A brand-new gym and spa has opened inside one of the most luxurious hotels in Manchester city centre today.
King Street Townhouse’s new purpose-built gym and spa facilities are tucked away inside the four-star hotel’s historic Grade-II listed Italian Renaissance building as part of the upper King Street conservation area, and they’re set to bring an “elevated fitness and wellbeing experience” to the heart of the city centre.
Having officially opened its doors to the public today, the new King Street Townhouse Gym & Spa has its sights set on being a destination for “unforgettable” spa experiences.
Designed by EPR Architects, the spa is decked-out in a soothing palette of calming neutrals and natural materials like timber, marble, and stone to “evoke a sense of deep relaxation and calm”, and designers say each area has been crafted with luxurious wellness in mind.
The new Gym and Spa Salt Cave / Credit: King Street Townhouse
The spa includes four treatment rooms, a thermal suite, a eucalyptus steam room, and an ice fountain, as well as heated loungers, a relaxed dining room in the calming spa lounge, and also boasts a full treatment menu.
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The “unrivalled” treatment offering includes bespoke treatments that are exclusive to the hotel from leading skincare and wellness brands ESPA and Perricone MD.
And one of the stand-out new features has to be the immune-boosting Himalayan salt cave.
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The new Spa Lounge / Credit: King Street Townhouse
One of the exclusive new spa treatment options is the ESPA Rebalance & Restore Ritual – which is said to be an uplifting massage featuring salt stones, a rose quartz facial, scalp massage and salt inhalation to leave the body, skin, and mind feeling “re-balanced and radiant”.
As mentioned, King Street Townhouse has partnered with Perricone MD to create a range of bespoke specialist spa treatments in a UK-exclusive.
This means that hotel guests will be the first in the country to get the chance to experience the brand’s targeted and results-driven facials, advanced techniques, and holistic approach to skin health like never before.
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The new Spa Sauna / Credit: King Street Townhouse
The hotel’s new state-of-the-art gym facility has also been designed to help guests enhance their physical and mental wellbeing.
There’s four specially-designed workout zones for cardio, functional, strength, and free weights to give guests a choice of fitness equipment to suit all strengths and abilities, so no matter whether you fancy doing a quick 10-minutes on the treadmill, or a full HIIT workout and weights session, there’s facilities for everyone’s needs.
King Street Townhouse says its wants its new Gym & Spa to provide a “distinctive experience” to suit people of all lifestyles and wellness routines.
The relaxing Spa Lounge also offers a balanced menu of both light and nutritious food and drinks all day-long, as well as plenty of indulgent treats to tuck into – with a range of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options too.
The new Gym / Credit: King Street Townhouse
“We are delighted to announce the opening of the new King Street Townhouse Gym & Spa,” said Viki Tahmasebi – CEO at THG Experience.
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“The carefully-curated space touches upon all aspects of wellbeing to offer a place to unwind, recharge and fully escape from the stress of the everyday.
“Not only does the new expansion offer an elevated wellness destination in the heart of the city, but it also enhances our ‘home away from home’ experience for our hotel guests.”
The new King Street Townhouse Gym & Spa is now open.
Spa facilities are open to both residents and guests, and while gym facilities are exclusively open for hotel residents for a limited time, membership options are launching later in 2022.
Featured Image – King Street Townhouse
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A brand-new immersive ‘walking theatre’ and XR experience has landed in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We hear the word immersive thrown around a lot these days, but if the notion of walking through some of your favourite fantasy and sci-fi worlds in a state-of-the-art XR tour doesn’t fit the definition, we don’t know what does.
Get ready to pull on a headset and be dropped into a different universe, Mancs.
This is Immersia XR: an industry-leading immersive entertainment and XR (extended reality) experience has just been unveiled right here in Greater Manchester.
Anyone for a ride on a magic carpet?
Credit: The Manc GroupCredit: Immersia XR (supplied)
Immersia XR specialises in what they call ‘Walking XR Theatre – a new term for a new kind of experience’, and boasts big plaudits across the board, with an average Google rating of 4.8 from dozens of reviews already.
Having just made its Manchester debut to the public at Trafford Palazzo (located right next to 0161’s famous Trafford Centre) this summer, the new addition brings cutting-edge technology blended with iconic family-favourite tales in an “unforgettable walk-through format.”
A lucky few have been treated to our first time, including us here at The Manc, and you’ll have to take our word for it when we tell you it’s a truly incredible experience.
It’s the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and although there are other similar VR and AR offerings around the region, you won’t find anything quite like ‘walking theatre’ and this free-roam experience.
Credit: Supplied
As you can see above, there are a number of experiences to be enjoyed right from the off, including two modes inspired by childhood classics, Alice in Wonderland and Tales of Aladdin.
Ever fancied trying your hand as an astronaut and walking on the surface of the moon as you look back at the Earth below? Course you have! No training involved in this one, either.
Take that, Katy Perry, you can keep your short-lived Blue Origin nonsense to yourself.
Immersia XR’s ambition doesn’t stop there, though, as they are also preparing to introduce the exciting new ‘Terracotta Army’ experience in the near future.
Here’s a glimpse at how it looks inside the goggles:
Already open to the public and running up until Sunday, 6 July 2025, Immersia XR is fun for all ages, with kid-friendly zones and accessible narratives built into the experience.
Best of all, there are actually very few bells and whistles; no screens, no controllers – it’s just you walking through the story of your choice.
Immersia XR’s founder, Ian Xiang, said: “We’re not just launching a new attraction—we’re pioneering the future of storytelling. Walking XR Theatre is where cinema, theatre, and technology converge to create magic. You don’t just watch the story—you walk through it.”
Tickets are on sale now, with adult prices starting from only £17, children (ages 3–15) from just £12, and family tickets (2 adults, 2 kids) from £54. Great value for money.
Concession tickets are also available for students and over-65s, priced from £16, and group bookings of 10 or more receive 10% off. You can even get 20% off all ticket types with the early bird code: PRESS20. You can grab yours HERE.
5 Easter foods that are toxic to dogs and what to do if they eat them
Emily Sergeant
With Easter upon us, and households nationwide tucking into a feast of chocolate treats and festive leftovers, we need to make sure we keep an eye on those food vacuums.
And by food vacuums, we of course mean our four-legged friends.
We all know that a lot of themed foods and sugary goodness tends to get consumed over the Easter period, and with so much to make your way through, it can be tempting to treat your dogs to some of the leftovers.
But did you know that some common Easter foods can actually make them seriously ill? This is why it’s so important to know which ones should be avoided.
Whilst it’s perfectly fine to offer your pooch small snacks in moderation, there’s lots of foods around at this time of year that your dog may help themselves to if they aren’t stored away, and many of them are extremely toxic – so pet expert and founder of Yappy.com, John Smith, has highlighted which are dangerous for our dogs, what to do if they do consume them, and some of the safer choices to dogs as a well-deserved treat.
Here’s five Easter foods that are toxic to dogs.
Did you know that some common Easter foods can actually make dogs seriously ill? / Credit: Pxfuel
1. Chocolate
Chocolate is obviously one of the most popular treats to find in homes during Easter, but it contains a chemical called theobromine, which is seriously harmful to dogs, and this means that eating even a small amount of chocolate can have serious consequences and result in symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death in some serious cases.
2. Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns are another delicious Easter food that should be kept far away as most contain dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, and currants, which are toxic to dogs.
The reasons behind why these fruits are toxic is a bit of a mystery, as some dogs have eaten large amounts of dried fruit without feeling unwell, whereas others have become unwell after eating just a small amount – but John says it’s “definitely best to err on the side of caution” and make your own buns using a vet-approved dog-friendly recipe that you can enjoy together as a family without fear.
3. Cooked Bones
Cooked bones come with serious health risks for dogs.
Although they aren’t poisonous, they’re prone to splitting when gnawed and chewed, and this can lead to bone fragments getting stuck in their throats – which can result in choking.
4. Bulb Vegetables
Bulb vegetables are a roast dinner essential, but those such as onions and garlic can cause nasty stomach upsets for dogs, and in some cases, can even cause red blood cell damage, so it’s better to keep them on your plate and out of your pets’ mouths.
5. Meat Skin
It may be tempting to give your dog skin from the leftover chicken, or a fatty piece of meat – but this is far too rich for their tummies, and in some of the worst cases, it can cause inflammation of their pancreas.
Properly-cooked boneless pieces of chicken added to their dog food bowl is a better way to involve them in the Easter fun without risking their health.
Chocolate and hot cross buns are just some of the Easter foods toxic to dogs / Credit: Pexels & FreeImages
What should I do if my pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have?
Even if your pet has only eaten a small amount of these foods, it’s important to do the following:
Call the vet straight away – Don’t wait for your pet to start showing symptoms. A vet will be able to offer advice, and the quicker you act, the better chance your pet will have of recovery.
Note the time and quantity of food ingested – Provide the vet with as much information as you can. This includes the time your pet ate the unsafe food, brand names, the ingredient list and how much you think they consumed.
Don’t try to make your pet sick – Attempting this can cause further health complications. Leave this to your vet, as they are trained to do this in a safe manner.
John adds that dog owners should “keep any dangerous Easter foods well out of paws reach in a high cupboard”, and check that floors are “clear of toxic food scraps” that children may have dropped during Easter egg hunts and parties.
Emily Sergeant -
11th July 2022 
