Contractor Russell WBHO has handed over Manchester city centre's newest hotel to its operator - and hailed its staff for getting the project done on time despite the "unexpected curveball" of the Covid crisis.
The 187-week demolition and construction programme is now complete, meaning the 329-bedroom Clayton Hotel in Portland Street is now being prepared for opening in January by Dalata Hotel Group.
The 18-storey building will be the first Clayton Hotel in Manchester city centre. It replaces a 12-storey office block and was built using pre-cast panels assembled off-site and installed with a centrally positioned tower crane.
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The scheme was developed by Property Alliance Group, funded by Aviva.
Gareth Russell, joint managing director of Russell WBHO, said : “The successful delivery of this £45m scheme on time and on budget, despite the challenges of the busy city centre site and the unexpected curveball thrown by Covid, is something the whole project team should be proud of.”
Will Clark from Property Alliance Group said: “The project team has done a sterling job delivering the building before Christmas as planned and the building looks absolutely fantastic.
"We knew the site would be the perfect location for a hotel of this calibre and it will, I’ve no doubt, become an incredibly popular choice for Manchester visitors.”
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Henry Riley acted as the employers agent for the project. It was designed by Stephenson Studio, with Leach Rhodes Walker as delivery architect. The building services design is from Ridge and Partners and A & B Engineering, while WSP is responsible for the structural design.
Paul Maloney, development construction manager from Dalata, said: “The new Clayton Manchester is an exceptional addition to our portfolio.
"We hope that our guests will love the impressive welcome of the triple height atrium, the contemporary design of the building and its rooms, the variety of amenities and the high specification finish evident throughout.
“The care and attention to detail of the design and construction teams has been second to none and their ability to deliver on programme considering everything that has happened over the last two years is nothing short of remarkable.”