A new hotel group Principal has just launched across the United Kingdom. Owned by the Starwood Capital Group – a private investment firm whose chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht founded the Starwood hotel group – the collection of city hotels is distinguished by storied buildings in flawless locations – for now, a row of Georgian townhouses along Edinburgh’s George Street, a sprawling manse in York, and the former HQ of The Refuge Assurance Company in Manchester. A sophomore batch is due to launch within the next two years in Glasgow, London and Liverpool.
The Principal Manchester was, until Starwood’s acquisition, the Palace Hotel, a Manchester landmark whose 66m high clock tower literally looms over the city. Designed by Alfred and Paul Waterhouse and Stanley Birkett between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Grade II-listed building eventually became home to the Palace Hotel after The Refuge shuttered its business.
And now, following a thoroughly modern overhaul, that reportedly cost £25m, by local firm 3D Reid and London-based Michaelis Boyd, the 271-room hotel impresses for its creamy interiors of dimpled headboards, voluminous drapes, a gloriously restored glass domed atrium, and grand spaces chiseled with acres of marble, stone and granite.
There are visual distractions aplenty, not the least of which are the building’s original mouldings, partitions, and stained glass windows, and the 600kg, 3m high bronze horse station by Sophie Dickens in the lobby.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Corner Oxford and Whitworth Streets
-
From bleeding bodies to phantom paintings, inside the distorted world of artist George RouyFrequently drawing comparisons with Francis Bacon, painter George Rouy is gaining peer points for his use of classic techniques to distort the human form
-
Beloved Italian, Babbo finds a new home in St John's WoodBabbo, the Mayfair Italian beloved of Premier League footballers, has re-located to St John’s Wood High Street. Is NW8 the new West End?
-
Sexual wellness gifts designed for the bedside table, by Maude, Nécessaire and moreThese sexual wellness gift ideas designed for the bedside table include the museum-worthy ‘Spot’ vibrator by Maude, and Nécessaire’s hyaluronic acid-based ‘The Sex Gel’
-
Harrods revives beloved 113-year old restaurant, The GeorgianRedesigned by David Collins Studio, The Georgian at Harrods in London is where art deco artistry, elegance and theatrical flair collide
-
Claridge’s welcomes ultra-chic new suites by Bryan O’Sullivan StudioThe newly inaugurated Brook Suites at Claridge’s, are uplifting, tactile and in touch with the revered London hotel’s timelessness
-
Chef José Pizarro’s artful new ode to Spanish dining in London is called LoloLolo, located in London’s fashionable Bermondsey Street, offers a taste of Extremadura in an art-filled setting
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
-
First look at Belmond’s new ‘romantic and nostalgic’ luxury trainBelmond introduces the Britannic Explorer, the first high-end sleeper train experience in England and Wales
-
First look at 19 Motcomb Street, Belgravia’s iconic Pantechnicon reinventedFormer Nordic-Japanese design and dining hub Pantechnicon reopens as 19 Motcomb Street with a trio of food and beverage concepts
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shopsCornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
-
First look at Soma 2.0: a new nighttime highlight in east LondonFresh from its Soho roots, this newly opened London bar is set to redefine Canary Wharf’s nightlife – not least with its Indian-flavour-twist cocktails, as Neil Ridley discovers
