Travel & Tourism

Blackpool Pleasure Beach to close five iconic rides after £2.7m loss

'We've seen lots of rumours so we wanted to be transparent'

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 25th March 2025

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has announced it’s closing five of its rides for the season, as well as reducing its opening hours, after reporting a pre-tax loss of £2.8m.

The beloved North West attraction has been pulling in families and thrill-seekers since it opened in 1896, famed for rides like the Big Dipper – a classic wooden rollercoaster – and The Big One.

Despite being such a popular tourist attraction, finances are biting for Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and it’s reported that five rides will close for the 2025 season.

The news comes almost exactly a year after it announced the heartbreaking closure of Grand Prix after 64 years.

The theme park has said that visitor numbers still haven’t fully recovered from the pandemic, leading to altered opening times to ‘maximise efficiency and cost’.

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Five ‘less popular’ rides will be closed this year – Red Arrows Skyforce, Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, and Gallopers.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach said that 2025 is an ‘exciting but transformational’ year for the theme park.

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In a statement, they said: “This year we’ve made the decision to close some of our smaller, less popular rides during the 2025 season: Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce.

“The smaller rides were already being run on reduced opening times and our rider data showed that they have some of our lowest throughput, while Skyforce is 10 years old this year.

“After a great deal of thought, it was clear to us that the right decision is to make changes which will allow us to reinvest into a bigger and better future.”

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Blackpool Pleasure Beach recently announced where some of that reinvestment is heading – and it’ll see an exciting new £8.72M ride opening.

The Gyro Swing will be the largest of its kind in the UK, leaving riders ‘completely weightless’ as they dangle from a spinning pendulum that swings 120 degrees and reaches 138 feet at its highest point.

Recent accounts show that Blackpool Pleasure Beach made a loss of £2.8m in the last financial year, compared to a £789k loss the year prior.

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Featured image: Mark mc neill on Unsplash

Travel & Tourism

Robert De Niro’s Nobu to open landmark hotel and restaurant in Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Nobu has revealed plans to open a hotel and restaurant within Viadux 2 in Manchester

World-famous Nobu is heading to Manchester for the first time, backing the city’s soon-to-be tallest skyscraper, Viadux 2.

Nobu Hospitality, co-founded by Hollywood great Robert De Niro, has unveiled plans for a landmark hotel and restaurant in the city centre, along with the first Nobu-branded residences.

The proposed partnership is with Salboy and will introduce Viadux 2 as the tallest building outside London.

Standing at 246 metres, the £360m property development would dwarf Manchester’s current tallest skyscraper at Deansgate Square.

Nobu plans to bring its signature blend of luxury hospitality and world-class dining to the heart of Manchester, with 160 hotel rooms, event spaces, and a signature Nobu restaurant and bar, all housed within the 76-storey tower.

There’ll also be 452 Nobu residences – the brand’s first foray into the UK’s luxury real estate market.

Each ‘residence’ (or flat, to us Mancs), will have Japanese details and premium amenities, including Nobu room service.

There’ll also be an exclusive swimming pool, spa, podium garden and gym, as well as a dedicated experience team.

Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hospitality said: “We are proud to include Manchester in our global collection, with its vibrant culture and growing global status.

“Strong partnerships are essential to our success, and with Salboy, Fred Done, and Simon Ismail, we have the best-in-class partners with a solid reputation and a world-renowned vision.

“Having grown up in the area, I am personally immensely proud of this project in a city that continues its evolution as a global destination for luxury hospitality.

“Manchester is home to world-class developments, a thriving culinary scene, and a growing demand for high-end lifestyle experiences.

“None of our locations are cookie cutter; we wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of each destination. We are delighted to be working with Salboy to blend the Nobu experience with the essence of Manchester.”

Fred Done, Co-founder of Salboy & Betfred, added: “For decades, I’ve travelled extensively while growing my businesses and exploring a vast array of dining experiences. Yet, Nobu has consistently set the benchmark for fine dining, offering impeccable cuisine and unparalleled hospitality wherever I go, whether in New York, Singapore, or soon in Manchester.

“I’m truly excited to welcome the Nobu team to Manchester. As a businessman, I understand why Robert De Niro and his partners chose to invest in Nobu. It is about more than just money; it is about bringing this level of class to Manchester and celebrating what it means for the city.”

Simon Ismail, co-founder of Salboy, said: “This £360 million deal for Nobu Manchester will take the city to new heights in terms of service, cuisine, and experience. Chef Nobu’s cuisine, renowned worldwide, has influenced dining across the globe.

“Even if you haven’t dined at a Nobu restaurant, you have likely experienced dishes inspired by his innovations. As the original innovator in fine dining, Chef Nobu popularised a blend of cuisines in exciting new ways, leaving a lasting influence on every modern restaurant you see today.

“We are excited to unveil plans for the UK’s first Nobu-branded residences and hotel, with this signature hospitality offering at its heart.”

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Featured image: Salboy

Travel & Tourism

Treehouse Hotel Manchester finally opens its £25m hotel – have a look inside

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography

One of the most hotly-anticipated new hotel openings in Manchester, Treehouse Hotel, is officially open for business.

The major new opening has been slowly transforming the brutalist tower at the end of Deansgate, formerly long-standing hotel the Renaissance, into a ‘whimsical, forest-inspired’ accommodation.

Although only its first phase has launched now, by the time it is fully complete, Treehouse Hotel will have 224 guest rooms, including nine suites and three accessible rooms.

Its whimsical, nature-inspired interiors feature playful details like bird boxes on the pillars, seat backs made of spade handles, and chalk boards in the bedrooms.

They’ve even created lighting that mimics the time of day outside.

Down on the ground floor of the huge building you’ll find Pip, the restaurant by acclaimed local chef Mary-Ellen McTague, showcasing a low-waste cooking approach with seasonally sourced ingredients.

Opening in the next phase of Treehouse Hotel Manchester is Sister Moon by Sam Grainger, a 14th-floor Southeast Asian dining destination set to open later in 2025.

Also up on the 14th floor will be The Nest in Treehouse, a space with sweeping city views and a lively atmosphere.

And up on the top of the hotel will be The Hideout, an intimate rooftop lounge and terrace, with Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford leading a series of events across the hotel.

Inside Treehouse Hotel Manchester

Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Brad Matthews
Credit: Brad Matthews
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Brad Matthews
Credit: Brad Matthews
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Credit: Simon Brown Photography
Treehouse Hotel Manchester

Treehouse Hotel Manchester has on-site facilities that include a 43-seat Flix screening room, a state-of-the-art Playground gym, and meeting rooms named after trees.

This ‘one-of-a-kind’ addition to Manchester’s thriving hotel scene follows SH Hotels & Resorts (soon to be Starwood Hotels) launch of its first Treehouse property in London in 2019.

The new hotel aims to provide a ‘unique retreat for visitors seeking both comfort and an element of adventure’.

Stays at Treehouse Hotel Manchester start from £199 per night, with bookings now open HERE.

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Featured image: Supplied

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