advised us that we should use the fan to “assist” the A.C., as we were on the top floor and “hot air rises.” (Genius!) Further to this, he advised that I try turning the thermostat down during the night if it became too uncomfortable too sleep! This was the tipping point when I lost patience and insisted on a room with the basic comfort of A.C. or a refund. It was only then (at about midnight) when I threatened to leave that the night management finally responded and found us another room. While the A.C. worked well in the “new" room, it was a much smaller space with a smaller bed, not the King Superior room that I paid for. To date, I have not had an apology for the inconvenience or a refund for the difference in accommodations. While the technician and front desk staff seemed to be doing the best with what they have, I found the blatant lack of sensitivity to the guest to be a fatal flaw on the part of the “faceless” night management of this hotel. It is evident that they do not care or feel accountable. As such, I cannot recommend this hotel.