GMPF forward funds £42m Manchester Airport Premier Inn

The 276-bed hotel will be the brand’s largest in the North of England.

Greater Manchester Pension Fund has agreed to invest £42m to construct the Premier Inn, which is located within the hotel district at MIX Manchester, a 2m sq ft science and innovation campus next to the airport.

The deal comes a matter of weeks after GMPF upped its shareholding in the MIX JV from 10% to 30%.

Manchester City Council, which also holds 30%, Manchester Airports Group, and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International are the other shareholders in the partnership.

BCEGI has also been appointed to build the Premier Inn, which was designed by 5plus Architects.

Work is ongoing and is scheduled to complete by Q2 2028.

Colin Thomasson executive director at CBRE, which managers the GMPF’s property fund, said: “GMPF’s funding of this landmark development at MIX Manchester underlines the fund’s continued commitment to the project.

“This latest arrangement follows the recent increase in GMPF’s shareholding in the joint venture and reflects how the Fund’s local investment strategy is creating tangible benefits across Greater Manchester.”

Jill Anderson, acquisition manager at Whitbread, said: “This new Premier Inn hotel at Manchester Airport is an exceptional one given its size, location, and the collaborative way we worked with MIX Manchester to secure the site and reach this milestone.

“I’m grateful to everyone who has worked tirelessly to get us to this point, and I look forward to seeing the delivery of what will become the largest Premier Inn hotel in the North of England – in a truly exciting location.”

Emily Fleet, development manager for MIX Manchester, said: “Bringing Premier Inn’s largest hotel in the North of England to MIX Manchester – thanks to the funding provided by GMPF – is a major win for Whitbread, our joint venture partners and Manchester Airport. The new hotel joins a strong line-up of brands that deliver market-leading places to stay and will serve our thriving innovation campus long into the future.

“With our public consultation underway to inform the first phase of our development, our plans are gathering pace to deliver MIX Manchester, one of the largest science, innovation and manufacturing campuses in the UK.”