The Lowry Hotel: Goddard Littlefair

Amidst the increased competition and growing hospitality industry in Manchester, The Lowry Hotel is upping the ‘luxury stakes’ once again. Manchester’s premier five-star hotel, The Lowry Hotel, has revealed the first look at its newly renovated Presidential Suite, designed by Goddard Littlefair: the largest both currently available or planned in the city at 2,228 square feet.

The penthouse suite, famous for its VIP guests, will cost £4,000 per night. The renovations totalled £700,000 and include a complete reconfiguration and redesign of the space, an enlarged dressing room and a new bespoke marble bathroom. The suite also includes a fully equipped kitchen, large bathroom with a double steam shower and free-standing bath, super king size bedroom, a walk-in dressing room and lounge plus a dining room for up to eight people. There is also an additional second bedroom and with adjoining bathroom.

“I’m thrilled to reveal the first look of our Charles Forte Presidential Suite. The refurbishment has been taking place for three months and we are looking forward to the reaction of both our regular guests and new visitors. Since the hotel opened 18 years ago, the needs and expectations of travellers have changed so we’re confident our updated suite will offer modern guests what they are looking for. The renovation is the first of many for the hotel with more exciting developments to be announced throughout the year.” – Adrian Ellis, General Manager of The Lowry Hotel.

The floor to ceiling windows offer views across the river Irwell and Manchester’s skyline, and the room also comes with a mini grand piano, two in-room bars, two smart TVs and an Amazon Alexa. As well as complimentary valet, luggage management, personalised welcome drinks and in-suite check in, guests can take advantage of a butler, on-site hairdresser, endless beauty treatments, Tesla hire, private chef or personal trainer whilst staying in the luxury suite.

“The collection at the Lowry presented an exciting opportunity for us, because it is rare for hotels to be named after celebrated artists. In curating the collection with Goddard Littlefair, ARTIQ pulled specifically on L.S. Lowry’s recognisable palette of charcoals and dark reds against pale smoky backdrops. Alongside these distinctive tonal elements, the curation draws on the shapes evoked by Manchester’s solid industrial architecture of the twentieth and twenty-first century – examples of which can be viewed from the Presidential Suite – as well as heavily abstracted figures that draw on Lowry’s matchstick figures.” – Kate Terres, Head of Operations at ARTIQ.

This was a special and prestigious project for Goddard Littlefair, showcasing the first of their new designs for The Lowry Hotel. They drew inspiration from Manchester’s industrial history and in particular from cotton, weaving and the city’s industrial forms, geometry and heritage, including the shape of Trinity Bridge over the River Irwell, directly outside the hotel. Goddard Littlefair were also inspired by Lowry’s own colour palette, as the artist famously kept to a base palette of only five colours, mixing them to achieve tonal shades that nonetheless stayed within a distinctive overall range.

The new design has a residential feel, with light and bright tonal colours used for the walls, curtains and carpets, offset by darker joinery, geometric-patterned fabrics used for cushions and curtain trims for added visual interest. Colours range from rich bronzes and burnt oranges to off-whites and textured blue-greys. Special joinery features include four sets of double screens around the living and dining areas to help zone the space and a bespoke dining table for eight with a feature veneer inset pattern.

The bedrooms and bathrooms feature timber slatted walls, which mirror on the opposite wall, whilst the bathroom also has feature walls in luxurious, richly-veined marble. The main bedroom features a bespoke, contemporary version of a four-poster bed, in a room where the colours become softer, more muted and restful. The stunning dressing room, with a large, anthracite velvet ottoman at its centre, is dominated by a tiered feature light, made of threads and inspired by Manchester’s cotton production history.