Best Locations for Serviced Accommodation in the North West: 2026 Ranking
The North West of England offers property investors a varied selection of markets, from Manchester's thriving commercial centre to Liverpool's visitor economy and the more affordable towns of Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
For anyone researching the best locations for serviced accommodation in the North West, look beyond headline nightly rates. A successful investment depends on understanding who will stay, why they will visit, how frequently accommodation is needed, and whether the numbers remain attractive after operating costs.
In 2026, Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Wigan, Chorley and Preston each present a different proposition. Some may suit investors targeting corporate travellers and tourists, while others may suit contractor accommodation, temporary relocations, or development-led property strategies.
Table of Contents
This guide ranks six locations based on their potential demand drivers, connectivity, market positioning, and suitability for further investment research. It also explains how private investors can approach property opportunities with a stronger focus on due diligence, potential returns, and investment security.
Quick Facts
Locations ranked: Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Wigan, Chorley and Preston
Best for corporate demand: Manchester
Best for tourism and events: Liverpool
Best for value-led regional access: Bolton
Best for contractor and practical short stays: Wigan
Best for town-centre development opportunities: Chorley
Best for business, education and regional connectivity: Preston
Main investment considerations: Occupancy, nightly rates, operating costs, planning, management and exit strategy
Private investor opportunity: Funding suitable property acquisitions, refurbishments or development projects, subject to the investment structure and associated risks
These rankings are qualitative, not verified yield rankings. Investors should compare individual properties using current local evidence before deciding where to commit capital.
Why Consider Serviced Accommodation in the North West?
The North West combines major employment centres, universities, visitor attractions, transport links and established residential communities. This creates several potential customer groups for serviced accommodation.
Business travellers may require convenient accommodation close to offices or meeting venues. Contractors may need somewhere practical for a project lasting several weeks. Leisure visitors may prioritise attractions, restaurants and events, while relocating households may need a furnished property during a transition.
This diversity matters because relying on one type of guest can leave an accommodation business vulnerable to seasonal fluctuations or changes in local demand.
For investors, the region also offers a range of property types and price points. A city-centre apartment and a town-centre conversion may serve very different markets, even when both are described as serviced accommodation.
DBR Investment Group explores the wider opportunity in its serviced accommodation Investment in the North West: A 2026 Beginner's Guide.
The important principle is to identify a genuine local need first, then determine whether a specific property can serve that need profitably.
How We Ranked the Best Locations
The ranking considers five practical factors:
Potential guest demand: Business activity, tourism, events, education and contractor requirements.
Connectivity: Rail, road links and access to surrounding employment centres.
Market positioning: Whether the location has a recognisable reason for visitors to stay.
Investment practicality: Opportunities to investigate property acquisition, refurbishment or development without assuming that lower prices guarantee better returns.
Operating considerations: Competition, achievable rates, occupancy, management costs and regulatory requirements.
The order reflects the locations' broad market characteristics, not a measured forecast of investment performance. The most suitable choice for one investor may be entirely different for another.
1. Manchester: Best for Corporate and City Demand
Manchester ranks first for investors seeking exposure to a major city market with multiple potential sources of accommodation demand.
The city has a substantial business, education, cultural, and leisure offering. Its offices, conference venues, universities, restaurants, shopping destinations and entertainment facilities can attract visitors throughout the year.
Potential guest groups include corporate travellers, project teams, visiting academics, students' families, event attendees and leisure visitors.
Why Manchester stands out
Manchester's main advantage is the variety of reasons people may need accommodation. A well-positioned property could potentially appeal to more than one customer group, helping an operator balance weekday business stays with weekend leisure bookings.
Transport connections also make the city accessible to visitors travelling from elsewhere in the UK.
What investors should consider
Competition is an important consideration. Popular areas may have established hotels, serviced apartments and short-term rental operators competing for the same bookings.
Acquisition prices, financing, management fees and day-to-day running costs can also be higher than in some smaller markets.
Investors should compare central locations with well-connected neighbourhoods, rather than assuming the most expensive postcode will generate the best return.
Investment verdict: Manchester is a strong starting point for researching corporate and leisure accommodation, particularly where a property has a clear location advantage. Its appeal must be balanced against acquisition costs and competition.
2. Liverpool: Best for Tourism and Events
Liverpool ranks second for its combination of cultural attractions, waterfront destinations, sporting interest, music heritage and events.
The city can attract visitors for weekend breaks, concerts, football matches, conferences and family trips. This creates potential demand for well-located accommodation, particularly where guests value convenient access to attractions and transport.
Why Liverpool stands out
A diverse visitor economy can offer opportunities for different property types, from compact city apartments to larger accommodation suited to families or groups.
Properties with easy access to the city centre, waterfront and event venues may be worth investigating. However, the suitability of each property depends on its exact location, guest profile and operating model.
What investors should consider
Tourism-led accommodation can experience fluctuations around events, holidays and quieter periods. A strong weekend rate does not necessarily translate into consistent annual revenue.
Investors should investigate weekday occupancy, seasonal pricing, competing accommodation and the cost of operating a property throughout the year.
They should also confirm whether the intended short-term use is permitted.
Investment verdict: Liverpool is an attractive market to investigate for tourism- and event-led accommodation, provided the financial model accounts for seasonality and competition.
3. Bolton: Best for Value and Regional Connectivity
Bolton offers a different proposition from the two largest city markets. It can appeal to investors looking for a regional town with access to Greater Manchester's wider employment and transport network.
Potential guests may include contractors, business visitors, people attending local events, visiting families and professionals who need temporary accommodation.
Why Bolton stands out
The town's appeal lies partly in its ability to serve local needs without requiring every guest to stay in central Manchester.
For some visitors, proximity to a particular workplace, project or family home may matter more than being in a major city centre.
This creates a reason to investigate properties near transport links, employment areas, hospitals and local amenities, where the intended guest profile supports the location.
What investors should consider
A lower purchase price is not proof of a better investment. Investors need evidence that local guests will pay sufficient rates and that bookings can be generated consistently.
Research should include comparable accommodation, likely length of stay, transport access, maintenance requirements, and the availability of reliable property management.
Investment verdict: Bolton deserves consideration for value-led strategies serving practical business and regional accommodation needs. Property-level demand evidence is essential before committing capital.
4. Wigan: Best for Contractors and Practical Stays
Wigan ranks fourth as a market worth investigating for contractor accommodation, business visits and guests who need a convenient base in the wider North West.
Its location between Greater Manchester and Lancashire, together with rail connections and local attractions, provides several potential reasons for people to stay.
Why Wigan stands out
Not every serviced accommodation guest is visiting for a holiday. Contractors, project workers and professionals may prioritise parking, reliable Wi-Fi, cooking facilities, comfortable workspaces and convenient access to their workplace.
Wigan's local employment base and transport connections make these factors relevant when assessing suitable properties.
Local attractions and sporting events may also contribute to leisure demand.
What investors should consider
Contractor demand should be supported by evidence rather than assumptions about nearby industrial or construction activity.
Before investing, examine major employers, current projects, the presence of competing accommodation and the likely duration of bookings. Longer stays can reduce guest turnover, but discounted weekly rates may affect overall revenue.
For more detailed local context, read DBR Investment Group's Serviced Accommodation in Wigan: Is It a Good Investment?.
Investment verdict: Wigan could suit a practical, longer-stay accommodation strategy where there is demonstrable demand from employers, contractors or relocating guests.
5. Chorley: Best for a Town-Centre Investment Strategy
Chorley ranks fifth, offering an alternative to larger city markets for investors interested in town-centre property and regional accommodation demand.
Located in Lancashire, Chorley provides access to surrounding employment centres, local amenities, countryside and wider North West destinations.
Why Chorley stands out
A town-centre location can appeal to guests who want convenient access to shops, restaurants, rail connections and everyday services.
Potential demand may come from business visitors, contractors, people visiting relatives, guests exploring the surrounding area and people needing temporary accommodation.
Chorley is also relevant to investors interested in development and refurbishment opportunities.
DBR Investment Group's Standish Court development provides an example of a property project in Chorley town centre. The development comprises 30 self-contained apartments and illustrates how an existing building can be transformed into modern residential accommodation.
However, residential apartments are not automatically suitable for serviced accommodation. Any proposed use must be assessed against planning, legal, building and operational requirements.
What investors should consider
Chorley is a smaller market, so the potential guest base and depth of accommodation demand may differ from those of Manchester or Liverpool.
Investors should establish whether a specific property has sufficient demand at realistic rates, particularly during quieter periods. They should also assess transport access, local competition and the intended exit strategy.
Investment verdict: Chorley is worth exploring for investors interested in town-centre property, refurbishment and regional development opportunities. The strongest case will be built around a specific asset and evidenced demand.
6. Preston: Best for Business, Education and Regional Access
Preston completes the ranking as a useful market for investigating business-related, education-linked and practical short-stay accommodation.
As a significant Lancashire city, Preston combines a university presence, employment activity, transport links and access to surrounding towns.
Why Preston stands out
Potential guests may include visiting professionals, contractors, academics, students' families and people travelling for business or personal reasons.
Properties close to the city centre, university, railway station or relevant employment locations may be worth examining, depending on the intended customer.
Preston can also serve visitors who need access to several parts of Lancashire rather than a single attraction.
What investors should consider
Education-related demand can vary across the academic calendar, while corporate and contractor demand depends on local employment and project activity.
Investors should assess the balance between weekday and weekend bookings, the likely length of stays, nearby competing properties and the cost of management.
Investment verdict: Preston is a worthwhile option for investors seeking a regional city with several potential sources of practical accommodation demand.
The right property will depend on its location and the strength of its target market.
How to Choose the Right Location for Your Investment
A location ranking is a useful starting point, but the individual property determines whether an investment makes commercial sense.
Before proceeding, consider the following steps.
1. Define your target guest. Decide whether you intend to serve corporate travellers, contractors, tourists, families or guests requiring temporary accommodation.
2. Research local competitors. Compare properties with similar locations, facilities, guest capacities and booking patterns. Advertised nightly rates alone do not establish achievable income.
3. Model realistic revenue. Estimate the average nightly rate and occupancy using evidence appropriate to the property and location.
4. Calculate all operating costs. Include cleaning, utilities, maintenance, management, insurance, booking fees, furnishing, compliance and financing where applicable.
5. Check permissions and legal arrangements. Confirm the proposed use with the relevant local authority and review any lease, mortgage, freeholder or building restrictions.
6. Assess the exit strategy. Consider whether the property could remain viable under another permitted use or investment model if short-term demand changes.
For a deeper comparison of property types, see DBR's guide to new-build versus converted properties for serviced accommodation.
Private Investment: Funding Property Opportunities in the North West
Private investors can play an important role in property acquisition, refurbishment and development across the North West.
Rather than purchasing and operating a serviced apartment independently, some investors may prefer to consider funding a property project managed by an experienced property business.
Depending on the specific structure, an opportunity could involve capital being deployed towards acquisition, refurbishment, conversion or development.
Potential investor outcomes may be linked to rental income, project profits, capital appreciation or another contractual arrangement.
However, these structures are not interchangeable, and no return should be assumed without reviewing the actual investment terms.
DBR Investment Group works across property sourcing, development, investment structuring and property management. Investors can learn more about its approach through the DBR Investment Group website and its published property investment opportunities across the North West.
Before committing funds, request clear documentation covering:
The property or project being funded.
The amount of capital required and how it will be used.
The projected financial performance and assumptions behind it.
The expected investment term and exit arrangements.
Any security, guarantees or other investor protections, including their limitations.
Fees, financing arrangements and material project risks.
The legal structure, reporting arrangements and conditions for repayment or distributions.
Potential returns and security are separate questions. A project may offer an attractive forecast without guaranteeing that outcome, and property-backed security does not eliminate the risk of loss.
Private investors should undertake independent legal, financial and tax due diligence before investing. Any opportunity should be assessed on its actual terms rather than general statements about the North West property market.
Regulations and Risk Management
Serviced accommodation is not simply a residential property with furniture and an online booking listing. The operating model may trigger specific planning, safety, tax and other obligations.
In England, the applicable requirements depend on the property's use and circumstances. Government guidance covers planning permission, business rates, taxation, fire safety, gas and carbon monoxide safety, electrical safety, energy performance and insurance.
Review the official GOV.UK guidance on letting out a self-catering holiday home and contact the relevant council to confirm the position for a particular property.
Investors should also account for changing legislation, mortgage conditions, insurance restrictions, maintenance liabilities, guest complaints and fluctuations in demand.
A robust investment strategy considers downside scenarios as carefully as expected returns. This includes testing what happens if occupancy falls, operating costs rise, refurbishment takes longer than expected, or the eventual exit value is lower than forecast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which location is best for serviced accommodation in the North West?
Manchester ranks first in this guide for its broad corporate and city demand. Liverpool is a strong candidate for tourism and events, while Bolton, Wigan, Chorley and Preston offer different regional opportunities. The best location for an individual investment depends on the property, target guest, costs and verified demand.
Is serviced accommodation more profitable than buy-to-let?
Not necessarily. Serviced accommodation may generate higher gross revenue in some circumstances, but it usually involves additional operating costs and more active management. Investors should compare net income, capital requirements, risk and the time involved rather than relying on gross yield alone.
Is Chorley a good location for serviced accommodation?
Chorley is worth investigating because of its town-centre amenities, regional connections and property development opportunities. However, investors should verify local demand, achievable rates, planning requirements and operating costs for each proposed property.
Can private investors fund serviced accommodation projects?
Potentially, depending on the project and investment structure. Investors should establish how their funds will be used, how potential returns are generated, what security or protections apply, and how and when the investment may be realised. Returns are not guaranteed.
What should investors check before purchasing a serviced accommodation property?
Key checks include local demand, comparable accommodation, realistic occupancy, achievable rates, operating costs, planning and legal requirements, financing, management arrangements and the exit strategy. Independent professional advice is recommended before committing capital.
Are short-term lets subject to special rules in England?
They may be subject to planning, tax, safety, insurance and other requirements depending on the property's use and circumstances. Investors should consult current government guidance and the relevant local authority before proceeding.
Explore North West Property Investment Opportunities
The North West offers a broad range of potential serviced accommodation markets. Manchester and Liverpool provide large city economies, while Bolton, Wigan, Chorley and Preston offer alternative opportunities shaped by local employment, transport, property availability and visitor demand.
The right choice is not necessarily the town with the highest advertised nightly rate or the lowest purchase price. It is the location where a specific property, a credible demand profile, realistic financial assumptions and a suitable operating strategy work together.
For private investors, this also means looking beyond the location to understand the project itself: how capital will be deployed, how potential returns are calculated, what protections are available and what exit arrangements apply.
DBR Investment Group invites prospective investors to explore its property projects and discuss opportunities that align with their objectives, timescales and appetite for risk.
Ready to explore a North West property investment opportunity? Contact DBR Investment Group to discuss available projects, investment structures, projected returns and the due diligence information relevant to your decision.
Investment disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Property investment and development involve risk, and capital may be lost. Projected returns are not guaranteed. Any security is subject to the relevant legal documentation and may not prevent losses. Investors should obtain independent professional advice and review the full investment documentation before committing funds.
