Qbic Manchester to open next year

Modular budget hotel concept Qbic is opening its Manchester site and second UK hotel next year, having launched in London seven years ago.

The Caterer reported in 2018 that work had begun on converting John Dalton House, a former office block, into a 261-bedroom Qbic hotel, which was originally due to complete in February 2019.

Rooms will range from small double ‘minis’ to suites for up to three people when the property opens in March 2021. It will also feature workspaces, a Trib3 boutique fitness studio, and the Motley restaurant and lounge, which is “being super-sized” and will have private hire rooms.

Qbic opened a 171-bedroom hotel in London's Whitechapel in 2013 following the transformation of a disused 56,000 sq ft office building. Following the opening other London properties were anticipated but never materialised.

The brand has two other properties, the Qbic Amsterdam WTC (World Trade Center), which launched in 2007, and in Brussels, which opened last year.

The Qbic concept is based around reducing the time required and the environmental impact of the hotel build process. Developed in Amsterdam, the pre-fabricated bedrooms are made primarily from recycled materials and can be installed within an existing structure.