IHG to open first InterContinental hotel in Manchester

IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of its first InterContinental hotel in Manchester.

 

Owned by Blue Manchester Hotel Limited, the 264-room hotel will be fully rebranded to the InterContinental Manchester – Deansgate by 2027 and will remain open to guests in the meantime.

 

It forms part of the 47-storey Beetham Tower, one of the tallest buildings outside in the UK of London.

 

The hotel will be set across 22 floors and, once it undergoes an extensive refurbishment, will feature an indoor pool, sauna and steam room, fitness centre and 18 meeting rooms.

 

It marks IHG’s fifth InterContinental property in UK & Ireland, following on from its flagship on London’s Park Lane, as well as sites in Edinburgh, Dublin and London’s Greenwich.

 

The launch comes soon after Joanna Kurowska, managing director for UK & Ireland, told The Caterer of her plans to launch a luxury hotel “not in London, but under one of our core luxury brands” just last week.

 

Willemijn Geels, vice president, development, Europe, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “The signing of InterContinental Manchester – Deansgate marks a significant milestone in our UK&I development strategy as we bring the world’s first and most iconic luxury hotel brand to an important city in the UK. The landmark signing further strengthens IHG’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the UK and perfectly complements our Kimpton Clocktower property — reinforcing our position as the leading luxury hospitality player in Manchester."

 

InterContinental Manchester – Deansgate will join IHG’s growing luxury and lifestyle collection, with more than 105 open hotels and 72 in development across Europe.

 

The UK & Ireland pipeline currently consists of 33 hotels, including plans for four Indigo hotels in London’s Shepherd’s Bush, Leeds, Torquay and Gloucester, which are due to launch by December as part of a continued expansion drive into the regions.

 

Kurowska told The Caterer: “The regeneration projects that are being put in place to help those non-primary cities become more appealing to local residents and local tourism is a realisation of a post-pandemic world.

 

“That sparked an understanding that investing in cities all over the country is an opportunity for a local council to raise the profile of a town. Indigo is not the only brand to have done this, but Indigo has this ability to tell this story very well.”

 

There are also several Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inns and Voco-branded hotels in the pipeline, according to Kurowska.

 

As for Six Senses at the Whiteley in London’s Bayswater, the first UK resort for the luxury Six Senses brand, the hotelier said: “It’s opening soon, but I cannot confirm the date yet.”

 

News of the 110-room luxury hotel was first reported in 2019, with an initial opening date set for 2023.

 

The project has since undergone several rounds of delays, with the latest launch date set for this summer.

 

Last week, IHG also confirmed the signing of a dual-branded property in London’s Waterloo, scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2028.

 

The project includes the 182-room Voco London – Waterloo and 172-room Hotel Indigo & Suites London – the latter being the first of its kind in Europe.

 

It will further cement IHG’s presence in the luxury and lifestyle segment, following the group’s recent acquisition of Munich-based urban lifestyle brand Ruby Hotels.

 

IHG currently operates 363 hotels across the UK and Ireland. Globally, the group oversees more than 6,000 hotels under 20 brands across over 100 countries.