Mr & Mrs Smith

Sleek and stylish apartments may not be something immediately associated with Manchester but then much of the city has changed beyond all recognition in recent years. While the locals may remain disarmingly down-to-earth, the skyline has been soaring ever upwards – a visual symbol of the city’s upward mobility. Staying Cool’s meticulously designed apartments are the epitome of the revolution that has gripped Manchester – the ideal city-centre base from which to explore the metropolis.

Staying Cool’s apartments are in two groups at opposite ends of Deansgate, one of the city centre’s main thoroughfares. The Castlefield area to the south is a network of canal-side restaurants and bars, and the apartments in Box Works and Timber Wharf reflect the neighbourhood’s heritage, with their industrial chic interiors. High ceilings, exposed concrete and steel are combined with Santa & Cole sofas, Arper Leaf chairs and moody Bola lights, and create a sense of space and urban style.

The apartments at The Edge are in the Cathedral District at the northern end of Deansgate and are a short stroll from the main shopping area of The Triangle; this is where fashionable Mancunians  browse in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. These apartments, in one of the sparkling new developments springing up in the city centre, blend contemporary minimalism with sensuously retro furnishings. The lusciously red Djinn chair in The Edge 3 was featured in the lobby of the orbiting hotel in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Most of the apartments have only one bedroom, but as they are in the same block, larger groups can stay near to each other. Box Works 1 in Castlefield and The Edge 1 and 2 have sofa beds, which makes them ideal for small families. The Timber Wharf apartment is perhaps the finest in the whole collection, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms ranged over two floors; enormous windows allow the light to flood in.

When designing the Staying Cool collection, the owners Tracey and Paul added personal touches; as a result each apartment’s fully equipped kitchen features a space-age coffee machine (one of Paul’s obsessions) and an inexhaustible supply of peppermint tea (on Tracey’s insistence). There are other wonderful examples of attention to detail, from the soft white bathrobes and Umi toiletries to the style magazines and the Mac with pre-loaded iTunes. If you feel inspired by such chic urban living, then each apartment has a ‘style bible’ listing individual items – very handy if you find yourself fawning over the Nesso lamps.

Although the apartments have balconies, and both blocks have small gardens, it makes much more sense to dive into the centre of Manchester where you’ll find everything you'd expect a major European city to offer; outstanding restaurants, bars and shops are a few minutes walk away. Staying Cool can arrange all kinds of activities, including a personal shopper; luckily they can also provide in-room massage to help you unwind afterwards. Each apartment comes with the luxury of private parking so you can explore further afield if you have your own wheels – perhaps to the nearby Peak District. Be warned though: the rate of change in Manchester is so fast these days that if you go for a day trip you’ll probably find the city has altered by the time you get back.

Reviewed by Jim Whyte