Kuits helps herald next phase for new Manchester hotel

Commercial law firm Kuits has helped drive forward the next phase of development for Manchester’s new Moxy Hotel by obtaining the licence required for its launch in the city.

Developed by independent hotel operator KE Hotels, the 145-bedroom hotel will sit on the edge of Spinningfields on Atkinson Street, on the site of a former Victorian hat factory previously known as Invicta House.

The Moxy brand was launched in 2016 by Marriott in Milan and is described as “a millennial-focused boutique concept” designed for “fun-hunter travellers”. It debuted in the UK in December 2016 at Aberdeen International Airport and already has 12 venues across the country.

This will be the first Moxy-branded hotel in Manchester and, together with an existing hotel in Chester and plans already underway for a Liverpool offering, will form part of a magic triangle for the brand in the North West.

Kuits has a strong reputation nationally in the leisure, hotels and hospitality sector, with a client portfolio that includes brewery and pub chain BrewDog, Everyman Cinemas, and international boutique fitness brand Trib3.

Licensing associate Rebecca Ingram, who has been advising KE Hotels on Moxy’s licensing strategy, said: “In what has been a competitive and – more recently – difficult market for the hotels industry, Moxy is cutting through the noise and paving the way for success with a clear brand proposition and strong recognition amongst its target market of millennials.

“It has been a delight to work with the management team at KE Hotels and we wish them every success with the site.”

Anil Khanna, director of KE Hotels, said: “We are looking forward to bringing a new brand to Manchester, which we believe will be an exciting addition to a vibrant, expanding city and, with its fabulous location in Spinningfields, will be the perfect location for the business and leisure traveller.”

Development is well underway on the site of Moxy Manchester, with Belfast-based Gilbert-Ash tasked with construction of the new boutique hotel. Central to the building’s redevelopment is the preservation of the listed Victorian façade; a steel frame has been erected to protect this piece of Manchester’s industrial heritage.