Guests can expect in-room yoga mats, free tuck boxes and record players playing the sounds of Madchester
Kimpton® Hotels and Restaurants, will open its Kimpton® Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on Thursday 1st October. This will be the latest incarnation of the boutique hotel following a number of recent changes over recent years.
The building was formerly the Palace Hotel until 2016 when the hotel was taken over by the Principal group before Kimpton®, the leading global boutique luxury brand from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), took over earlier this year.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will offer a real ‘wow’ factor stay with a warm Mancunian welcome
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is to be the brand’s fourth hotel to open in the UK, joining Kimpton® London Fitzroy, Kimpton® Blythswood Square in Glasgow and Kimpton® Charlotte Square in Edinburgh.
The hotel’s terracotta Grade II listed building dates back to 1890, when it first opened as The Refuge Assurance Company headquarters (they don’t build them like that anymore). The grand iconic clock tower at the centre of its striking Victorian architecture is now an unmistakable landmark on Manchester’s skyline.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is only a 10-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, opposite Oxford Road Station. Visible from all around thanks to its clock tower, it is less than five minutes by foot from the world-famous LGBTQ area of Canal Street, and close enough to the city centre’s shopping areas and department stores. If guests don’t fancy a walk, Kimpton-branded bikes are available for hire free-of-charge.
All of the hotel’s 270 loft-style bedrooms, which include eleven suites, were designed to make the most of the stunning, double and triple-height ceilings. Other original features including glazed bricks, tiles and faience, stained glass and carved wooden staircases, plus a three-metre-tall bronze horse by artist Sophie Dickens which sits in the lobby to denote a horse-and-carriage ‘turning circle’ that once stood on the same spot.
Now enhanced with contemporary fittings and interiors, guest rooms offer more of an up to date homage to Manchester. The city’s iconic music scene is represented with vinyl records of our most iconic bands - from the Stone Roses and Oasis to Elbow and Take That – available to play on record players in each room. The design of each room nods towards the spirited and renowned Manchester party and music scene with vibrant, bespoke textiles designed by Timorous Beasties, which (of course) incorporate the iconic Manchester worker bee and bold contemporary graphic prints.
Hotel guests will enjoy Kimpton’s signature perks such as in-room yoga mats and the ‘Forgot It? We’ve Got It!’ service offering important guest essentials. Free tuck boxes of treats can be found in all rooms, as well as fresh milk and mineral water in the fridge. Guests can also expect the brand’s industry-leading pet-friendly attitude and an approachable luxury experience with personal service.
Those wanting to leave their rooms can meet fellow visitors across social distanced tables at the nightly Kimpton Social Hour over hosted drinks from 5-6pm. The setting for Kimpton Social Hour will be in The Winter Garden, an interior glasshouse, full of natural light, within The Refuge; a dining room and public bar, set in a 10,000 square foot of space.
Kimpton is renowned for its award-winning portfolio of local, seasonally-inspired restaurants and bars. Destination bar and restaurant, The Refuge by Volta, serves globally inspired small plates, craft beers and cocktails created by the award-winning team from Volta who have also curated an ongoing programme of events and happenings. The hotel also offers a whopping seventeen meeting rooms with capacity from four to 1,000 (thanks to the largest ballroom in a hotel in the north west) where charming Edwardian detailing sits alongside 21st century technology.
“Each Kimpton hotel is an escape from the ordinary, and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will offer a real ‘wow’ factor stay with a warm Mancunian welcome,” said General Manager Johan Scheepers.
“The Kimpton brand is rooted in human heartfelt connections and we look forward to welcoming guests and locals in a city world renowned for its warmth, charm and exuberance.”
Anchored in one-of-a-kind experiences, Kimpton now operates more than 60 hotels and 80 restaurants, bars and lounges across urban locations, resort destinations and up and coming markets in the United States, Europe, Caribbean and Greater China. There are currently a further 33 in the hotel development pipeline. Kimpton Clocktower Hotel closely follows the opening of Kimpton Vividora, which opened its doors in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona.
Double rooms at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel start from £120 inclusive of VAT, service charge and full English breakfast.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Oxford St, Manchester M60 7HA
