Criterion lodges plans for second Manchester Zedwell hotel

Billionaire landlord Asif Aziz wants to convert Church House on Deansgate into a 157-room hotel, building on proposals for a 187-room venue on the edge of Piccadilly Gardens.

Criterion Capital has submitted an application to to Manchester City Council to transform the vacant workspace on the upper floors of Church House into a Zedwell hotel.

The scheme would feature 118 double rooms across the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth floors. The fifth floor would also feature 32 capsules, a “privacy-focussed offering for the hostel market”, according to plans.

The reception will be located in the basement. Ground floor tenants including Stitches and Gaucho will remain, while unleased space such as the vacant former Bella Italia, will be let out.

The plans follow Criterion’s acquisition of the building from Novo last year. The office space was most recently occupied by The Diocese of Manchester.

To learn more, search for reference number 144036/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.

Buttress Architects is leading on design and Savills is advising on planning.

Criterion anticipates opening its first non-London Zedwell at Royal Buildings on the edge of Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester in 2027.

Zedwell’s second Manchester hotel is part of the brand’s larger expansion, with plans to bring the total number of hotels in its portfolio to 12. The existing four Zedwells are all based in London.