Work looks set to start on new Japanese hotel in heart of Manchester

Japanese company Toyoko Inn has put together a planning application for a 22-storey hotel in the heart of Manchester.

The 350-bedroom hotel will be built in Piccadilly if the plans are approved by the city council.

The new hotel will be the company’s first in the UK.

The planning application has been submitted following a public consultation by the firm along with architect Stephenson Studio and GVA How Planning.

The hotel will be next to the listed Union Bank building, which will be refurbished as part of the project and linked internally to the hotel.

The site, currently used as a car park, is on the junction of Gore Street and Chatham Street, and sits in front of the Waldorf pub and Indemnity House.

The firm said: “The emphasis of the scheme is on quality of design and materials.

“The development will seek to preserve as much of the exterior architecture and unique appearance of the Listed Building as possible.

“This will combine with the modern look of the new building, in an arrangement that is respectful of the classical architectural style.”

Toyoko was launched in 1986 and currently operates 270 hotels in cities across the world including Frankfurt and Marseille.

The Union Bank has been left empty since Barclays left in 2006 and a number of schemes failed to get off the ground.

Plans will include the restoration of the ornate bank ceiling, currently covered by a suspended ceiling, the removal of non-original features, and the relocation of the stained glass windows, which will form a feature in the ground floor bar.

Toyoko acquired the site in 2014 and has since been working with Stephenson Studio on the plans.

The latest designs are an adaptation of a previous scheme by Yotel approved for the site in 2013.