£4m Lowry Hotel refurb completed
THE landmark five-star Lowry Hotel has completed a £4m refurbishment.
A comprehensive makeover of the 165-room hotel has taken place since September 2014, when Rocco Forte Hotels sold the facility on the Salford/Manchester boundary to Westmont Hospitality Group and its investment partner Mount Kellett Capital Management in a multi-million pound deal.
Guests now enjoy an enhanced resident experience through the introduction of new SMART TVs and Wi-Fi, alongside new curtains, carpets, fabrics and colour schemes throughout the bedrooms and public areas.
Healthy financial results in 2015 have provided the foundations for the refurbishment, says general manager Adrian Ellis who said the completed revamp which will be followed by a programme in 2016 to refurbish the spa and the banqueting suites.
Ellis, who has managed prestige hotels worldwide in a 25-year career, says that the hotel’s new look includes the purchase and commission of some original art.
Manchester’s rock history is a key part of the changes, as seen in the purchase of iconic rock images by legendary Salfordian photographer Kevin Cummins, including four large format images which greet guests in the lobby.
The refurbishment is also marked with 10 new large-scale photographs on each floor by published and exhibited photographer Allan Grainger, from the Isle of Man, of familiar Manchester locations.
This new commission of, in Grainger’s words, “tableaux that capture the rhythms and atmosphere of the city, and its historical past,” are displayed in the corridor and lift areas of the guest floors.
Ellis said: “We are the only hotel in the city centre named after an artist, and we are proud to celebrate not only LS Lowry, renowned for his depictions of Salford, but also by displaying contemporary artists and photographers.
“Our investment in art reflects our distinctive customer experience. A visit to the Lowry Hotel is a stimulating and rewarding experience as well as a high-quality one.
“The refurbishment is also a vote of confidence in the future of Manchester as a leading business and visitor destination.”
