Crown Plaza City Centre

This is something quite different for a Crowne Plaza,” explains General Manager Bob Fairweather on arrival at IHG’s latest offering for Manchester city centre. The 228-guestroom lodgings offers all the facilities expected of the upscale brand, but with the feel of a boutique hotel thanks to its contemporary design.

Situated between Manchester’s 1930s art-deco Daily Express Building, the ultra-modern glass-constrcted Urbis exhibition centre, and close to the city’s vibrant Northern Quarter, the philosophy for this newbuild hotel is ‘industrial past meets 24-hour party people’.

With the full backing of InterContinental Hotels Group, LRW Interior Design was inspired by the city and the idea that the building should reflect the area in which it lives. “It’s about having a bit more distinction, rather than every hotel looking the same,” says interior designer Jenny Land. “Each city is different and so each hotel should represent its locality,” adds Fairweather. “As long as from the brand point of view the service elements and facilities are there, IHG is quite supportive in terms of Crowne Plaza being a developing brand and for this hotel to be more individual.”

Even from the exterior, the Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre’s angular design is distinctive. Its multi-coloured glazing appears to change colour as the light alters throughout the day, an effect that is unique to each guestroom. And on further inspection, it’s easy to see why this hotel is so different.

The double height foyer is dominated by the raking Armourcoat wall with abstract shard cut outs, the first signs of a Zaha Hadid inspired design concept. The reception and concierge desks are linked into this shard effect and feature floating pink glass tops cut at sharp angles. For the seating area, key pieces of furniture such as Lady & Sir Funk upholstered in white and raspberry leather from Italian furniture makers Frighetto, also reflect the angular theme. Above, oversized Moooi pendant lights fill the space.

The guestrooms, all 26m2 or above, include Crowne Plaza’s brand standard Club rooms, as well as seven junior suites and a presidential suite. The rooms see a continuation of the shard theme with beds placed at angles, and sloping headboards in black high-gloss lacquer. Because of the glazed façade of the building, guestrooms have been kept monochrome other than the occasional splash of colour from a Knightsbridge, Allermuir, or Sancal easy chair. The colours are accentuated by the natural light shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows based on a spectrum of red, through to orange, and yellow. Depending on the time of day, the time of year, and the type of room, each is unique. On the Club floor, the glass remains clear to obtain a degree of differentiation.

The clutter-free rooms in which the mirrored wardrobe conceals amenities and the guest directory can be found on the television, ensure that the clean angular lines are not detracted from.

Bathrooms were pre-fabricated offsite by Gateway Pods, an increasingly common practice to keep costs to a minimum. Amazingly the bathrooms were designed three years prior to completion and were already on site at the building stage. Their neutral yet rich colour scheme has already proven its longevity and is likely to do so for years to come. 

In an attempt to attract Manchester’s burgeoning business crowd, Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre’s impressive MICE offering is situated on the mezzanine level which can be used as a breakout area. The nine meeting and private dining rooms feature plasma screens, interactive white boards, air-conditioning, built in sound systems, complimentary wireless internet connection, and natural daylight. Their design again echoes the Hadid/shard effect with wallcoverings by Tektura and amenity cabinets by Fantoni. The area culminates in a stunning private bar area hidden behind a sliding wall for use with the Smithfield Suite.

The function room situated above the reception area features glass walls overlooking both the entrance lobby and the restaurant. White leather chairs and a bespoke black table with mirrored base create a unique space for private dinners or business meetings without the formality of a boardroom.

The hotel’s F&B offering includes a lounge bar that has attracted night-time trade from the Northern Quarter crowd, and the Glasshouse restaurant. The restaurant features a range of seating options from intimate booths to high benches. The monochrome is again treated to a splash of colour in the shape of cerise partitions at the restaurant’s entrance, and to conceal the service area. Following a few changes made to the bar area throughout the planning stages, Fairweather says: “We have managed to achieve a product that looks great and also works functionally.”

The interior designers, whose previous work includes early Malmaison projects and The Leopold in Sheffield, have used the architecture of the building and its surroundings as motivation for their scheme. The shard effect, as seen in a number of Zaha Hadid’s architectural creations, has inspired the detail elements of the hotel. As well as the more obvious sharp angles of the lobby area, the theme is subtly interwoven into carpets, wallpaper, and furniture. The overall look is inspired by Manchester’s industrial past meets 24-hour party people, as Land explains: “We wanted to keep the hard crisp finishes to get that industrial feel but also bring in the elements that Manchester portrays as being a fun city.”

Words: Catherine Martin

Photography: Crowne Plaza Manchester City Centre

ROWNE PLAZA MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
70 Shudehill, Manchester, M4 4AF
Tel: +44 (0)161 8288600
www.cpmanchester.com

Rooms:    228 guestrooms including 24  Club Rooms, 7 Junior Suites and 1   Presidential Suite
Restaurant:   Glasshouse Restaurant
Drin Bar
Leisure:   24-hour fitness suite
Facilities:   9 meeting rooms