Boutique airport hotel completes at MIX MANCHESTER

Construction has completed on a new £54 million hotel at MIX MANCHESTER, the science, innovation and manufacturing campus being developed at Manchester Airport.

Built by GMI Construction and designed by KPP Architects, Dakota occupies a prominent position overlooking the scheme, set to be first of its kind in based at a UK airport.

Now open to guests, the boutique hotel is projected to inject approximately £15 million per annum into the local economy, creating 150 jobs for local people.

Dakota offers 154 beautifully designed bedrooms, ranging from Classic and Garden Kings and Family Rooms through to Junior and Signature Suites. On the ground floor, guests will find The Bar, with its American-style countertop bar forming the focal point of the space, alongside The Grill, the hotel’s signature on-site restaurant. In addition, the hotel offers 130 car parking spaces with valet parking and a premium chauffeur-driven airport transfer service to and from Manchester Airport for its guests.

The opening marks Dakota’s second Manchester location, following the launch of its city centre hotel in 2019, and is the group’s first and only airport hotel. It forms part of ambitious growth plans for the brand over the coming years, with projects underway or in planning in York and Edinburgh city centre.

Matt Townley, Group Operations Director at Dakota Hotels Ltd, commented:

“Dakota at MIX MANCHESTER will be our guests’ destination before their destination. The standard of accommodation is exceptional, whether guests book a Classic King Room or choose one of Junior or Signature Suites. The feedback we’ve had during our soft launch has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re thrilled to be opening our doors to our discerning guests.”

The announcement comes after MIX MANCHESTER submitted a detailed planning application in the spring of this year for the first phase of the scheme, which comprises 70,000 sq. ft mid-tech facilities along with a new mobility hub and public realm.

The planning application also seeks permission for up to 500,000 sq. ft of medium and large-scale advanced manufacturing space and 600,000 sq. ft of R&D, office, lab and hotel uses.

MIX MANCHESTER is expected to create up to 8,000 jobs for the region across the 60-acre site capable of two million sq. ft of employment space.

Chris Rumsey, Property Development Director at MIX MANCHESTER, said:

“Dakota’s opening signifies a key milestone in the delivery of MIX MANCHESTER, expanding its world-class amenities. With planning in for the first phase, strong interest in the mid-tech units and £30million of joint venture capital already invested in highways and utilities infrastructure, we’re building huge momentum and are looking forward to creating an innovation hub which will bring economic and social benefits to the surrounding area.”

MIX MANCHESTER is being developed in collaboration by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), Manchester City Council (MCC), Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), and Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG).