Manchester: A nights stay in…King Street Townhouse
Manchester is the design hub of the north and with that comes the need for hotels with interiors designed to impress. With the Manchester Open just around the corner, Design Insider has taken a trip to Manchester and has got an inside peak at the latest and best hotels to get you inspired…
In December 2015, Eclectic Hotels opened its fourth property to its string of unique and (as the name suggests) eclectic hotels in Manchester, the King Street Townhouse.
The hotel is a beautiful Italian renaissance building, built in 1872. You can see that the designer although respecting the historic quality of the building, has designed a contemporary hotel with some wonderful quirky features. Eclectic Hotels use an in-house design team headed by co-founder and Interior Designer, Sally O’Loughlin.
King Street Townhouse’s doors open onto an airy reception, where you will no doubt be greeted by one of the nicest hotel receptionists I’ve ever encountered, Tom. This entrance hall is clean and bright and leads you through to the stylish brasserie and bar, The Tavern.
Lined with cherry red banquettes, this restaurant is vibrant and plush. Overlooking the Tavern is the Mezzanine which is filled with deep sofas and armchairs covered in beautiful velvet fabrics in the most whimsical designs. This space feels really homey but luxurious at the same time.
A surprise feature for me was the Infinity Pool & Spa – Located in the 7th floor, overlooking Manchester Town Hall clock tower and the beautiful skyline. There is a small but stunning infinity pool which is just wonderful to sit in and look over the rooftops!
The hotel has 40 individually designed rooms and suites. There were a few BCFA members that were part of this project, including Ena Shaw Contract (Exhibiting at stand 12)who manufactured and installed the beautiful curtains, blinds and soft furnishings. Sylvan provided the hard furniture and GP & J Baker provided some of the most beautiful wall coverings, that really gave a quirky edge to the hotel.
The room was cosy and quaint. It had a large, deep bath at the end of the bed and a stunning bathroom with spotless brassware. Have a look through my gallery of images from the room below.
Sally O’Loughlin – co-founder and Interior Designer for the Eclectic Hotels Collection was able to answer a few questions for us about this beautiful project.
So Sally, What do you love about design?
Design is so powerful; it enables you to transform a space using architectural details, lighting, furniture and fittings. I love that design creates an interesting and beautiful environment, giving people an experience to enhance their happiness and wellbeing.
Can you tell me about the brief you were given for the design of the Townhouse?
My husband and our Management Team had a number of conversations to determine the overall atmosphere to complement the guest experience. The rich history in each of our four hotel properties is what we like to consider as part of the charm of the Eclectic Hotels Collection which is why it was so important to me to incorporate this into the design story.
King Street Townhouse is located within the upper King Street Conservation Area of Manchester city centre; it’s a beautiful Italian renaissance building that was designed by local architect Edward Salomons and originally built back in 1872 for the Manchester Salford Trustees Bank. My intention from a design perspective was to always respectfully expand on the allure and unique qualities of this historic building.
What is your favourite feature/space in the Townhouse and why?
I have two favourite spaces; the Mezzanine Lounge for its intimacy, relaxing atmosphere & flexibility. Secondly, the Infinity Spa Pool for its open air aspect and spectacular view of the city scape (along with the enjoyment 365 days of the year!)
Were there any issues that needed to be overcome when designing the Townhouse?
King Street Townhouse is a Grade II listed building so naturally there were several issues to overcome. One such issue was the addition of pillars to strengthen the building to enable us to add three more floors to the hotel. It was a substantial challenge as pillars can quite obviously be in the way of guests but thankfully many have been disguised and in some cases, have even used as an advantage.
What is exciting you within design at the moment, specifically in the north?
The new building designs popping up throughout the North excite me at the moment; as a city, Manchester is well renowned for its rich variety of architectural styles but the new design concepts being seen currently makes for an exciting future ahead from a design perspective.
Hotel Information
| Managed by: | Jenny Oh |
| Date opened: | December 2015 |
| Architect: | Edward Salomons |
| Interior Designer: | Sally O’Loughlin – Designer for Eclectic Hotels |
| No. of rooms: | 40 |
| Types of rooms: | Snug Rooms | Cosy Rooms | Comfy Rooms | Luxe Jnr Suites | One Bedroom Suites |
| Facilities (pool, restaurant, café, gym, meeting rooms etc) : | Open Air Infinity Pool & Spa| Tavern, Restaurant & Bar | Gym | The Mezzanine Lounge | First floor Work & Social Hubs | Sixth floor South Terrace and Lounge |
| Cost of standard 1 night stay inc. breakfast: | £252 Snug Room/ £270 including breakfast |
To stay at the King Street Townhouse visit www.eclectichotels.co.uk/king-street-townhouse