A new £45 million four-star luxury hotel has opened its doors in the heart of Manchester city centre this week.
Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre – which is part of the Dalata Hotel Group, and is the company’s second site in Manchester – is located on Portland Street with a wide range of shopping destinations, art galleries, bars and restaurants, and more on the doorstep, as well as being just less than a 10-minute walk away from both the convenient Piccadilly Gardens and Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
With 18-storeys and 329 bedrooms that are perfect for relaxing in after a busy day in Manchester, Clayton Hotel features sleek modern interiors, with a mezzanine overlooking the bustling bar area on the ground floor, and a stunning feature staircase.
The site of the new hotel was previously home to a 12-storey office block, which was demolished as part of the £45 million project.
Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre is located on Portland Street / Credit: Clayton Hotels
In its place, the new luxury hotel has five state-of-the-art meeting rooms that are equipped with the industry-leading Clevertouch technology to host up to 153 delegates.
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This makes it the perfect venue for events and to meet and do business in the city.
The hotel also provides air-conditioned rooms, a fitness centre and a bar, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi throughout.
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And as well as both impressive business and accommodation facilities, Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre is also home to the No. 55 Restaurant & Bar, which is an ideal place to grab a bite to eat at any time of the day, and prides itself on working with local suppliers to offer a range of modern British cuisine.
There’s sleek modern interiors, a mezzanine overlooking the bustling bar area on the ground floor, and a stunning feature staircase / Credit: Clayton Hotels
Dermot Crowley – Chief Executive of the Dalata Hotel Group – said the hotel’s opening this week was further evidence of the company’s confidence in Manchester and the North West region, adding that this is “the first of six new hotels that we are opening in the first half of this year”.
He also said that the company is continuing to look for “further opportunities” in the large cities around the UK.
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He continued: “Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre has been made possible through the hard work of our partners on the project – Russells WHBO who constructed the hotel, Property Alliance Group who put together the project as developers, and Aviva who funded the scheme.”
Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre has created 87 new jobs.
“We recognise the current challenges in recruiting and retaining people in the hospitality industry as a result of COVID,” Mr Crowley admitted, “but we look to overcome these challenges by offering people opportunities to grow their careers in Dalata within a culture of integrity, fairness and inclusion.”
“I look forward to seeing this new hotel become an established part of the Manchester community in the coming months and years,” he concluded.
Alex Russell – Managing Director of Property Alliance Group – said the opening of is the “culmination of several years of planning and hard work by the whole project team,” and that it’s “fantastic” to see the hotel begin to welcome its first Manchester visitors.
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Clayton Hotel Manchester City Centre also holds the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard, which demonstrates a commitment to comply with all COVID-19 safety guidelines, and you can find more information here.
Featured Image – Clayton Hotels
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Canal Street cordoned off after ‘suspicious chemicals’ reported at hotel
Daisy Jackson
Canal Street and several other streets in the Gay Village in Manchester have been cordoned off this afternoon.
Greater Manchester Police are attending reported of a smell that’s believed to be chemicals coming from a hotel room in the area.
There’s a huge emergency services presence in the area, including vehicles from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service.
Police have confirmed that they have detained a man who is believed to have been the occupant of the hotel room.
The hotel itself has been evacuated while the material is examined.
Thankfully, no one has been injured in the incident that has shut down part of Canal Street today.
Emergency services vehicles at the scene on Canal StreetThe cordon in place on Canal Street
GMP said in a statement: “We are currently searching a hotel room at a premises on Canal Street, Manchester. This follows a report of a smell – currently believed to be chemicals – causing suspicion.
“A man, believed to be the occupant of the room, has been detained and is currently in custody.
“As a precautionary measure, the hotel has been evacuated while specialist resources examine the material and conduct further enquiries.
“No-one has been injured and we are working to establish the full circumstances. We thank people for their patience as we continue with our work.”
England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2022 
