A new aparthotel is opening in Manchester city centre, with enormous penthouse ‘super suites’.
The new luxury development from CitySuites has opened just next door to its first, at Embankment West.
The brand new building contains 142 apartments ranging from compact studios to three-bedroom giants, right on the border of Manchester city centre and Salford.
Its facilities include an 18-metre swimming pool, spa pool, steam room and state-of-the-art 24-hour gym.
The pool at CitySuites II. Credit: Louis Cannell
Every single room has been designed to blend ‘the luxury touches of a hotel with the space, privacy and comfort of home’.
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Guests will sleep on Mattison beds and make use of bespoke bathrooms, as well as having access to their own fully-fitted kitchen (with washing machine, dishwasher, oven, Nespresso coffee machine and fridge-freezer), ultrafast broadband, and GHD hairdryers.
CitySuites II‘s crowning glory is its five high-end penthouse apartments, which have views of the nearby Manchester Cathedral and city skyline.
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CitySuites II in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
The largest of the penthouses spans 265 sq metres across the 16th and 17th floor of the building, and comes with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the city.
All of them have floor-to-ceiling windows, SieMatic kitchens, BORA ovens, Lutron electric blinds, home theatre systems and walk-in steam shower rooms.
The CitySuites II apartments can be booked for anything from a one-night stay up to a year-long visit.
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There’s a 24-hour concierge on site, laundry and dry-cleaning services, and residents-only co-working spaces.
Inside CitySuites II. Credit: Louis Cannell
Inside CitySuites II. Credit: Louis Cannell
The arrival of the new aparthotel also comes with new food offerings for the city.
Both its in-house brasserie and bar Embankment Kitchen and its coffee shop the Embankment Cafe are open for business.
Gavin Bailey, operations director of CitySuites, said: “CitySuites II is an evolvement of CitySuites as you know it in Manchester, everything we already are and more.
“The perfect combination of comfort and luxury remains at the core of our design and approach, but with additional facilities, community areas and services we are going a step further in being able to really tailor and personalise experiences for each and every one of our guests.
“The Super Suites will offer a hotel experience currently unparalleled in the city.
“Manchester is the fasting growing city in the UK and the level of hospitality needs to rise alongside this.
“For guests who want beautiful accommodation that is spacious, high-quality yet functional, with all the amenities and services of a 5-star hotel at hand if required, then CitySuites II will be the place for you.”
Featured image: Supplied
City Centre
Manchester’s historic Portico Library secures £6.4m funding grant towards its transformation
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s Portico Library has secured a whopping £6.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
In case you missed it, ambitious plans to transform the historic Grade II-listed building on Mosely Street were already unveiled last October… but now, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has announced it is committing £6.4 million of funding towards the project, hoping that the building thrives as the UK’s most sustainable historic library for generations to come.
The grant is being described as a ‘major milestone’ in the approximately £12 million Portico Reunited project.
The Portico Reunited project will look to ‘reunite’ the historic building’s three floors for the first time in over a century, creating a fully-accessible and sustainable cultural library.
Founded all the way back in 1806, The Portico Library played a central role in Manchester’s rise as the world’s first modern city, and since then has been serving as a window into the past and a providing a place of inspiration for anyone who needs it.
The Portico Library has secured a £6.4m funding grant towards its transformation / Credit: Purcell Architecture (Supplied)
Crucially, plans will see a step-free entrance and lift installed to make the library accessible to all.
There’ll also be new exhibition and event spaces introduced as part of the scheme to explore the stories of Manchester’s communities and the city’s heritage. There will a Northern Bookshop, showcasing regional and emerging writers, and independent publishers, as well as a creative Portico Kitchen, which will celebrate the city’s food culture, writing, and history.
A place for school groups, families, and all people to explore Portico’s collection and experiment creatively also forms part of the plans.
Dr Thom Keep, Librarian and CEO of The Portico Library, called the funding grant a ‘landmark moment’ in the Portico’s ‘rich and complex history’, and a ‘huge achievement’ for its staff, trustees, volunteers, and partners.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we can reunite this extraordinary building and make room for people to discover, learn and create together,” he added.
“We have listened to thousands of people about what the Portico could become, and their ideas and experiences have helped shape these plans.
“Our ambition is a library that belongs to the whole city – a place to discover remarkable collections, question the stories we have inherited, and create new possibilities together.”
Manchester City Council has granted planning permission and listed building consent for the project, and the building is expected to close for construction in late spring 2028 and reopen once again in early March 2030.
Following reopening, the transformed library is expected to welcome around 95,000 visitors each year.
Featured Image – Purcell Architecture (Supplied)
City Centre
A FREE shopping event dedicated to saving students money is returning to Manchester Arndale
Thomas Melia
One of the city centre’s most popular shopping events helping students save money is returning to Manchester Arndale and the city centre.
MCR Student Socialis heading back to the city with its big discounts, freebies, giveaways and plenty of entertainment to keep you busy while you browse.
This interactive shopping event encourages new and current students to wander roundManchester Arndaleand the surrounding streets while snapping up some seriously good deals.
Expect discounts of up to 50% off at 120 stores including big high street retailers like Champion, Søstrene Grene, Selfridges, Sephora, and Berghaus.
This incredible 50% off deal continues into some of Manchester Arndale’s big-name food vendors like Wingstop, Archie’s, Barburrito, Sides, HOP Vietnamese and more.
If you’re after carrying thatZara Larssonenergy into your next academic year, the Arndale’s Rhinestone Rodeo celebration includes a Charm Bar in Exchange Court, where you can turn photos into personalised charms.
No shopping trip is complete without a matcha in-hand and you can bag yourself a free hot or iced drink in Exchange Court at the Cult Beauty Matcha Station.
Look out for our Audio North truck on Market StreetThe Manchester Arndale MCR Student Social is back
There’s even the Arndale’s Party Tuk Tuk which will be roaming around the city-centre shopping complex blasting out hip-hop tunes and some of your song requests.
Just outside Manchester Arndale on Market Street, there’s plenty of activities split across three dedicated zones, like Food & Drink by familiar foodie faces like Franco Manca and Great British Doner.
The Party Zone will be buzzing as Footasylum, Museum of Illusions and Urban Playground all unite, while there’s plenty of giveaways over at the Info Zone with brands like Science + Industry Museum and RSPB.
And, our very ownAudio North x The Manc DJ Truck is soundtracking Market Street with student DJs playing out everything from dance and funk to classic party anthems.
MCR Student Social is taking place on Thursday 24 September at Manchester Arndale from 12pm to 7pm and you can find more information via its official websiteHERE.
Daisy Jackson -
19th January 2022 
