Travel & Tourism

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

A real game-changer.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th September 2025

The build of Therme Manchester, which is set to be the UK’s largest wellbeing resort, is finally underway, with a loose opening date announced.

The construction phase of the massive spa project begins this month – when it completes, it will be made up of 10 pools, 15 waterslides, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

The entire thing will be kept at a balmy 33ºC all year round using advanced technology, with warm water lagoons, botanical gardens and palm trees giving the site a real tropical feel.

Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025 – it’s now up to £450m and is scheduled to complete for the end of 2028.

It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.

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Last week, a Beyond Groundbreaking event was held at the site of the new wellbeing resort near the Trafford Centre, bringing together local leaders, partners, and community members.

There, it was announced that Therme Manchester is set to create around 2,500 direct construction jobs, as well as 650 staff positions to operate the resort when it opens.

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The business has already supported initiatives across the city, including the Manchester Marathon, NHS programmes and cultural events.

The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort
The latest on Therme Manchester opening date as construction finally begins on huge wellbeing resort

Therme Manchester is setting out to have a ‘significantly lower’ carbon footprint than other spa experiences, helped along by locally-sourced materials, and innovative construction methods such as air source heat pumps and on-site 3D printing.

As well as state-of-the-art swimming and thermal bathing areas, there’ll be spa and fitness zones, immersive digital art, sustainable gardens and a diverse range of restaurants and cafes.

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Professor David Russell, Therme UK CEO said: “Today marks the official beginning of a once-in-a-generation project for Manchester and the North West.

“Therme Manchester will be a place for everyone – a unique destination where wellbeing, sustainability, art and culture come together. Our vision is to make a lasting positive impact: creating jobs, supporting communities, and helping people live healthier, happier lives for years to come.”

James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters said: “We’re thrilled to have reached this pivotal moment as work begins on site at Therme Manchester.

The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford
The site of Therme Manchester in Trafford

“It marks the culmination of years of close collaboration between Peel Waters and Therme Group, an extraordinary partnership built on shared values and wanting to deliver the very best for our community.

“From our very first meeting, we knew Therme’s vision would be transformational, and together we’ve worked tirelessly to get to this moment and start the build of this world-class wellness destination in TraffordCity.

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“Therme Manchester will be a true gamechanger not just for TraffordCity, but for Greater Manchester and the North. It will regenerate a key site, create thousands of jobs, and deliver a landmark experience that promotes health, happiness, and connection.

“We’re very proud to be part of a project that will completely redefine leisure and wellbeing in the UK and Europe.”

An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look
An aerial view of how Therme Manchester will look

Neil Martin, Chief Executive at Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “We are proud to be Construction Manager for Therme Manchester, a project that aligns with our commitment to sustainability, technical excellence and making a meaningful difference to communities.

“We look forward to delivering this world-class destination that will transform wellbeing and benefit TraffordCity and the wider region for generations to come.”

A spokesperson from Trafford Council said: “The Therme project is fantastic news for Trafford, and I am delighted that construction work has started on this one-in-a-lifetime scheme. The resort will attract millions of visitors each year and will provide hundreds of construction jobs and full-time jobs for the borough.

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“Therme Manchester is a fantastic, visionary development and it supports several of our key commitments – helping provide a thriving economy, improving health and wellbeing and regenerating a vacant brownfield site in a sustainable location.”

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Featured image: Supplied

Travel & Tourism

No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant A Metrolink tram in Manchester city centre

People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.

As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.

As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.

On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.

To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.

Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.

No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM

Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.

Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”

TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.

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Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.

Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.

Featured Image – Janus Boye

Travel & Tourism

One of Manchester’s grandest restaurants has finally reopened TWO YEARS after fire

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Mount Street Dining Room & Bar in The Midland hotel is finally back open

One of the most historic restaurants in Manchester has reopened at last, two years after a fire forced its closure.

Mount Street Dining Room & Bar – which many of us may remember as Mr Cooper’s – stands within the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel.

The grand dining room dates all the way back to 1903, when it opened with the hotel as the Grill Room.

The restaurant was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution and was frequented by railway travellers, perhaps best-known for hosting a lunch between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904, who went on to form the world-famous Rolls-Royce brand.

The Midland’s restaurants has gone through several changes in the decades since, undergoing a major £14 million refurb in 2020 to relaunch as Mount Street Dining Room & Bar.

Its interiors are inspired by the hotel’s early 1900s art deco and railway heritage, with a menu that focuses on locally-sourced British produce.

But the restaurant has been shut since early 2024, when a fire damaged the entrance and trellising around its main entrance on Mount Street.

The beautiful bar area
The beautiful bar area
A glimpse of the menu at Mount Street
A glimpse of the menu at Mount Street
Cocktails and British food
Cocktails and British food

The Midland has finally managed to get the restaurant back open again this month, with a new food and cocktail menus, which aims to offer refined but simple British dining.

Expect dishes like pork and black pudding bonbons, white onion soup with crispy potatoes, smoked British salmon with lemon gel and dill mascarpone, and slow cooked beef daube with confit garlic mash.

Plus desserts such as rice pudding with Anise glazed pears and Bakewell pudding with cherry syrup.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen inside this beautiful, storied dining room – and it looks just as beautiful as we remember.

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Featured image: Supplied

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