The Stock Exchange hotel to open in November as a member of Relais & Châteaux
Located in the centre of Manchester in a Grade II-listed building which opened as the Manchester Stock Exchange in 1906, the 40-bedroom hotel has been delayed by more than 18 months due to the owners changing their minds about the correct configuration of the property.
Neville told The Caterer that plans for the hotel had altered several times since he and Giggs acquired the building in 2014.
"Over the years those plans incorporated a members' club, as well as a greater focus on food and beverage with two or three restaurants until we arrived at what we have got now, which revolves around a more upscale hotel with a high quality design, great service and restaurant and bar overseen by Tom Kerridge."
The clearly defined offer of the £15-20m project has been consolidated since the appointment in 2015 of Winston Zahra as chief executive of GG Hospitality, the hospitality management company headed by Neville and Giggs which opened its first hotel, Hotel Football in Old Trafford. Today Zahra is a co-owner with Neville and Giggs of Finestday Ltd, the company which owns the Stock Exchange building.
Zahra was responsible for bringing in Istanbul-based Autoban to oversee the interior design in what is its first UK hotel project. Autoban has previously worked on the Emperor hotel in Hong Kong, Joali hotel in the Maldives and Galata Istanbul - Mgallery By Sofitel.
e design will feature a light palette of colours, combined with marble, brass, glass and wood, alongside bespoke furniture, to create what Neville said will be the highest quality hotel. "We believe it will be the very best it can possibly be."
Securing membership of Relais & ChÁ¢teaux so far in advance of the opening is unusual and will enable the hotel to market itself to a global audience. Zahra said Relais & ChÁ¢teaux shares the same values as Stock Exchange in respect of quality, ensuring the hotel's partnership with the consortium to be "a perfect fit".
Philippe Gombert, president of Relais & ChÁ¢teaux added: "We are very happy to count Stock Exchange hotel as a member of our family and to be able to accompany them in the opening of this beautiful house. I am deeply convinced that Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Winston Zahra will revive Stock Exchange and its history in a remarkable way.
"This is a perfect example of what Relais & ChÁ¢teaux is: properties anchored in their region, ambassadors of their heritage, but also passionate about their craft and deeply committed to forging warm, lasting relationships with their guests."
Built in Portland stone, the hotel will feature two signature suites - the 1906 Suite and the Boardroom Suite - as well as the House, a 3,500 sq ft fully serviced residence. The House, which will feature three bedrooms, kitchen, two lounge areas, roof terrace and fitness room, will be available for both short- and long-term lets.
Neville said he is particularly excited to be working with Kerridge who he first met while staying as a regular guest at the Corinthia Hotel London, where Kerridge's Bar & Grill opened last year. Kerridge will oversee food and beverage across the hotel, including the restaurant within the domed former trading floor of the Stock Exchange, bar, and two event spaces - the Bank for up to 14 covers and the Vault on the lower ground floor which will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. Details of the menu, name of the restaurant and executive chef will be announced by Kerridge next month.
"Tom is passionate about bringing great flavours out of every-day ingredients and making the food accessible to all," said Neville. "The restaurant will represent the essence of Tom's food, served in a relaxed and social atmosphere. It will be a bespoke offer for Manchester."
"The Vault will feature two large tables that I've brought back from Bali where we will create a social-type of eating, which will be a unique offer for Manchester."
Neville hopes the hotel will have the same "energy and inviting nature" as Hotel Football, however at a different level, respecting the nature of the boutique environment of the property.
Stewart Davies, the opening general manager of Hotel Football and now the chief operating office of GG Hospitality, will oversee the launch of Stock Exchange at an operational level.
Once the hotel is open in November, the focus of GG Hospitality will turn to the expansion of the Hotel Football brand and the development of further boutique hotels.
"We've changed our minds several times along the way with Stock Exchange, but believe we have now taken the right decision to ensure we have maximised what we want from the building to create a spectacular hotel."
The preservation of the Stock Exchange
Learning and preserving the history of the building was critical to Neville, Giggs and Zahra. During research prior to the development of the hotel, the team found three former traders from the Stock Exchange - Alan Botterley (93 years old), Jon Goldstone and David Cummings. Here they are seen together for the first time since the Northern Stock Exchange ceased trading in 1979.
Neville said: "When you hear Alan, Jon and David talk and share the memories they have of the building, you realise how important it was to them and what an impact it had on people in Manchester. The stories of boom and busts, of playing cricket and football on the trading room floor, the different characters that worked there and how they all felt when it closed.
"When we heard these things, we became even more determined to bring the building back to life and share the stories that it has to tell."
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