Lowry hotel to undergo £5m refurbishment
The five-AA-star, 165-bedroom Lowry hotel in Manchester is to undergo a refurbishment costing nearly £5m, eight months after being sold by Rocco Forte Hotels.
New owner, Westmont Hospitality Group, will be spending the money on refreshing the bedrooms and bedroom corridors, alongside providing a new look for the lobby, banqueting rooms and spa area.
Adrian Ellis, who joined the hotel as general manager in February, said the new décor in the bedrooms will introduce brighter colours through the introduction of new furnishings, including carpets, curtains, cushions and bed throws.
"We will be providing an upgrade and fresher look, while maintaining the modern feel of the hotel," he said. "The work will start in May and is expected to take six months to complete."
The hotel, which was developed and opened by Rocco Forte Hotels in 2001, was sold in September 2014, off a guide price of just over £40m, with investment provided to Westmont by Mount Kellett Capital Management.
Ellis, who took over from Peter Kienast, has returned to Manchester after 17 years based overseas, having previously worked as general manager at the Manchester Marriott V&A (formerly known as the Victoria and Albert hotel).
He said that he is "amazed" at how much the city has changed during the time he was working in Hungary, Poland, Azerbaijan, Singapore and Bali.
Adrian Ellis returns to Manchester as GM of the Lowry hotel >>