Barry Sternlicht's Treehouse brand to open second UK property in Manchester

SH Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to open its award-winning Treehouse Hotel in Manchester, the brand’s second UK location, in 2023.

Owned by a controlled affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, Treehouse Hotel Manchester is being developed in partnership with Property Alliance Group and will mark the first phase of a £200m redevelopment of the former Renaissance Hotel on Deansgate.

Located in the city centre, the 216-key hotel is being designed in collaboration with UK-based 93ft to restore the building, incorporating an organic aesthetic to create a comfortable oasis and playful rooms encouraging its guests to relax and enjoy.

Guests will enter the property beneath a treehouse canopy and be drawn down a path with an abundance of dappled light and the natural scent of pitch pine, reminiscent of entering a secret forest. Thoughtful design details will allow travellers to share ideas, stories, and connect with the local community including hopscotch carpets; stepping-stones in lift lobbies; custom-designed space hoppers in the hotel gym, and an invitation for visitors to carve their stories into a central living wooden art piece that will grow over time.

Treehouse Hotel Manchester will also introduce a number of unique new dining experiences to the area, including a top floor restaurant and bar with uninterrupted views of the city, and a crowning rooftop venue.

“I’m really excited to launch our second Treehouse Hotel in the UK,” says Starwood Capital Group Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht. “Manchester is as much a destination for travellers as a gathering place for its energetic local community. Our Treehouse will introduce a new execution of fun and witty, and provide an imaginative hospitality experience. As a sustainable brand, we will reuse and repurpose the existing building. We are thrilled to set roots in the city of Manchester.”

True to the mission of its sister brand 1 Hotels, Treehouse Hotels is rooted in sustainability. The Manchester project will bring new life to the building, incorporating energy and carbon savings along with extensive use of reclaimed and recycled materials in the construction of the building and furniture.

The hotel will also promote biophilia through the introduction of roof gardens, living green walls and a kitchen garden harvesting rainwater, with honey produced by the hotel’s own rooftop apiary. Meanwhile, the building façade will feature local artists’ murals as an homage to the city and community.