Don't let the kids cramp your style when choosing a weekend away. Manchester's Lowry Hotel offers a 'Kids at Heart' package that gives all the family a chance to enjoy a taste of luxury while exploring the lively and vibrant city

The hostelry jewel in the Northern crown, the Lowry, sits on the bank of the River Irwell in new-look Salford, a far cry from the Salford of The Smiths and Corrie's fictional cobbles.

This Salford is one that ticks all the regeneration boxes: cloud-skimming urban flats, big shiny Mercs and Porsches, global coffee chains and cranes, temporarily abandoning the fevered construction for the weekend.

This is now the Manchester of WAGs (more on those later) and money.

Friendly staff

Despite the deserved five-star rating of this Rocco Forte hotel, the Lowry (with its strong Mancunian accent) manages to be friendly, personal and welcoming, even to two sticky-faced, tired children (Mia, 6, and Alfie, 5).

We were staying for the weekend to try out the new 'Kids at Heart' package, aimed at treating little folks like VIPs while allowing the bigger people some luxury time out.

At check-in, the kids were asked their favourite foods ('corn on the cob' and 'burgers') and favourite things ('Star Wars', 'watching Star Wars' and, er, 'the colour purple').

We had a gorgeous grown-ups' room (enormous bounce-on-me bed, beautifully appointed bathroom and separate walk-in wet room) with a conjoined twin room for the kids.

Two little bags, teddies, dressing gowns and pairs of slippers awaited the delighted children and ten minutes later a knock at the door brought them kids' cocktails for two.

For the adults, exhausted by the train ride and the journey's questions ('is that the hotel?', 'is that the hotel?', 'is THAT the hotel?') the weekend started once we'd wrestled the kids into bed.

Well-stocked rooms

The mini bar was well-stocked (in both rooms, which I would be wary of, especially with teenagers), and not too wallet-crippling, plus there was plenty of chilled water for tea-total pregnant me.

A short bridge leads from behind the hotel into Deansgate, and a short shoe shuffle from the newly-gentrified area near the cathedral, with its fancy shops and billions of eateries.

Manchester is a sea of bars, but with four kids (two cousins) and their mum and dad in tow, we hit a burger bar and then headed for the Museum of Science and Industry, where massive trains, planes and engines kept the dads and the boys entertained for hours.

Dinner back at The Lowry was comfortably pricey (three courses for £173 for four of us, including a couple of glasses of wine and beer). Service was impeccable and we were a bread roll's throw from Wayne Rooney and Colleen McLoughlin.

Having completely overdosed on rich food and celeb-sightings, we passed out like happy little pigs before the clock struck 11.

Perfect pre-natal pampering

The next morning my husband, James, and the kids set off to ransack the breakfast buffet, while I indulged in the most glorious pre-natal massage and facial.

The Lowry Hotel Health Spa is crisp and clean but friendly and warm in a way the North seems so much better at than London, and the treatments are surprisingly affordable. The one hour, 25 minute Maternal Melt included an aromatherapy body massage, mud wrap and facial for just £85.

I was still floating on air when we checked out a few hours later.

The Kids At Heart package (£290 for two adults and two children) meant that, for the first time, we as a couple could bring the kids without having to turn the whole weekend over to them.

The kids were treated like absolute royalty and all of us took something special from the weekend. Would we do it again? In a heart beat.
www.thelowryhotel.com