Where I'm At

• Jobless & living with my parents 
• Stuck in limbo with all my belongings, trying to sort through and get rid of as much as possible 
• Passed my theory test but my anxiety is too bad for me to be able to take my driving test 
• Out of shape with zero stamina & in very poor health (albeit a lot of this is out of my control) 
• However, I don't completely hate the way my body looks considering everything 
• On the road to replacing my products with cruelty-free/organic/vegan alternatives but not wanting to be wasteful with the products I already own 
• Mentally exhausted & emotionally drained almost constantly 
• On a college course that I used to enjoy but currently have no passion for & therefore I'm very demotivated/behind on work 
• Hormones all over the place due to a bad experience with the contraceptive implant 
• In a strong, happy and consistent relationship 
• Taking steps to point my life in a different direction whilst keeping my options open

Where I Want To Be

• Living with my boyfriend & secure in a part-time job 
• Having a more minimal amount of 'stuff and things' clogging up my life 
• Passing my driving test so that it's done and I don't have to retake anything 
• Maybe joining a gym or keeing up a fitness regime of some kind, eating well and doing what is in my control to improve/maintain my health 
• Loving the way my body looks 
• Living a mainly cruelty-free, organic, sustainable & eco-friendly lifestyle that works for me 
• In a better mental state, either by helping myself out or finding counselling again 
• Seeking help at college to assist in gaining my passion again & get back on track with work 
• Getting the implant out and being on contraception that works for me 
• Still in a strong, happy and consistent relationship that continues to grow as we live together and build our own family/life together 
• Living each day in the moment, finding balance, being happy and helping others 

The Location

The Room

We were lucky enough that in this suite there were rustic details, with wooden beams on the walls and a wooden slatted ceiling in the bedroom area. I adore this sort of décor, it gave the room some real character and it made me feel like I was on holiday somewhere other than just any old hotel; it was unique and really well executed. The rustic and modern mix was perfectly balanced and the room felt high end but not so much so that you're scared to use anything. For me personally I felt instantly at home which if you suffer with anxiety you'll know that it isn't easy to settle into an environment without a hitch!

The bathroom was lovely, with a huge mirror and a spacious, deep bath big enough for two (yes, we tried) which also came with complimentary soap, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel; all of which smelt amazing. Lots of gorgeous fluffy white towels, tissues in the bathroom (SO handy) and an entire shelving ledge in front of the mirror to pop all your toiletries on without worrying about them falling off into the toilet or sink. The only issue I did find is that when I put the sink tap fully onto cold the water would still come through tepid and it was hard to find a place where cold water came through properly.

There's not much to say about the bedroom area other than it was wonderful! The bed was super comfortable and comes with enough pillows to please anyone's preference; next to the bed were two bedside tables with shelving and drawers, the hotel phone and the area had various types of lighting to compliment your mood. As it's higher up you also don't get disturbed by any light in the morning, but if you need the loo in the night then it's a bit of a trek navigating the stairs and lounge, but this wasn't a problem that occurred for either of us personally.

Moving on to downstairs, there's a luggage holder next to the wardrobe which has plenty of hanging space complete with wooden hangers, a hair dryer and a kettle as well as copious amounts of tea, coffee and biscuits for you to enjoy. There's also a full length mirror, and a desk on the other side of the room big enough for you to eat a meal off if you choose to have room service. There's also a handy Manchester Guide on there too if you're not sure where to start exploring. Lastly the lounge area, which had possibly the comfiest couch I've ever had the pleasure of sitting on and a wall mounted TV that's a good size and at an ideal height (so no neck strain). The only issue I found with the downstairs was there were no lights for the lounge area, and I'm personally not a fan of watching TV in the dark as it gives me migraines. I instead brought a lamp down from the bedroom and plugged this in, which worked a treat.

The Food

Albeit we didn't experience as much of the food as we would've liked, what we did try was exceptionally good and brilliant value for money. Upon dropping our bags we headed down to sit at the bar and ordered the Ainscow Platter to snack on before heading out later for a meal in Spinningfield. The food came really quickly and was a lot bigger than we expected it to be. There was absolutely plenty of everything including onion rings, breaded mushrooms, nachos, chicken satay, mozzarella bites and dips. Everything was cooked to perfection and went down a treat, amazing value for only £9.95! Needless to say when we got hungry the next day, room service was necessary and we ordered the same platter along with a side of cheesy chips which were an absolute triumph; huge home-style chips that tasted incredible and the cheese had actually been layered all the way down, bonus! The food still came quickly (and piping hot) even after finding out there were 15 other orders on the go.

The Bar & Hotel Service

Reception staff were always welcoming, booked us in really quickly and you get given a wifi code which worked extremely well in the room (we took the Xbox in order to watch Suits and there was no unnecessary buffering, yay!) Another thing which may seem daft to some but not to me was that there were mirrors in the lifts; I just thought this was really handy so you can check yourself over just before you head out!

For a hotel that is only a year and a half old I think it runs like a well oiled machine. It has so much to offer, is excellent value and is full of friendly and helpful staff, all of whom made me feel instantly at ease and totally comfortable. I'd highly recommend staying here if you visit Manchester and even if you're from Greater Manchester and fancy a night away. It's also great if you're in the area and you just wanted to pop in and grab some food or drinks. I feel like The Ainscow is only going to grow and improve on what is already an incredible first year. I hope this post was helpful if you were thinking of staying here or if you wanted to find somewhere to stay near Manchester.

I didn't have any intention of writing up a blog post, hence why there aren't a lot of pictures and they aren't amazing quality, everything was quite a whirlwind. Hopefully next time I go I can do so with the intention of writing a blog post and also to try a lot more of what is on offer like the restaurant's evening meals, afternoon tea and maybe even a Christmas event!

Find The Ainscow here! And let me know your own experiences!

• Holy hell editing is tedious and not at all easy, it's also very frustrating when it just doesn't DO what you want it to do (nor does it acknowledge you shouting at the screen)
• Once finished I noticed I'd spent nearly 2 hours editing an 8 minute video. My hands ached and so did my head, I'd also forgotten to eat and drink
• Despite these things, the sense of accomplishment and achievement after I'd finished was overwhelming. I could do it, I could achieve goals and I could work technology!
• I felt proud and much more capable but at the same time I was only at the very start and have a long way to go in terms of learning and improving. I was left with mainly positives and of course these little niggles in the back of my mind - could I commit that much time, could I be bothered, was it worth it?
• I think it's worth it, the other two I'll have to get back to you on