The city centre is set to be home to some brand new boutique accommodation as the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel opens its doors at the start of next month.
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants – the leading global boutique luxury brand from IHG – will open its Kimpton Clocktower Hotel on Thursday 1st October.
It’s the brand’s fourth and final hotel to open in the UK, joining sites in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is a magnificent, terracotta Grade II listed building, with a history dating back to 1890 when it first opened as The Refuge Assurance Company headquarters. The grand clock tower at the centre of its striking Victorian architecture is an unmistakable landmark on Manchester’s skyline.
All 270 loft-style bedrooms – including 11 suites – were designed to make the most of the stunning, double and triple-height ceilings. Other original, period features – including glazed bricks, tiles and faience, stained glass and carved wooden staircases – meet contemporary fittings and interiors, such as the three-metre-tall bronze horse by artist Sophie Dickens, which sits in the lobby and is a piece that denotes a horse-and-carriage ‘turning circle’ that once stood on the spot.
Guest rooms offer an homage to Manchester’s iconic music scene, with vinyl records of the city’s most iconic bands – from the Stone Roses and Oasis, to Elbow and Take That – available to play on record players in each room.
Each room borrows design inspiration from the spirited and renowned Manchester party and music scene, with vibrant, bespoke textiles designed by Timorous Beasties, which incorporate the iconic Manchester worker bee and bold contemporary graphic prints adorning the walls.
Hotel guests will enjoy Kimpton’s signature perks such as in-room yoga mats and the ‘Forgot It? We’ve Got It!’ service offering important guest essentials.
Free tuck boxes of treats in all rooms – as well as fresh milk and mineral water in the fridge – make for a relaxing in-room experience, and guests can also expect the brand’s industry-leading pet-friendly attitude and an approachable luxury experience fuelled by a hotel team who is committed to delivering heartfelt care and personal service in surprising ways.
Those wanting to make human connections can meet fellow visitors across social distanced tables at the nightly Kimpton Social Hour to bond over hosted drinks from 5-6pm at The Winter Garden – an interior glasshouse within The Refuge, which is a dining room and public bar set in a 10,000 square foot of space.
IHG / Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
A 10-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is located in the heart of the city, opposite Oxford Road Station. Visible from all around thanks to its clock tower, it is less than five minutes by foot from the world-famous LGBTQ area of Canal Street, and close to the city centre’s shopping areas and department stores.
For those looking to explore Manchester on two wheels, Kimpton-branded bikes are available for hire free-of-charge.
Destination bar and restaurant, The Refuge by Volta, serves globally inspired small plates, craft beers and cocktails curated by the award-winning team from Volta and has a uniquely curated programme of events and happenings.
The hotel also offers 17 meeting rooms – featuring charming Edwardian detailing alongside 21st century technology – with capacity from four to 1,000, thanks to the largest ballroom in a hotel in the north west of England.
Johan Scheepers – General Manager at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel – said: “Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is the latest addition to the global Kimpton brand. Each Kimpton hotel is an escape from the ordinary, and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will offer a real ‘wow’ factor stay with a warm Mancunian welcome.
“Kimpton continues on its incredible expansion across the globe with the opening of Kimpton Clocktower Hotel marking our fourth opening in the UK.
The Kimpton brand is rooted in human heartfelt connections and we look forward to welcoming guests and locals in a city world renowned for its warmth, charm and exuberance.”
Double rooms at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel start from £120 (inc VAT, Service Charge and Full English Breakfast).
Bookings are now available via the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel website here.
The safety and wellbeing of guests and colleagues amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is of top priority, so the newly-introduced IHG Clean Promise giving guests extra reassurance and you can find out more at kimptonhotels.com/Clean
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Everton are reportedly already hoping to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City permanently
Danny Jones
Everton FC are reportedly already considering signing Jack Grealish on a permanent deal after an impressive start to his spell on loan from Manchester City.
The former Aston Villa talisman has struggled to remain in the starting XI under Pep Guardiola since joining the club in 2021, but since arriving on Merseyside, he’s already been a difference-maker in every match for the Toffees thus far.
Grealish has not only registered four assists in just two starts for Everton but also won the very first player of the month award in the Premier League this season for his contributions.
Safe to say he’s fast made a big impact over in Liverpool – hence why it is now thought that manager David Moyes wants to make his transfer permanent.
Becoming just the 10th Toffee to ever win the accolade, the Birmingham-born creator is now thought to be the primary transfer target, despite the summer window having only recently closed.
He writes that despite the deal between Everton and Man City already including a £50 million option to buy next summer, that number is “not fixed and is more a consequence of accounting than a set price.”
The England international still has two years on his contract in the blue half of Manchester, but the previous valuation (which is half the amount City paid for him in a then record fee for a British player), so it is believed that he could be signed for an even better cut-price offer as his deal runs down.
Put it this way, it looks like the supporters would do just about anything to keep him at the Hill Dickinson.
Jack Grealish giving his shirt to an Everton fan after their brilliant win away at Wolves today.
Bascombe goes on to explain, however, that his salary considerations could be a significant obstacle. Grealish is estimated to be earning approximately £12m a year, which is almost certainly too rich for Everton’s blood.
Taking that into account, it’d be a case of whether or not the Brummy forward would be willing to accept a much lower wage to depart the Etihad Stadium for Everton long-term; alternatively, waiting for him to become a free agent in a few transfer windows’ time would also be an option.
What about you, Blues: would you like to see Jack Grealish stay and fight for his place under Guardiola, or would you understand/support him making his Everton permanent?
Interestingly, there could be yet more shuffling of the pack in the middle of the park for Pep, as a forgotten man is apparently going to be given another chance to revive his City career…
Kalvin Phillips is reportedly set to be reintegrated into the Manchester City squad
Danny Jones
Long-exiled Manchester City player Kalvin Phillips is reportedly on the verge of being reintegrated into Pep Guardiola’s squad this season.
The ex-Leeds United star, who signed for the Blues back in 2022, has still only made just 16 appearances for the club, but could now be eyeing up a potential renaissance.
Man City have made plenty of signings this year, but with a number of outgoings and several injuries in key positions, it looks like there could be an avenue for the one-time England international to fight his way back into the team.
As per Telegraph Sport‘s Mike McGrath, Kalvin Phillips is set to be reintroduced to City’s 25-man Premier League selection; the question is, can he make it into a first-team XI?
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Kalvin Phillips has chance to resurrect career at the Etihad Stadium after failed loan spells with Ipswich and West Ham
According to McGrath, Phillips will be “given a chance to resurrect his career at the Etihad Stadium” with the meat and potatoes of the 2025/26 campaign still yet to get properly underway.
Now 29, the Yorkshireman is well and truly within the crucial ‘prime’ years as an athlete, and after such an extended period on the sidelines, he’ll be more motivated than anyone to get his career back on track.
The central defensive midfielder – who was formerly considered a key cog in the middle of the park for Leeds – has spent two loan spells away from the Etihad, but neither really worked out for the undeniably talented footballer.
Having joined West Ham for the latter portion of the 23/24 term and spending the last 12 months on loan at struggling Ipswich Town, his time at both clubs was pretty forgettable, punctuated by little more than a couple of unfortunate red cards and more time on the bench.
Speaking to Sky Sports fairly recently, he confessed that the last couple of years have been very difficult and was visibly emotional discussing his struggles since moving to Man City.
It’s also worth noting that Guardiola himself has admitted to feeling “so bad” for Kalvin Phillips’ situation – perhaps why he now looks like he could be given a second chance.
CDM-wise, Rodri and Nico González are considered the go-to options, but Stockport-born Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovačić have also been used in the role.
Once again, although Man City face somewhat of an injury crisis ahead of the Manchester derby this weekend, any prolonged absences could at least see an opportunity arise for the forgotten man.
What do you make of Kalvin Phillips’ chances of being restored to the Manchester City squad and maybe even putting himself back into national team contention ahead of the World Cup?
Emily Sergeant -
8th September 2020 
