From a brutalist icon to a green oasis complete with a ‘secret forest’ treehouse canopy and three new restaurants and bars, there’s an exciting new development coming to Deansgate in 2023.
Called Treehouse Hotel, it will completely transform the former Renaissance site with 216 new bedrooms, a magical treehouse canopy, and three brand new dining and drinking experiences – all run by top northern chefs and restauranteurs.
In an announcement made today, the hotel has revealed it is working with local hospitality heavyweights Mary-Ellen McTague, Sam Grainger, Luke Cowdrey (aka Unabomber) and Justin Crawford to bring its food, drink and music offering to life when it opens its doors here in Manchester.
Working with some of the north’s biggest names in hospitality, Treehouse will bring three unique new dining and drinking experiences to the city.
The new luxury hotel will feature a ground-floor eatery with a seasonally-changing all-day menu, a 14th-floor restaurant and bar with uninterrupted views of the skyline, and a crowning rooftop party venue, bar and terrace.
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Mary-Ellen McTague of The Creameries and Eat Well MCR will curate the new ground floor offering, serving a menu based on seasonality, sustainability, and a sense of place.
Fresh pastries and hot and cold sandwiches will kick start the day here, followed by a regularly-changing all-day menu completed by a carefully-chosen list of low intervention wines.
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Up on the fourteenth floor, meanwhile, Sam Grainger of the critically-acclaimed Liverpool restaurant Belzan, not to mention relative Manchester newcomers Madre and Carnival, will oversee the hotel’s destination restaurant and stand-alone bar.
Known for his eclectic mix of dishes, diners can expect to find inventive South East Asian dishes here – elevated by the use of Japanese and European ingredients and techniques.
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Sam will also be collaborating with Manchester DJs and hospitality heavyweights Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford on the food and drink side of things, as well as working with them to bring the 14th-floor space to life with Manchester’s most cutting-edge musicians and entertainers.
The pair are known for hosting seminal club nights over the years such as Homoelectric Electric Chair here in Manchester, as well as introducing the city to popular eateries Volta, Electrik and The Refuge.
No strangers to a good time, they will also curate events in the Rooftop bar and the ground floor restaurant at Treehouse.
Evidently, it’s all change for the long-standing Deansgate hotel the Renaissance. Previous announcements also hinted at plans to install a kitchen garden that could harvest its own rainwater and a rooftop apiary that will produce the hotel’s own honey.
Elsewhere, stepping stones in the lift lobbies and a unique ‘living wooden art piece’ guest book – which you’re actually encouraged to carve your name into – will set Treehouse apart from other hotels in the city when it opens its doors here in 2023.
Feature image – Treehouse Hotel
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Council calls on public to suggest names for new public square in Stretford
Emily Sergeant
The Greater Manchester public is being called on to help name a brand-new public square in the heart of Stretford.
Could we have another ‘Boaty McBoatface’ on our hands? As far as public naming competitions go, the comical suggestion for the name of a new RMS ship back in 2016 – which was then given to a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) instead – will probably always lead the way as the most well-known entrant.
But now, it’s Greater Manchester‘s turn to give it a go and get creative with their naming suggestions, as Trafford Council inviting the local community to name a brand-new public square that’s set to open in the heart of Stretford next year.
Connecting the newly restored King Street and Pinnington Lane, Trafford Council says the new public square will play “a key part in the transformation of the area” and be a “focal point” for the area – with lots of greenery, seating areas, and spaces to “meet, rest and play” and host events too.
Residents are being encouraged to “put their imprint on the Square” by putting forward their suggestions for its name.
All the entries will be condensed into a shortlist and the public will then vote on their favourite.
With the naming competition fully underway, Trafford residents now have the opportunity to talk to the Stretford town centre team, get creative, and post entries into the voting box that’ll be in place in Stretford Mall up until Sunday 19 May, as well as submit their ideas via the Stretford town centre website.
To come up with their names suggestions, the Council wants residents to take inspiration from these three themes:
Heritage – celebrating the fascinating history embedded into Stretford’s identity
Culture – showcasing the rich and vibrant cultural tapestry that defines the essence of the town and its residents
Community – reflecting the strong sense of unity among Stretford’s residents, making the town a welcoming place to live, work, and socialise.
After submissions are closed, the Stretford town centre forum will then decide on three entries that “best represent the area” and have made best use of the inspiration topics to go to the public vote for the final decision.
A town centre polling station will be open for residents to cast their votes in person, or they can do so online via both a Google form or a range of social media polls.
The public vote will officially close on Sunday 16 June, and the unveiling ceremony will take place at The StretFest on Saturday 6 July, where the winner and name of the new public square will be announced.
Fancy shooting a suggestion then? Find out more on the Stretford Town Centre website here.
Featured Image – STC / Bruntwood
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Manchester-born Lord of the Rings and Titanic actor Bernard Hill dies aged 79
Danny Jones
Manchester actor, best known for roles in Lord of the Rings, Titanic, Shirley Valentine and more, has sadly died at the age of 79.
Born in Blackley near the River Irk, historically part of Lancashire, the familiar British face who often popped up in Hollywood too famously played Théoden, the King of Rohan, in the original trilogy of fantasy films as well as Captain Edward Smith in Titanic.
His death was announced by his agent Lou Coulson via the BBC, who confirmed that he passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A statement from his family is expected soon and tributes are already pouring in online.
Hill studied at what is now the Manchester School of Theatre, formerly known as the Polytechnic School of Theatre and also went on to appear in the much-loved BBC drama by Alan Bleasdale, Boys from the Blackstuff, back in 1982.
Playing the character of Yosser Hughes – best-known for the line “gizza a job” – the show went on to be awarded a BAFTA for best drama series in 1983 and was ranked as the seventh best TV show ever made on a 2000 round-up by the British Film Institute
He was also due for a big return to TV screens in series two of another BBC hit, The Responder starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing at 9pm this Sunday.