London Road Fire Station’s anchor hotel revealed

LONDON-based hotel operator The Zetter Group has been confirmed as the anchor hotel operator for the redeveloped London Road Fire Station in Manchester.

Its three London hotels have each been named in Conde Nast Traveller’s hot list: The World’s Best New Hotels upon opening and are acclaimed for pioneering eco-credentials, quirky details and a unique guest experience.

The 59-bedroom Zetter Hotel was the group’s first venue and opened in 2004 and the group’s other venues include the award winning Grain Store restaurant in King’s Cross (Chef Patron Bruno Loubet), the 13 bedroom Georgian townhouse The Zetter Townhouse, Clerkenwell, and most recently, The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone.
 
The Zetter Hotel at London Road will be the group’s first operation outside London and will be the fourth hotel in its portfolio.

Michael Benyan, The Zetter Group’s director, said: “We are delighted to have finally found the perfect opportunity to open a Zetter property in Manchester. London Road is an iconic building and a real gift for us as hoteliers.

“We want to preserve the existing beauty and magic of the building and use it to help create a unique experience for our guests. Allied London should also be applauded for their vision and ambition for the regeneration of the area – it’s an exciting project to be a part of.”

The Zetter Group will team up with interior designers Russell Sage Studios to bring the vision for the hotel to life. Russell Sage Studios is famed for designing The Goring Hotel’s Royal Suite, a number of Jason Atherton’s and Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, as well as on the interiors for two Zetter Townhouse projects and its Grain Store.

Michael Ingall, chief executive of London Road’s developer Allied London, said: “We were delighted with the level of interest shown in London Road and humbled by the brands who took the time to travel to view the building and submit proposals.

“Ultimately, however, we were taken by the hands on approach of the Zetter owners, which we felt was vital in establishing London Road as the new benchmark for hospitality in Manchester.

“We are following the considered approach we have taken with our other projects, including Spinningfields, by working with owner/operators who have a religious approach to service, quality and brand. Zetter come in the top bracket of this group of people. I also look forward to working with interior designer, Russell Sage, someone I have admired for several years and is at the top of his game for interior design around the world.”

Allied London’s plans for the redevelopment of the iconic building also include 36 apartments, restaurants, a cinema and a New York-style digital art gallery centred around a central courtyard, part of which will be dug out to create a multi-purpose event space.

Meanwhile, there are plans for the useable parts of the building to be brought back to life  with pop-up uses, including temporary exhibitions, galleries, bars, and events for the community and facilities for the homeless.

Below: Images of the interior of other Zetter Group hotels