Travelodge plots Piccadilly Gardens expansion
Hotel operator Travelodge is planning to expand its Piccadilly site by extending into the upper floors of the neighbouring building at 33-35 Piccadilly Gardens, formerly home to a Natwest branch.
Travelodge opened its 157-room site at 19-31 Piccadilly in 2014, following a £20m redevelopment of the building by former owner Associated Property Investors.
Developer Trafalgar Leisure has now submitted a planning application to change the upper floors of the neighbouring building, which have been largely empty for two years, into hotel space.
The developer is proposing to knock through existing party walls to extend its hotel space into the first to third floors of 33-35, and build a two-storey, steel-framed rooftop extension to increase the building’s height to five storeys. The extension will only be visible from the building’s rear at Back Piccadilly.
The ground, mezzanine and basement levels will be converted to house a restaurant. Two Natwest cash machines at street level will be retained as part of the proposals, but the building’s existing stone plinths facing Piccadilly Gardens will be reduced in height.
According to planning documents, Travelodge wants to extend its hotel into the neighbouring building owing to high demand at the current site.
As well as Travelodge’s current hotel, the building at 19-31 is home to a 5,000 sq ft Nandos, a 5,000 sq ft Morrisons, and a 6,750 sq ft Zizzi at ground floor level.
Sounds like a sensible idea and at lease the building will be well maintained
By Steve
Shame this area is not upmarket enough to house a better class of hotel. Such a square, in any other major city would have, some class. Most of us try to avoid this area like the plague.
By Schwyz
It’s the busiest part of town, not that you’d know. There are travelodges in every city. I’ve stayed in some good ones in Central London,
By Lee
There are some lovely buildings on that side of Piccadilly. Such a shame most of them are filthy and full of poor quality shops. Schwyz is right. As Manchester hits the Big time. This dump is the first impression visitors get of it.
By Elephant
Hopefully these visitors have been to other cities so they’ll know that everywhere has shops. As for filthy, which ones would these be?
By Lee
Everywhere has shops but not everywhere has a trail of people sleeping under blankets in the doorways of them.If you don’t think the place is filthy I suggest you stand at the 192 bus stop and open your eyes.The place is the shame of Manchester.In fact it is the shame of this country.That walk down from Piccadilly railway station to Debenhams is the worst walk in Western Europe.
By Elephant
You’re changing your story now Elephant, I’m far better traveled than yourself, and you didn’t answer my question , unsurprisingly.
By Lee
I’ve seen people sleeping under blankets in Hamburg, in London and elsewhere. Where are these poor quality shops that don’t exist elsewhere?
By Lee
5 years in the Merchant navy suggests otherwise Lee.I did not say that there were not poor quality shops elsewhere.Two wrongs don’t make a right.The place is a dump.If you think that the stretch of shops between Piccadilly station and Debenhams is a sight to behold.I dread to think where you have travelled.As someone who has been everywhere from Cape Town to Anchorage I can assure you Piccadilly gardens and its surrounds are a disgrace.They have been a disgrace for the last 30 years at least.
By Elephant
We need to imprison the druggies like they do in Canada and Australia, it’s no wonder those countries are considered the best and we are considered the worst. Too much sympathy for these scruffs in Manchester, too many idiot Corbynites.
By Tax payer