Melinda Healy
Manchester gets UK’s first InnSide Meliá
Have you got designs on a trip to Manchester during your next break? Well, InnSide by Meliá has launched its first UK hotel in the city this month and it overlooks Manchester's international centre for contemporary art, theatre and film. Located just minutes from the city's museum and shopping districts and with easy access to Manchester's train stations and airport, the 208-room hotel is geared towards both business and leisure travellers. Stays here start at Dh565 per night. For more information, visit www.melia.com.
Safe, cheap rooms at Generator Hostels
If you're a solo traveller and on a budget, don't despair, Generator Hostels has accommodation options all around the world worth considering. With properties in Paris, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Dublin, London, Berlin and Hamburg, Generator Hostels offers stylish, central, safe and affordable accommodation. Room options range from private en suite twins to female-only dormitories, and each hostel offers free Wi-Fi, chill-out areas, 24-hour security and a free walking tour of your chosen city. Rates in Paris start from Dh127 per night in a shared room. For more information, visit www.generatorhostels.com.
Banyan Tree’s birthday packages
The Banyan Tree Al Wadi and the Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach are celebrating their fifth birthdays, and in a bid to share the love they are offering guests a "Celebrating Five Years" offer. If you join the party, you will enjoy a night in a deluxe pool villa or a beachfront pool villa, dinner at the resort's restaurant, breakfast, a 60-minute spa session and morning falconry or an owl-feeding session. Prices start from Dh2,392 per night, based on two adults sharing a villa, and the offer is available until September 22. For more information, visit www.banyantree.com.
Witness the Great Migration in Kenya
The Great Migration begins this month in Kenya's Maasai Mara, and Sala's Camp is the first lodge in the world-famous national park to witness this incredible natural phenomenon. Recently upgraded with private plunge pools, the luxurious tented camp site is owned by The Safari Collection, and makes for an exciting long weekend escape from the UAE. If you're taking a longer trip, combine your stay with its Giraffe Manor or Solio Lodge overlooking Mount Kenya. Rates at Sala's Camp cost from Dh1,800 per person per night and include accommodation, house beverages, return transfers, laundry and taxes. For more information, visit www.thesafaricollection.com.
mhealy@thenational.ae
