Aparthotel brand Staycity has announced that it will open a new-build property in Manchester’s Northern Quarter this month, forming part of the city’s New Cross Neighbourhood Development Framework.
The new aparthotel will be located on the site of a former car park, with design by SimpsonHaugh Architects. It will be situated close to Etihad Stadium (home to Manchester City Football Club) and the Central Retail District, with the city’s Victoria Station also a ten-minute walk away.
The aparthotel will feature 224 studio and one-bed apartments across nine storeys, each with fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. Facilities will include a 24-hour reception, a lounge area, a pantry selling food items and a Staycafé which serves breakfast, snacks and drinks. There will also be an exercise room and laundry room on-site.
This marks the group’s second property in the city, with an existing 182-apartment facility at Manchester Piccadilly. The group is also set to open a 256-apartment under the group’s Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity brand in St Peter’s Square in October, and there is no update on its fourth property in the Deansgate area.
Staycity revealed that it has seen an increase in occupancies following the gradual lifting of lockdown, with an average occupancy in the UK of 71 per cent in June, and a 90 per cent occupancy at its existing property in Manchester.
Staycity’s development director UK Simon Walford, commented:
“Manchester is a hugely important location for Staycity with Piccadilly being one of our best-performing properties since it opened. In normal trading times Manchester has a strong influx of international visitors and even with the current travel restrictions in place the city is proving a popular destination for domestic visitors.”
The aparthotel has been developed by Catalyst Capital and is owned by Knight Frank Investment Management.
Staycity states that it is “embarking on an intense period of growth over the next 18 months”. Last month, the group saw new openings in Heidelberg in Germany and in France’s Bordeaux. A further nine properties are set to open this year and in 2022.
