I stayed at the Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly after its £33million refurb - this is what it's like inside (and why it left me gobsmacked)

Size isn't everything, of course, but Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly's boast that it has the biggest standard rooms in the city has merit.

Because they are impressively substantial.

The smallest slice of accommodation in the 338-room property is 28 sq m (301 sq ft) – big enough for a king-sized bed and a sofa bed, with lashings of elbow room.

The hotel even has a double-double option.

I check in to an Executive King on the top (eighth) floor and discover that the hotel could also quite reasonably crow about its views.

I gaze out of the panoramic wall-to-wall windows and behold a gobsmacking spectacle – trains bound for every compass point trundling in and out of Piccadilly railway station below and beyond the skyline, the majestic peaks of the Peak District National Park.

During my stay, I find myself lost in time on several occasions as I stand and gaze at the scene, elbows resting on the shelf that runs alongside the glass. A couple of stools added to the inventory and placed here would be worthwhile, for this spot is worth lingering in.

The rest of the room is like the rest of the hotel – smart and comfortable, if a little thin on Instagram bait.

Marriott spent £33million on refurbing the property – until April this year a Macdonald hotel – and in my quarters the budget has allowed for a luxurious king bed, bedside lampshades made from strands of cotton (a fleck of acknowledgement to Manchester's industrial cotton industry heritage), a modish sofa bed, a 55in TV, a Nespresso machine, a modular wardrobe and a walk-in shower with 'This Works' toiletries. Though the allotted lolly didn't stretch to installing a rainfall showerhead. It's hose-only. Which didn't feel very 'executive'.

On the first floor, behind textured-glass doors, is an enticing 24-hour lounge – accessible via a day pass and a free perk for eighth-floor executive room guests and Marriott Bonvoy members with status that's platinum or higher.

Breakfast is served in the mornings here, with hot and cold options laid out.

On the occasion I try it, I enjoy the company of a cheerful and chatty member of staff who gamely distributes lattes and clears my table.

Between 5pm and 9pm complimentary canapes, wine and beer are deployed.

See? Enticing.

Further dining and beverage options are presented at the chic hotel bar, the adjoining 'Greatroom Lounge', and the main bistro-style restaurant. Think comforting breakfast buffets, burgers, risottos and handcrafted cocktails.

Manchester United fan? You're in good company here, because Marriott is an official partner of the club and has installed a Manchester United 'Lobby Phone'.

During my stay, tales programmed into the installation come from the likes of striker Marcus Rashford, former defender David May and current defender Harry Maguire.

The lobby phone is a good call. And so is staying in the hotel if you're on a budget – rooms start from around just £79 a night – or you have a very early train to catch.

I'm booked on the 5.05am Avanti to London Euston from Piccadilly railway station, an hour best described as hellish. But I don't need to walk out of the Marriott until 4.50am as the station is quite literally a two-minute walk away.

I still set my alarm a wee bit early, though – just to snatch a few extra minutes gazing at the magnificent vista.