Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United Football Club is often called the theatre of dreams. With a capacity of over 75,000 there are a lot of visitors to the area who have an interest in football. This is why Hotel Football and Café Football are so popular.
The building is right next to Old Trafford and has a football theme throughout. Don’t panic though if like me you are the one in the family who isn’t really that keen on football, you will still enjoy it. We stayed at Hotel Football in September when I was at a blogging conference. When they invited me to come and review the hotel and café I jumped at the chance.
The above photo is a view from our room taken with my phone without using any kind of zoom or filter. That is literally how close you are!
If you follow me on social media you are likely to have seen that we stayed for the weekend of Ben’s 13th birthday. I telephoned them in advance and let them know about this and asked if there was anything they could do to make it special for Ben. The lady I spoke to said yes they could put him a card and something in the room. I was so excited about this but didn’t tell Ben. I wish I had recorded his reaction!
Staying At Hotel Football
We booked for two nights in one of Hotel Football’s Squad family rooms. The room is suitable for families of two adults and two children under 13 as a maximum. It includes a king size bed (can be split into two singles if requested before arrival) and a double sofa bed. All the Squad rooms have a view of Old Trafford and a football theme. If you are looking for a football themed room for an Ultimate fan then you must check out the Class of 92 rooms they look amazing!
The room includes a Smeg mini fridge which is stocked with a selection of retro goodies for you to enjoy free of charge during your stay. If you are staying more than one night it gets refilled each day. This means there is plenty for all the family to enjoy.
The bathroom of the squad room includes a bath and shower. Both are spacious and the bathroom was clean and fresh throughout with plenty of towels and toiletries for our stay, they were replenished on day two also.
The room includes a good size TV which has all the Sky Sports and BT Sports channels so perfect for football fans. It is spacious enough to relax after a busy day exploring Manchester or watching the football.
Ben loved being in a football themed room with his Match Attax cards and watching the football on TV. The ultimate in relaxing before your birthday meal in Café Football.
Birthday treats at Hotel Football
Ben was enjoying his stay so much already and what an amazing birthday treat. When we arrived in the room we found a birthday card from the Hotel Football staff wishing Ben a happy 13th birthday. Also there were some chocolate footballs on his pillow and more chocolate footballs and Top Trumps cards on the desk.
Ben was absolutely overjoyed to discover these and treasures them especially because the card contains signatures from Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.
We thought this was a lovely touch and really made Ben’s day. Such a simple gesture that really made the stay special.
Café Football
We ate an evening meal the night of Ben’s birthday at Café football which is part of the Hotel. That said, you do not need to be staying there to dine here.
The staff went out of their way to make Ben feel special putting balloons on the chair and bringing him his ice-cream with candles in. He felt like a celebrity and loved it. He was wearing his novelty suit and felt amazing. It was definitely the birthday treat I had intended.
The Café is football themed and with a number of TV’s. This means you can keep up with your team whilst enjoying a lovely meal. There is also football themed wallpaper (the same as you can find throughout the corridors of the hotel) as you can see behind Ben.
Whilst it is called Café Football I would say it is very much more like a restaurant than a greasy spoon. Don’t let the term café put you off. The menu is good with burgers, pizzas and more. There is something for everyone. I took so many photos I couldn’t possibly include them all so apologies for that!
Our food
The food was all great quality and the service second to none. It is full table service which is lovely and the food all came out hot and at the same time. I really couldn’t fault any of the food. For starter Stuart had the Nachos (above), I had cheesy garlic bread, and Ben had Belly Pork.
For our main courses Ben and Stuart both chose burgers. I had a pizza with pear, gorgonzola and walnut which was absolutely amazing! They were all cooked to perfection. Our drinks were kept topped up as required.
The evening meal we had in Café Football was wonderful. It is definitely something I would recommend if you stay at Hotel Football or visit the area.
Breakfast At Café Football
Breakfast at the hotel is held in Café Football. There are essentially two options, cooked or continental. If you prefer a cooked breakfast there is a great variety including a breakfast pizza, poached eggs (with different choices eg spinach), a cooked breakfast and a vegetarian breakfast amongst other things.
All the hot options we tried were cooked to perfection and served perfectly. On the second morning I asked if it was possible to make a vegetarian version of the breakfast pizza. They were more than happy to oblige.
If you had a hot breakfast this didn’t stop you also enjoying the cold selection too. This included cereals, pastries, cold meats, cheeses, toast, fresh juices and fruit.
The selection was regularly refilled and continued to be tidy and fresh throughout.
The staff were friendly and helpful even happily having their photo taken with Ben when he wanted a souvenir photo with a waitress! They brought coffee and tea to the table and if wanted replaced this when needed.
The breakfast was a relaxing experience that really made the weekend perfect. If you book to stay there I highly recommend you also eat breakfast there as you will not be disappointed.
Our Overall Views of The Hotel Football and Café Football Experience
We all had a lovely weekend in a hotel which is so welcoming and friendly. It is so relaxing and with a great football theme. If like me you are not a massive football fan you will still love it though so don’t let that put you off.
The staff throughout were amazing and we would particularly like to thank Heather and Borislava on reception for our service on arrival and checkout.
The restaurant staff on the evening of Ben’s birthday who made the visit outstanding were Bill, Mariusz, Roberto, Charlotte and Tracy.
Whilst I didn’t catch the names of the staff who served us at breakfast they were amazing too. We did not encounter any members of staff throughout our stay who were not friendly and smiling.
It was a lovely weekend and we would definitely love to visit again soon. If you are looking for a nice hotel to stay then definitely consider Hotel Football.
Have a look at the Hotel Football website for any current offers, prices and availability.
