Looking for a luxury oasis in the heart of the city? Manchester’s former footballers score big with the Stock Exchange Hotel.
The Stock Exchange Hotel is the latest addition to Manchester’s hospitality scene and has already attracted a buzz for a handful of reasons. Firstly, there are the owners themselves, class of ’92 former Manchester United footballers turned pundits/managers/business owners; Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. Famous faces such as these would always attract attention to a project on home turf. This attention was heightened when the hotel was in development stages and the management grabbed headlines for letting the city’s homeless through the doors before building work began. That thoughtfulness has been carried through to the finished article as a surely a slide rule pass.
True to their Mancunian roots, the owners have invested heavily in restoring the heritage and original features of the city’s former stock exchange. If that weren’t enough to create a buzz, celebrity chef and Michelin-starred restaurateur Tom Kerridge has become ‘star signing’ and is behind the menu of The Bull and Bear Restaurant – a spectacular domed venue in the heart of the hotel.
Our visit
You wont be surprised to learn, then when Bien Venue received an invitation to view the Stock Exchange Hotel first-hand, the team were excited to see what the fuss was all about! Needless to say, we weren’t disappointed. The itinerary was very relaxed and informal which suits the venue’s style; boutique and endlessly comfortable. The team were made to feel very welcome from the moment we walked through the doors. This is a luxury hotel that strips away all of the pretentiousness of five-star, from the relaxed check-in to the more controversial sports screens in the restaurant.
Stock Exchange Hotel Highlights
One of my highlights were getting to see the penthouse suites which were incredible, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs could probably organise a five aside game in the top floor suite it was that big! The amazing food from Tom Kerridge’s kitchen was another highlight and generally being waited on by the superb table service was a great experience. We could celeb spot, too, with Giggs and Peter Schmeichel eating in the restaurant.
It was interesting and impressive to learn about the scale of investment and the attention to detail in every aspect. Lots of redesigns to maintain the heritage of the property and to give all the spaces a luxury finish. It went as far as not replacing one part of a stained glass window in the restaurant that survived intact from the Manchester bombing in 1996.
The guestrooms
The Stock Exchange Hotel is luxury throughout. There are so many nice touches from the rain head showers and underfloor bathroom heating to carpets so thick you could sink in them! Bedrooms varied in size and shape but all were thoughtfully appointed to maximise the space. Most rooms may not the best views, as the hotel is surrounded by office blocks, but the wooden blinds have been well designed to soften the impact. There were no USB charging points however which, for new opening, I expected to find.
The hotel has 40 bedrooms and has focussed on personalised service that I’m sure will bring guests back time and again. The story of the hotel, from the history of the Manchester Stock Exchange, to the class of ’92 owners is obviously a big draw. Accommodation is tiered and ranges from an ideal luxury room for tourist trade to the opulent penthouse for big spenders. Some suites can accommodate small meetings and a meeting space for small boardroom that can offer table chef service. Unfortunately, these were the only rooms type we didn’t see first-hand!
Though the restaurant is limited in terms of what can be hired, there is a lower ground function room available. We were informed that this function room is due a small refurbishment (already) is it is slightly out of sync with rest of hotel design. The function room is the more likely space to be booked for gala dinners, conferences and meetings.
A VIP hideaway
With a boutique number of bedrooms, the hotel will likely be quite limited on what they can offer for group accommodation. As an event professional, I would suggest that the is a hotel perhaps best suited to VIP bookings. It’s perfect for executives who need a luxury hideaway that is still excellently located in the heart of the city.
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Daniel Rankine is the Business Development Manager for Bien Venue. Our expert team can source accommodation, meeting spaces and event venues for all of your business needs. Give us a call today on 01625 877776 or email info@bvevents.co.uk to learn more.