Looming large at the far end of Manchester's Deansgate is a major new hotel that will soon open to guests. Treehouse Hotel has fast taken shape at the prime city centre site on the corner of Blackfriars Street and Deansgate.
It has taken root on the site of what was once Manchester's Renaissance Hotel - a brutalist building that many had considered a concrete carbuncle. Now, the 14-storey tower has been completely redeveloped in a £200m project, with the main entrance to the hotel to front onto the River Irwell.
Bosses have this week confirmed that the hotel is on course to open in "early 2023". And they have also announced that the recruitment drive for some 220 new job roles inside the hotel has now begun.
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CGI images have been released of how the full project will look when complete. It shows a gleaming main entrance to the hotel making use of those views of the River. It will include a riverside terrace bar on the banks of the Irwell, as well as quirky sheds seen on the roof which will form part of its rooftop bar venue which will be called "The Nest".
The hotel will have 216 rooms, and will feature a similar style to that seen at its London hotel. That venue sits at the top of Regent Street, and has seen bosses transform a brutal 60s office building into a midtown oasis.
Design-wise, Treehouse in Manchester will be heavy on the ‘playful’, with ‘living wooden art pieces’, stepping stones in the lobby and ‘hopscotch carpets’. There will even be specially designed space hoppers in the gym.
The hotel will feature a bar and restaurant on the 14th floor, and rooftop bar The Nest with amazing views across the whole city. The venue is said to interpret the Treehouse theme around the "carefree optimistic lens of childhood."
It was announced in June that an all-star foodie line-up will curate the two brand new restaurants and rooftop bar at Treehouse. Chef Mary-Ellen McTague, Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey - aka the Unabombers who are known for The Refuge in Manchester - and Sam Grainger of Liverpool hit Belzan will be the creative forces behind the new project.
Mary-Ellen, the former chef of Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin starred Fat Duck and the likes of Aumbry and The Creameries in Manchester, will take over the ground floor restaurant, with plans for an sustainable, ‘zero waste’ all-day menu. This will involve everything from pastries at breakfast time and sandwiches, into a full evening menu too.
Meanwhile, Sam Grainger, the young chef behind Belzan and Madre in Liverpool, will be in charge of the 14th floor restaurant, which will focus on a pan-Asian concept. Grainger will be teaming up with Cowdrey and Crawford, known for launching The Refuge, along with neighbourhood spots Volta in Didsbury and Electrik in Chorlton, on the 139-cover restaurant, and will also be behind the smart new rooftop bar and party space.
On the official website for Treehouse, a statement reads: "Within Treehouse Manchester, every detail is imagined through the carefree, optimistic lens of childhood and balanced with a distinctly modern sensibility.
"With attentive service, locally inspired fun amenities, thoughtful programming, and a variety of food and beverage offerings, we are about playfulness and freedom."
Now the hunt is on to fill 220 newly-created roles for the hotel launch. They include chefs, waiters, bartenders and hosts for the three different hospitality spaces inside the hotel, as well as housekeepers, front office attendants and in banqueting.
Jules Furnival, People Operations Manager at Treehouse Hotel said: "We look forward to growing the Treehouse family here in Manchester. This is a unique opportunity in the city for those in hospitality and leisure to finally find what they have been searching for.
"I feel truly lucky to be a part of such a diverse and people focused company, and I cannot wait to welcome our teams, so they can experience the wonder that is Treehouse with us.”
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