The Secret Life of the Airport Hotel

Inside a Manchester Airport hotel adapting to early-morning flights, park-and-stay passengers and rising demand at the UK’s third busiest airport.

It’s a bright and early morning at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Manchester Airport. Passengers are grabbing an express breakfast before checking out on their way to early-morning flights from the airport. The suitcases are rolling on the short walk to terminal, or being loaded into the transfer bus for a direct journey to the terminal.

For many, it’s the start of a holiday, with the stay at the airport a necessity due to the long distances travelled to the airport for an early-morning departure.

Hotel operations manager Emil Niculcea says that the hotel’s busiest hours often come before most people have started their day.

80% to 90% of the hotel’s guests are linked to Manchester Airport, including both passengers and air crew.

“Manchester Airport is the core of the hotel. Without them [passengers], basically we cannot operate; we saw that in the pandemic when numbers dropped to 10–20%,” he said.

The four-star hotel is one of eight around the airport apron and is a mere five-minute walk to the centre point of the two terminals, both a five to 10-minute walk away, or a short direct bus journey to the terminal door.

The airport has recently undergone a £1.3bn investment into its facilities, with its main Terminal 2 building expanding by over 50%. Terminal 1 has been closed, with some parts being absorbed into an expanded Terminal 3.

The airport is expanding to meet passenger demand. It’s the only one outside of London to have direct flights to China, Thailand and Hong Kong, along with flights to some US destinations.

New facilities include a new check-in hall in Terminal 2, new security checkpoints in both terminals, alongside more gates in the form of two new piers bolted onto Terminal 2.

Passengers can expect new shops and restaurants, along with more gates and more space to relax ahead of flights.

Hotels around the airport are responding to rising demand as the airport expands, with further hotel development expected around the airport. The airport handled 32,088,626 passengers in 2025, up around 4% on 2024, ranking as the third busiest UK airport, behind Heathrow and Gatwick.

As an airport hotel, the DoubleTree has had to adapt to remain competitive within the airport footprint, with Niculcea admitting: “We [the hotels around the airport] are all fighting for a piece of the pie.”

“They send us numbers every month: how many passengers are coming through, and we see an increase.

“You have to have additional services in order for people to come and book with you,” he added.

Niculcea said the restaurant had recently been modernised to help the hotel remain competitive.

One of the most popular aspects of the DoubleTree by Hilton at the airport is the park-and-stay package, where guests can stay at the hotel and park their car throughout the duration of their stay. This is often cheaper than the short-term options offered by the airport, which starts at £137 per week for doorstep parking to the terminal, or £97 per week for off-site parking.

Niculcea said park-and-stay packages are one of the hotel’s main selling points, allowing guests to leave their car at the hotel while flying from Manchester Airport.

“If you are living on the outskirts of Manchester, you can leave your car and fly out using the airport.”

There are also some more logistical challenges with an early-morning-focused market, such as changes to the breakfast served and the check-in/check-out times.

Niculcea said “It’s a very fast-paced environment in the airport area. We noticed demand from passengers with early flights, and we adapted.”

“We open our breakfast from 5am continental, and from 5.30am, full English.”

Niculcea also says that the express breakfast is very useful for passengers, saying: “They can have a coffee with a croissant, which they can have as a grab-and-go while they are walking to the terminal.”

“[In terms of late/early check-outs], it’s very important to adapt to each and every guest request,” he added.

“For early departures, the peak time is between 4am and 6am.

“Then, throughout the afternoon, around 11 or 12 o’clock, it can get busy. Arrivals tend to start arriving from between 3pm and 6pm.”

Niculcea also admits that passengers and hotels go hand in hand; one cannot work without the other, he said.

“You have to have hotels in the area, but on the same note, you have to have passengers who go through your gate.”