Who is behind this hotel?Salford Quays could welcome the region's first floating hotel
Between the BBC buildings in MediaCIty and the Lowry arts and entertainment space is a short stretch of water. That space could soon welcome Great Manchester's first floating hotel.
Who is behind this hotel?
The Good Hotel brand currently has just three hotels: London, Guatemala City and Antigua. All are quite unique. Their London hotel was originally built as a floating prison and is docked in Canary Wharf. The brand claims that it has two values: sleep good and do good. From their website, they do seem to take these to heart.
Why a floating hotel?
Putting a hotel into the water is a good way of utilising unused space in busy cities. I've stayed on the Sunborn in Gibraltar, a territory that is notoriously tight on space. I've also stayed on the Sunborn in London. Both offered more than just a unique experience, as they had great locations. You could walk from Gibraltar Airport to the Sunborn in ten minutes, which includes the famous walk across the runway.
Salford Quays isn't exactly short of space though. Within MediaCity itself you have the Holiday Inn and the Premier Inn. Within the wider Salford Quays, you have another Premier Inn, a Holiday Inn. On the border you have an Ibis, Travelodge, AC Hotel and the Copthorne. Within a mile radius of this newly planned hotel, you have at least fifteen hotels. That includes the recently expanded Hilton Garden Inn. That's a lot of hotels in a relatively small space, all focused on the lower to mid end of the market.
Will this be a luxury hotel?
What's interesting about this hotel is that they have released a floorplan of one of the floors (from the visuals it looks like there will be four). All the rooms are defined as standard. So the angle isn't luxury.
One of those positives about building a floating hotel is minimal construction work is needed at the site.
You can read more about the planned hotel here: https://www.goodhotelsalford.co.uk/
Salford Quays is a thriving tourist and commercial destination, home to a wealth of cultural attractions including MediaCityUK, The Lowry, IWM North and many more. Within easy reach of Manchester city centre and some of the UK’s most iconic sporting destinations, it is an ideal location for our innovative Good Hotel concept.
The new purpose-built floating hotel will contribute to the continued regeneration of the Salford Quays area and will become a new landmark at the North Bay. Comprising of 180 stylish hotel rooms, the hotel will also include a welcoming open plan living room bar/restaurant open to both the public and hotel guests. A team of hospitality professionals needed for successfully operating the training facilities and hotel services will be recruited locally.
When will the Good Hotel Manchester open?
The brand is yet to submit its planning application to Salford council, so it could be some time before their hotel docks in MediaCity.
Isn't there another floating hotel in Salford Quays?
If you're looking to sleep on a boat then there is an option that's available right now. Not quite a hotel, this airbnb is situated just down the water from the proposed Good Hotel. It sleeps ten people in relative luxury, and it's a five minute walk from MediaCity.
