Travel & Tourism

Treehouse Hotel Manchester finally announces opening date – and it’s soon

This is a BIG new opening.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 11th February 2025

One of the most hotly-anticipated new hotel openings in Manchester, Treehouse Hotel, has finally confirmed its launch date.

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.

Once it opens, Treehouse Hotel will bring 224 guest rooms, including nine suites and three accessible rooms, to Manchester.

Also opening on the ground floor of the huge building will be Pip, by acclaimed local chef Mary-Ellen McTague, showcasing a low-waste cooking approach with seasonally sourced ingredients.

Just announced too as part of Treehouse Hotel Manchester is Sister Moon by Sam Grainger, a 14th-floor Southeast Asian dining destination set to open later in 2025.

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Work has been ongoing at the site for several years now, with an initial launch date pencilled in for summer 2023.

But things are finally coming together and Treehouse Hotel Manchester has now announced it will open the doors to its ‘playful and free-spirited’ hotel on Wednesday 19 March.

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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.

A glimpse inside the rooms at Treehouse Hotel Manchester
A glimpse inside the rooms at Treehouse Hotel Manchester. Credit: Brad Matthews

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

Its interiors will blend the enchanting charm of a forest with the hotel’s signature ‘perfectly imperfect’ design ethos.

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And they’ve called upon some of the North West’s most celebrated culinary names to craft the dining and drinking options, Pip and the newly-announced Sister Moon.

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

Pip Restaurant will open at the new Treehouse Hotel. Credit: Supplied
Pip Restaurant will open at the new Treehouse Hotel. Credit: Supplied

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.

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

There’s nothing like a bit of shrubbery to break up the grey-scale skyscraper landscape of Manchester and this next new opening has taken it to the next level.

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

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Featured image: Supplied

Travel & Tourism

In pictures – A rare Bornean baby orangutan has been born at Chester Zoo

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo

A tiny Bornean orangutan has been born at Chester Zoo, with heartwarming new pictures showing the baby with its mum Leia.

The arrival of the critically-endangered infant has been hailed as an ‘important step forward’ in the efforts to safeguard the species.

Photos shared today Chester Zoo show the new arrival clinging to its experienced mum Leia, looking – if we’re being honest – quite furious to be here.

But the infants adorably grumpy face is a huge moment for the zoo and the species, which is highly threatened due to deforestation, illegal hunting and conflict with people.

This ranks them as a species requiring the highest conservation priority, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Chris Yarwood, Assistant Team Manager of Primates at Chester Zoo, said: “Leia is a wonderful mum. She’s extremely attentive and has spent the first few days holding her baby close, feeding regularly and forming a really strong maternal bond. It’s a huge privilege to witness.

“The baby is still tiny and we haven’t yet been able to determine the sex – but what really matters is that it’s healthy and that Leia is doing a brilliant job, as we knew she would.

“Any birth of a Bornean orangutan is incredibly special given how threatened the species is. It’s an important step forward for the international conservation breeding efforts that are working to prevent this iconic animal from disappearing forever.”

The tropical forests of Borneo – the only place on Earth where Bornean orangutans are found in the wild – have suffered devastating losses in recent decades, with more than 40% lost since the year 2000 due to unsustainable palm oil production, logging, agricultural expansion, poaching and illegal hunting.

A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo
A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo
A rare Bornean organutan has been born at Chester Zoo

Bornean orangutans are one of three orangutan species, all of which are critically endangered. Chester Zoo is the only zoo in the UK to care for two of them – the Sumatran and Bornean orangutan.

As one of the planet’s closest living relatives to humans, they play a vital role in maintaining the health of their rainforest ecosystems.

Cat Barton, Policy Lead on Deforestation-free Commodities at Chester Zoo, added: “Chester Zoo has worked with partners in Borneo for more than 20 years to safeguard wild orangutan populations, restore rainforest habitats and tackle the root causes of deforestation.

“Through long-term initiatives like wildlife corridors, community engagement and reducing human-wildlife conflict, we’ve supported efforts that have now helped the area where we work – the Kinabatangan – earn recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This is a huge milestone for our partners at HUTAN and for global conservation.

“Closer to home, we continue to champion the use of sustainably sourced palm oil, encouraging individuals and businesses to make better choices that protect rainforests and the countless species that depend on them.

“With palm oil found in so many everyday products – from biscuits to shampoo – choosing certified sustainable options is one of the simplest, most powerful actions people can take to help wildlife, including orangutans like Leia’s baby.”

Featured image: Chester Zoo

Travel & Tourism

Hardcastle Crags – the prettiest autumn walk in the North West with a great restaurant at the end

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

This is the time of year where it’s particularly difficult to drag yourself off the sofa and into the great outdoors.

The weather isn’t quite crisp enough to feel festive and most of us (even the pumpkin spice latte, cardigan-clad crew) are missing the more reliable warmth of the summer months.

But autumn is here, like it or not, and it definitely has its perks.

One of which is the undeniable beauty the season brings.

It’s not just the blazing red, orange, yellow and brown leaves that suddenly take over the green spaces around the UK.

It’s also in the sunsets and sunrises that become so much easier to catch while the days are shorter (you have to admit, the commutes are prettier when they coincide with sunrise).

The riverside walk at Hardcastle Crags. Credit: Unsplash

And there aren’t many places better to soak in all the autumn beauty than Hardcastle Crags, just across the border in West Yorkshire.

The National Trust site sits between Leeds and Manchester and is a popular day trip destination for Mancs, given the trains that run regularly to Hebden Bridge.

A walking route around Hardcastle Crags at this time of year will take you through a landscape of blazing orange trees, babbling streams, and dappled sunlight.

When you catch a golden autumnal day the leaves will crunch underfoot, but even on a soggy day the leaf mulch has its own special kind of beauty here.

There are two walking routes between the main car park and Gibson Mill, a former 19th century cotton mill which is now home to a lovely cafe.

One will take you down to the river, where wooden boardwalks weave right along the water’s edge.

There are even stepping stones you can use to scamper across the river – a great Instagram pic, or just a way to keep the kids entertained for a few minutes.

A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group
A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group

The other route goes up through the upper woodland, where pine trees loom and you get a great view of the valley below.

For an easy loop, you can do both – a stroll through the trees, a stop for coffee and cake, then return along the river (or vice versa).

But with 15 miles of footpaths, you can explore way beyond that.

The National Trust’s list of walks includes everything from a wheelchair and pram-accessible estate track to peaceful woodland loops, to rocky scrambles and former railway lines.

And when you’re done with Hardcastle Crags itself, there’s a world-class restaurant in the gorgeous town centre itself.

Coin sits in the shell of the former Lloyd’s bank, with exposed brick and massive period windows, and specialises in natural wine and small plates.

When The Manc Eats visited, we found plates of freshly-cut meat and cheese served alongside ice-cold batched classic cocktails, where ‘quality is key, and it shines through on the plate’.

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Our reviewer said: “With its higgledy-piggledy stone mill houses, surrounding woodland, hidden waterfalls and treasure-trove charity shops, Hebden Bridge is a popular attraction all of its own for those wanting to venture beyond the city. Coin is simply the cherry on top.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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