Great John Street hotel set for refurb featuring ‘glasshouse’ extension and new rooftop bar

One of Manchester’s most popular boutique hotels is set for a major refurb.

The owners of Great John Street Hotel have submitted a planning application for an upgrade which includes an external glass lift shaft, a single-storey glass extension on the Little John Street side of the hotel and reconfiguration of the rooftop bar.

There are also plans to upgrade the hotel bedrooms, fully refurbish the ground floor area and remove sections of the mezzanine balcony floor to create a double-height space across the ground floor of the hotel.

The proposed glass extension would create a covered bar at ground floor level, replacing existing external space that is currently used as an extension to the lounge area but can only be used at certain times of the year at present.

The refurbishment will result in a reduction in the total number of hotel rooms from 30 to 24.

According to the planning application, the refurbishment will “bring the offer up to the quality and standard expected for a luxury boutique hotel in Manchester in 2020.

“The hotel is in need of a comprehensive refurbishment to bring the offer up to the quality and standard expected for a luxury boutique hotel in Manchester in 2020 and beyond,” it continues.

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“The existing hotel was opened in 2005, and has not been significantly upgraded since. The proposed development seeks to provide a high quality, ‘5 star’ offer with well curated guest stay and accessible food and beverage offerings.

“The internal refurbishment seeks to provide comfortable and stylish bedrooms and spaces, whilst recognising the materiality, spatial quality and historic integrity of the former school building”.

The beautiful grade two-listed building on the corner of Atherton Street and Great John Street in Castlefield was built in 1910 as Atherton Street County School. It subsequently became part of the Granada Studios TV complex before opening as a hotel in 2005.

It is located within the Castlefield Conservation Area. 

Great John Street was purchased by e-commerce firm The Hut Group together with King Street Townhouse as part of its purchase of Eclectic Hotel Group last May.

Eclectic’s founders, Eamonn and Sally O’Loughlin, continue to own and manage the Didsbury House Hotel and Eleven Didsbury Park, which were not included in the sale.