Planning permission is now granted for a second Zedwell hotel in Manchester city centre, marking a significant milestone in Criterion Capital’s ongoing investment in the city and its wider programme of adaptive-reuse regeneration projects, delivering affordable, centrally located accommodation to Manchester.
The new hotel will be delivered within Church House at 90 Deansgate, a prominent corner building at the junction of Deansgate and St Mary’s Street. The scheme will sensitively refurbish and revitalise the non-designated heritage asset, retaining its historic character while introducing 157 beds for travellers seeking an affordable and convenient place to stay. Designed by Buttress Architects, the scheme carefully balances heritage preservation with contemporary functionality.
A key component of the proposal is the retention of the existing ground-floor commercial units wherever possible, ensuring the building continues to contribute to an active streetscape and the wider mix of retail, leisure and hospitality uses in the city centre. The hotel’s reception will sit at basement level to preserve the commercial activity at street level.
The development forms part of Criterion Capital’s reuse-first strategy to reinvigorate underutilised buildings through sustainable design and high-quality regeneration. The company is continuing to grow its Zedwell brand across major UK cities, with 9,000 current and pipeline hotel rooms committed by 2028, located in central destinations including Manchester and Edinburgh. Zedwell hotels are designed to offer simplicity, value and ease for guests. Its signature ‘cocoons’ provide a comfortable environment featuring soundproofed walls, purified air, body-cushioning mattresses and ambient lighting, giving travellers a calm and practical base from which to explore the city. Recently, Criterion Capital also launched a new capsule concept, opening the world’s largest capsule hotel at its London Pavilion site on Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London’s West End, featuring almost 1,000 beds, further pioneering innovative, city-centre accommodation.
Gavin Sorby, Buttress Managing Director, commented:
“A city that has two Premier League sides and can fill a football stadium on a wet Wednesday evening for a concert, needs a broad hotel offer with enough rooms to satisfy the need. This latest scheme represents Criterion Capital’s second Zedwell hotel in the city with which we’re involved and we’re pleased to be able to bring this versatile hotel offering to Manchester.”
Jay Patel, director of planning at Savills in Manchester
“With the regeneration that Manchester has undergone and continues to undergo, its appeal as a leisure destination for sports, arts, entertainment and culture has grown too. The securing of this planning permission for the latest Zedwell hotel will provide much needed – and a different type of – accommodation for this burgeoning interest in Manchester as a tourist destination that competes with other great European cities. We worked with extensively with council officers before the application was submitted to ensure it would be a smooth formal planning process.”
Halima Aziz, Head of Hotels at Criterion Hospitality, said:
“Church House embodies everything we stand for – adaptive reuse, thoughtful regeneration and a commitment to enhancing the places in which we invest. This transformation respects the heritage of Deansgate while delivering a modern, affordable hotel experience in a key city-centre location. As we continue our strategic expansion beyond London, Manchester represents an exciting milestone for our growing portfolio. As the UK’s third-largest city and a major tourist hotspot, it offers the perfect environment for Zedwell. We are delighted to be investing here and look forward to contributing to the visitor economy of this dynamic city.”
Criterion Capital’s new Zedwell at Church House represents another significant investment in Manchester’s hospitality sector, strengthening the city’s position as one of Europe’s leading visitor destinations.
Gavin Sorby
Gavin is managing director at Buttress with experience in various sectors across the practice, with a specific focus on commercial projects.
Tammy Welz
Tammy brings a passion for well-executed, beautiful and practical design to each project she is involved in, from hotel developments to city centre apartment schemes.
Prior to joining Buttress, Tammy spent three years in South Africa, where she worked for a practice that specialised in luxury family homes – an experience to which she credits her interest in the cultural and environmental influences on design outcomes.