My Dad is fortunate, or unfortunate depending how you look at it, to have a birthday and Father’s Day in the same week. Attempting to find two presents for the man who has everything is a difficult task. His requirements for electric drills, hacksaws and slippers have been well and truly met and surpassed, so this year my brother and I decided to opt for the ‘experience’, rather than a gift that will gather dust.

We booked theatre tickets, plus a night in plush serviced accommodation for the four of us (Mum came too). As Dad enjoys five-star everything, we went to town to find the crème de la crème of serviced apartments in Manchester.

Situated by the waterfront in Castlefield, some of the beautiful attributes of the serviced apartment included:-

• 42-inch plasma TV
• Free Wi-Fi and Sky TV
• On-demand music and movies
• Egyptian cotton towels – 900 thread count
• Pocket-sprung beds with memory foam
• Goose-down duvets
• Secure underground parking

From organic breakfasts to herbal teas in serviced apartments

Food is also very important to my Dad. In this particular serviced apartment a welcome basket was waiting for us which included organic bread and milk, freshly-squeezed orange juice, cereals, jams, chocolate biscuits and butter. As a big tea drinker, Dad was quick to exploit the extensive range of herbal and fruit teas which were complementary in the serviced apartment. Free-range and organic breakfasts were also available to order. As restaurant and food facilities are not always included in serviced apartments these little extras helped to take the rating up to five-star.