The new hotel is part of Whitbread’s strategic investment in Manchester to strengthen its presence in key locations across the city. This follows the successful opening of a 157-bedroom Premier Inn on Princess Street in May 2021, which facilitated the refurbishment of the nearby Premier Inn Manchester City Centre (Deansgate Locks).
Located on Rochdale Road, the ten-storey hotel will feature Whitbread’s latest brand standards, including the popular ‘enhanced’ Premier Plus rooms. The hotel will also offer an integrated restaurant, bar, and reception space on the ground floor. Scheduled to open in autumn 2026, the hotel will be Whitbread’s second largest in Manchester city centre, providing guests with convenient access to Victoria Station and the city’s vibrant cultural, retail, and nightlife scenes.
“Whitbread is a long-standing investor in Manchester, and we have an ambitious strategy to continue our growth in the city to meet strong year-round customer demand. Rochdale Road’s prime location by Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter strengthens our presence in this part of the city. A combination of the Quarter’s vibrant social, creative and retail scene and its proximity to the business districts of Manchester city centre means this is a prime location for both our business and leisure customers.” – Will Steward, Project and Programme Manager for Whitbread
Whitbread had appointed GMI Construction Group as the main contractor for the project, marking a new collaboration between the two companies. GMI Construction Group leads the construction efforts, ensuring that the project meets the high standards expected by Whitbread.
The hotel project began construction in October 2024, following Whitbread’s acquisition of the freehold of the site in February 2024 from Premcor. The building’s structure is now complete, and the hotel will soon undergo its final fit-out phase.
“This is a proud moment for the entire team. Topping out marks a major step forward on what is a complex and high-profile city centre site, and it’s testament to the hard work, expertise, and collaboration across everyone involved.” – Anthony Judge, Regional Director for the North West at GMI Construction Group
As part of its sustainability efforts, Whitbread has committed to powering all self-built hotels with renewable electricity from 2025 and aims to reduce water consumption per sleeper by 20% by 2030.
The Rochdale Road Premier Inn is one of many projects in Whitbread’s pipeline, as the company works towards its goal of offering 125,000 rooms across the UK. The company is actively seeking additional locations for future developments in the north of England.
