An iconic Manchester hotel is being turned into a TREEHOUSE hotel
From a brutalist icon to a green oasis complete with a 'secret forest' treehouse canopy and new top floor restaurant and bar, there's an exciting new development coming to Deansgate
It’s all change for the long-standing Deansgate hotel the Renaissance, as London developer Starwood Capital Investments reveals it is taking over the building and turning it into a new treehouse hotel complete with a ‘secret forest’ treehouse canopy.
Suffice to say that the brutalist icon is set to be completely transformed at the hands of London design company 93ft – and the plans sound pretty magical to us.
Designers will be working within the existing structure to create a new, green oasis, adding in some sustainable design features like a kitchen garden that will harvest its own rainwater and a rooftop apiary that will produce the hotel’s own honey.
Plans for the first phase of development include a new top-floor restaurant and bar, with another ‘crowning’ rooftop venue offering striking views across the city centre from the location at the end of Deansgate.
And fun features like 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 introduce some childlike wonder to the redevelopment.
ADVERTISEMENT
Elsewhere, alongside 216 smart new guest rooms, the hotel will also boast a communal gym complete with bespoke space hoppers designed especially for the Treehouse brand.
The site will be the second Treehouse Hotel to open in the UK, following the flagship boutique hotel in Marylebone, London.
ADVERTISEMENT
The existing Renaissance site, originally built as an office in 1972, is being redeveloped by Starwood Capital Investments (part of the vast IHG Group) in partnership with Property Alliance Group.
It’s not the first hotel Starwood Capital Investments has developed in Manchester, either. The company previously renovated the Principal Hotel in 2017, now known as the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
Speaking on the new development, Starwood Capital Group chairman and chief executive Barry Sternlicht said:
“I’m really excited to launch our second Treehouse Hotel in the UK. Manchester is as much a destination for travellers as a gathering place for its energetic local community.
“Our Treehouse will introduce a new execution of fun and witty, and provide an imaginative hospitality experience. As a sustainable brand, we will reuse and repurpose the existing building. We are thrilled to set roots in the city of Manchester.”
Alex Russell, managing director of Property Alliance Group, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing Treehouse, one of the most exciting global hotel brands, to Manchester which will be their second UK location after London. The brand will inject much-needed life and personality into this prominent landmark site, changing the perception of the building and driving footfall and activity to the area.”
The new Treehouse hotel is expected to open in 2023.
Feature image – Starwood Capital Group / 93ft .
News
Body of woman found in River Mersey last year finally identified after ‘extensive’ investigation
Emily Sergeant
The body of woman who was found in the River Mersey last year has finally been identified.
Following what has been described as an ‘extensive investigation’ by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team to determine the identity of the body, which was sadly discovered in the river adjacent to Chorlton Water Park on 21 March 2024, the family of the victim has now been informed and supported by specialist officers.
The victim has been formally named as 38-year-old Laura Stanley, who was originally from Derbyshire but was living in Stockport.
After the body was discovered, and ‘exhaustive and determined’ investigation by GMP officers began to identify here, including detailed checks of both national and international databases.
The Major Incident Team (MIT) also closely worked in collaboration with specialist forensic service providers to create an anthropological profile, which eventually culminated in the creation of a facial reconstruction image.
Following several media appeals, a relative of Laura contacted officers and then a DNA match was confirmed through a familial link.
“Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure,” Laura’s family said in a heartbreaking tribute to her.
“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community. Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”
The River Mersey, across from Chorlton Water Park, where Laura’s body was discovered / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
While Laura has now been identified, police say further investigations will take place to understand her last movements, the events that led to her death, and her discovery in the river.
Additionally, as is standard practice, GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate is also reviewing a previous missing report relating to Laura in the time before the discovery of her body, which will determine prior contact relating to Laura, and whether the appropriate measures were enacted.
#UPDATE | A woman who was discovered in the River Mersey last year has been identified following an extensive investigation by officers in GMP’s Major Incident Team.
Thank you to those of you who have shared our appeals over the last year.
Anyone who knew Laura and thinks they may be able to assist with the investigation is asked to contact police by calling 101, or by using the Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024.
Alternatively, you can contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
It is currently believed that Laura was last seen around January 2024.
Featured Image – GMP
News
More than 70,000 home buyers set to pay thousands after missing stamp duty relief deadline
Emily Sergeant
More than 70,000 home buyers across England are estimated to have missed the stamp duty relief deadline.
This sadly means they’ll be required to fork out thousands of pounds extra.
In case you hadn’t heard, up until yesterday (31 March 2025), anyone who was moving and had bought a home in the past was not required to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax, better-known as just stamp duty, on the portion of the property price up to £250,000.
But from today (1 April), this threshold has now fallen back to £125,000, which unfortunately means that property purchasers are facing an extra £2,500 in moving costs, on average.
While the end of the stamp duty relief will mostly affect those Greater Manchester buyers who had already previously purchased properties, first time buyers are sadly not exempt from the deadline changes too, as their current stamp duty threshold of £425,000 has now fallen back to £300,000 as of today.
Person holding the keys to a new house in their hand / Credit: Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)
Given that the average property price for a first time buyer-type home is currently around £227,965, according to Rightmove, the new £300,000 threshold may hit those purchasing properties in more expensive areas – particularly the South East.
A third of those estimated 70,000 home buyers who have missed the deadline are thought to be first time buyers.
Leading property platform Rightmove published an analysis in February into just how much of an impact the end of the stamp duty relief would have on home buyers, all while calling on the UK Government to announce a short extension to the deadline to help people in the middle of the property purchasing process avoid potentially thousands of pounds in extra moving costs.
But despite these calls from industry leaders, there was no extension to the deadline announced in the last week’s latest Spring Statement.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the Government has not used the Spring Statement as an opportunity to extend the impending stamp duty deadline for those currently going through the home-moving process,” commented Rightmove’s property expert Colleen Babcock.
“We estimate over 70,000 people are going to miss the deadline and complete in April instead, and a third of those are first time buyers.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st September 2021 
