I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels where checking in means little more than dumping my bags, taking a quick look around the room and heading straight back out into the city. The Rex Manchester is different, here, getting to my room felt like the beginning of the adventure.
Formerly Hotel Gotham, the hotel unveiled its new identity in April 2026. The name may have changed, but the Gotham references haven’t entirely disappeared. In fact, staying in an Inner Sanctum Suite left me wondering whether Bruce Wayne had simply relocated his Batcave from Gotham City to .
The Rex occupies the magnificent former Midland Bank building on King Street, right in the heart of Manchester. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the building is suitably grand and imposing from the outside, while inside things take a much darker, more theatrical turn.
The location is hard to beat. Selfridges and Harvey Nichols are close enough for some serious retail therapy, while Chinatown is practically on my doorstep. The Northern Quarter is also within easy reach, with vintage clothing stores, independent boutiques, record shops and some seriously good coffee.
And then there’s the . Manchester has long had one of the UK’s most vibrant LGBTQ+ scenes, centred around Canal Street but extending throughout the city. My timing couldn’t have been better as I visited during when the city was buzzing with colour, celebration and queer energy.
Welcome to the Batcave
Walking into my Inner Sanctum Suite, my immediate thought was: this is basically the Batcave.
The dark, atmospheric interiors, leather detailing, rich textures and cocooning feel created exactly the sort of brooding glamour I imagine Bruce Wayne enjoying after a long night of fighting crime.
At one end of the room was an emperor-size bed. Calling it large really doesn’t do it justice. It was enormous – almost comically generous – and after a long day exploring Manchester, it proved extremely difficult to leave.
At the other end was the huge Wonderwall screen, transforming the room into my own private cinema and entertainment space. Was it excessive? Absolutely. Was it necessary? Not remotely. Did I love it? Completely.
That, for me, is part of The Rex’s appeal. It doesn’t seem particularly interested in being sensible. It wants to be dramatic, indulgent and just a little bit ridiculous.
The bathroom continued the theme. The monsoon shower was powerful, spacious and gloriously indulgent, providing exactly the kind of post-Pride recovery I needed. Retreating into my dark sanctuary, ordering a drink and firing up the Wonderwall felt rather fabulous.
Dinner with a view
Eventually, I had to leave the Batcave. Fortunately, The Rex gave me a very good reason.
Reign, the hotel’s sixth-floor restaurant, offers sweeping views across Manchester through its distinctive arched windows. The menu focuses on seasonal British produce, accompanied by wines and cocktails, while the five-course tasting menu is the obvious choice for anyone wanting to make a proper evening of it.
If Reign is dinner with a view, Reserve is drinks with some serious elevation. The rooftop destination stretches across three outdoor terraces, offering panoramic views across Manchester. After the intensity of Pride and the constant buzz of the city below, I found it the perfect place to slow things down.
Vaults and secrets
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about The Rex is the way its history has been woven into the experience. The hotel’s former life as a bank is put to particularly good use in its private event spaces. The Strongroom is tucked two levels beneath the hotel, behind the original vault doors, and is the sort of room that instantly gives a private dinner some serious bragging rights.
Intimate, atmospheric and discreet, it would be perfectly suited to a gathering of around 20 guests. And then comes the pièce de résistance: the dining table transforms into a full-size snooker table. Because apparently a secret vault and cocktails weren’t quite enough.
Then there’s The Treasury, another impressive event space hidden within the former vaults. What was once used for safeguarding valuables has been transformed into somewhere for safeguarding memorable occasions, with private dining, celebrations, screenings and conferences all possible here.
Gotham by another name
By the end of my stay, I realised that The Rex doesn’t really need the Gotham name. The spirit of Gotham City is still lurking in the shadows.
For me, that was the fun of the place. I could spend the day exploring Manchester, shopping, drinking coffee and immersing myself in the city’s LGBTQ+ scene during Pride, before retreating behind the doors of The Rex and disappearing into my own Batcave.
The Rex Manchester is central, characterful and gloriously indulgent. Gotham may have gone, but the Batcave is still very much open.