B&B Hotels is investing in a multimillion-pound refurbishment of its Manchester Sportcity hotel, which has closed until early 2027 with all jobs retained. The shift from floor-by-floor works to a full closure shows how a Paris-based operator is bringing a converted independent hotel up to its UK brand standard.

The investment covers a complete refurbishment of every bedroom and all public areas, with new beds, new furniture and a reimagined ground floor designed to help guests work, meet and recharge. The ground floor will become a gathering space with a new restaurant serving light bites and pizzas throughout the day and evening.

The hotel on Kirkmanshulme Lane, which opened in 2002 and was previously an independent, joined the B&B Hotels portfolio in April as part of the brand’s strategy to expand across prime UK cities. Refurbishment was already under way, and the original plan was to keep the hotel open and upgrade it one floor at a time.

B&B Hotels is a Paris-based group backed by Goldman Sachs, which entered the UK market with a plan to open at least 100 hotels by 2035 through leases with development partners, takeovers and conversions. At the time it reported a global portfolio of more than 650 hotels and 59,000 rooms.

Under the revised plan the hotel closes in full, which the group says lets the work finish more quickly and ensures the reopened property delivers the B&B Hotels UK standard. All team members will be retained through the closure, and guests with existing bookings have been contacted directly.

The structural driver is a switch from phased works to a single closure, speeding delivery of the brand standard on a conversion of a former independent hotel.

“Closing the hotel for a short period means we can complete this refurbishment faster and to the standard our guests expect, rather than doing it floor by floor,” said Dawn Lister, head of UK sales at B&B Hotels UK.

“It was important to us that everyone at the hotel keeps their job while the work is done, and we can’t wait to welcome guests back early next year,” Lister added.

For the sector, the Sportcity programme shows hotel groups choosing full closure over live phased refits when converting independent hotels to a brand standard.

Source: The Business Desk / Trip.com / The Caterer / Insider Media