Manchester has been on an upward trajectory in recent years, hoarding the lion’s share of the football prestige (unfortunate for those of us on the red side of town) and claiming a major stake in Britain’s media economy with acquisitions of the BBC’s Salford outpost and production/education mega-hub MediaCity. As such, the Cottonopolis has become an increasingly attractive prospect for hotel groups, especially those who recognise the value of its established cultural capital alongside its rising business and leisure sector. In honour of our hometown’s growth, we’ve compiled a list of the most recent hotels to grace its streets.
Hotel Brooklyn
Housed inside a former bank building in the heart of Portland Street, Hotel Brooklyn pays homage to the New York borough’s history from early 20th century to the present day (the name was also chosen due to Brooklyn’s resonating similarities to Manchester, including its buzzing industrial growth, strength of identity and culture). Designed by Squid Inc – the team behind the city’s art-deco style Hotel Gotham – the property houses 189 loft-inspired guestrooms, a restaurant and bar named after American writer Damon Runyon on the ground floor, and a mini cinema kitted out with a projector and tiered seating in the lobby, as well as a cosy lounge with blue velour sofas and vinyl players spinning records from the Manchester music scene.
Native
Set within the reimagined Ducie Street Warehouse in the Northern Quarter, Native Manchester was designed by Archer Humphreys Architects with an emphasis on the building’s legacy. Occupying eight floors of the Grade II-listed former industrial structure, the 166-key project features elements of the warehouse’s past by way of original cast-iron columns, a vast central atrium, exposed barrel-arched brickwork and parquet flooring. The hotel is accompanied by Cultureplex, a ground floor social hub by restaurateurs David Waddington and Pablo Flack comprising an 80-seat restaurant, a Mini-Cini, coffee counter and event and workspace. Fitness brand Blok has also used this space for its first studio outside of London.
Stock Exchange Hotel
The brainchild of ex-professional footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, the Stock Exchange Hotel (a member of the Relais & Châteaux portfolio with management by GG Hospitality) occupies a 20th century Edwardian structure in the heart of the city, offering a collection of 40 guestrooms – including two signature suites and a 3,500ft² penthouse residence – and an F&B programme overseen by chef Tom Kerridge. The Grade II-listed former trading hub was transformed into a boutique hotel by JM Architects and Istanbul-based studio Autoban, the latter reimagining the interiors in a palette of subtle colours and pairing bespoke furnishings with original surfaces such as marble, glass and woodwork to channel the building’s history.
Whitworth Locke
Following the launches of its London and Edinburgh venues, Locke Hotels brought its design-led aparthotel concept to Manchester with Whitworth Locke. Previously a historic cotton mill, the building was transformed by New York architects and designers Grzywinski+Pons, with the finished development celebrating the city’s industrial past whilst embracing its dynamic and creative present and future. The hotel comprises a total of 160 studios and one-bedroom suites, yet central to Locke’s mission are the property’s socially focussed spaces, which include co-working venue Locke Works, a CrossFit Gym and yoga studio, a cocktail bar, wine bar, healthy all-day dining, apparel kiosk and a partnership with the local Foundation Coffee House.
Dakota
Situated on Ducie Street close to Piccadilly Station and the Rochdale Canal, Dakota Manchester was built by KPP Architects in Dakota’s trademark imposing black brick style, while interiors by brand founder Ken McCulloch’s wife, Amanda Rosa, bring a touch of old-school Mayfair to the Cottonopolis. The hotel’s 137 guestrooms and 20 suites all feature purple mohair throws that hark back to Dakota’s roots in Scotland, while a series of sleek public areas – including the 104-cover Dakota Grill, a chic cocktail lounge, The Champagne Room and The Cigar Garden – combine a dark colour palette, rich fabrics and atmospheric lighting, as well as playful touches such as a textile dog named Chester – seen here in the cosy lobby.
Hotel Indigo – Victoria Station
Set within a contrasting pair of buildings – one a former tea warehouse, the other a newbuild cylindrical tower – Hotel Indigo – Victoria Station interprets Mancunian past and present across 187 themed guestrooms and three F&B outlets: M Café, the Mamucium restaurant, and a circular bar space. The property echoes the neighbourhood-conscious offer of IHG’s Indigo brand, with lead designers 3D Reid focusing their efforts on channelling three guiding forces of press, Arkwright and tea, respectively referencing the nearby Printworks and Manchester’s history as a printing hub through the 20th century; industrial era entrepreneur Richard Arkwright and his cotton mills; and the former life of the hotel as a tea packing plant.
Selina NQ1
Looking to capitalise on Manchester’s distinctly bohemian Northern Quarter with its own nomadic living concept, Selina opened a Latin American-inspired boutique hotel in the former Hatters Hostel on St Stephen’s Square last summer. The acquisition of Hatters’ UK portfolio also saw Selina take over popular NQ hangouts The Patron, Holdfast and Irish bar The Corner Boy, relaunching them as on-site restaurant Wilson’s Social, an Irish American pub and 200-capacity basement nightclub Cotton respectively. In each of the hotel’s 37 uniquely designed private rooms, suites and shared accommodations, meanwhile, interior designer Lorna Keller married repurposed furniture with locally inspired artwork and quirky Latin American touches.
The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel
Following a multi-million-pound refurbishment, the 263-room Radisson Edwardian – set within Manchester’s historic Free Trade Hall – relaunched as The Edwardian, Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel in October 2019. Edwardian Hotels London’s in-house design team, led by Creative Director Rob Steul and Product Design Manager Krishma Singh-Dear, introduced modern design touches that complement the classic heritage of the 18th century structure. The pair transformed the hotel’s original bar and dining room into Peter Street Kitchen – a new restaurant serving Japanese and Mexican sharing plates together with imaginative cocktails – and revamped guestrooms and suites in line with the aesthetic of the ground floor.
And there’s plenty more projects in the pipeline too…
Capital & Centric has announced plans to build a Jenga-inspired hotel in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood by early 2022. Located on the corner of Adair Street and Great Ancoats Street, the 275-key property will be designed by Stephenson Studio and spans 14 floors, with planters adorning the side of the building to provide greenery. There will also be a ground floor restaurant, bar and external terrace area spilling out onto a new public square, built by Capital & Centric for the City Council as part of the site.
Similarly, Accor has revealed the signing of a Tribe hotel at Manchester Airport, in partnership with H3 Hotels SARL. Set to open in 2022 as part of the wider £1 billion Airport City development – which will include offices, a hotel district, manufacturing, logistics facilities and retail space – the new 12,300m2 project will be located 400m away from Terminal 2 and served by a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the M56 motorway. Inside, the nine-storey building will comprise 412 guestrooms and suites, four F&B areas, co-working spaces, a gym and a crew lounge for airline staff travelling through the city.
