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Home  >  Kimpton • News  >  Manchester’s Principal Hotel Rebranded Kimpton Clocktower
KimptonNews

Manchester’s Principal Hotel Rebranded Kimpton Clocktower

Kyle Stewart Posted onDecember 8, 2019September 13, 2021 2 Comments

We know Manchester (we lived there for several years) and love The Principal hotel. IHG acquired it (along with 13 others) last year in an effort to bolster the Kimpton brand. In January, the Kimpton Clocktower will launch where service and style excels.


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IHG Purchased Starwood Capital Group Hotels, The Principal Rebrands

In May 2018, IHG purchased a boutique brand of 14 luxury hotels owned by Starwood Capital Group. That’s not to be confused with Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG); the SPG hotel business was famously merged with Marriott to create the least desirable loyalty program name ever.

Kimpton Clocktower lobby
Kimpton Clocktower lobby

The Starwood Capital Group’s Principal brand spread its properties throughout the UK. Some were thought to eventually transition to Intercontinental hotels or Kimpton. About 18 months after joining IHG, The Principal Manchester will become the Kimpton Clocktower.

Kimpton suite bedroom
Kimpton suite bedroom
Kimpton living room
Kimpton living room

As with most of the Kimpton properties, Clocktower leans on its historical heritage as one of the most iconic buildings in Manchester. Kimpton Clocktower should be a lasting name for the property, its third in 26 months after being originally converted to the Palace hotel in 1996.

Kimpton suite bathroom
Kimpton suite bathroom

Service Shines

As with our previous experiences at the property, the service was absolutely extraordinary. We were welcomed with my Spire status and given an upgrade to a suite.

One of the things I really appreciate about Kimpton is their personal attention to detail. They work to get to know their guests and they did so last year and remembered us this year. Most of all, they remembered Lucy and that made all the difference to us. They had left some coloring books in the room and a child’s robe. She loved it so much that Mohammed decided to gift it to her. The brand empowers employees to spoil guests on occasion, something every customer service company should.

Coloring books for Lucy
Coloring books for Lucy
Christmas themed rubber ducks
Christmas themed rubber ducks
Lucy loved this robe
Lucy loved this robe

If You Haven’t Visited Manchester, GO!

Every year we return to Manchester around Thanksgiving for the Christmas Markets but the city just keeps getting better. This year we found they’ve added a Michelin-starred restaurant in addition to the many food markets around the city. We also love Noho, Cooper Hall, Dusk ‘Til Pawn, and Wood and Co. (the latter two are modern speakeasies) though we are certainly biased.

Ever gray, always wonderful
Ever gray, always wonderful

If you haven’t been to Manchester (we hadn’t before we moved there) it really should make your list. We find it’s easier to go in late November as the city is lit up for the holidays than try to plan for the week of summer.

Conclusion

The Kimpton Clocktower is a great property that builds on their culture of personality and customer service. It’s our favorite property in the city, the most luxurious by far, and that comes not from casual visitors rather from former residents. If you have the opportunity to visit, please do so and when you do, I recommend the Kimpton Clocktower.

Have you stayed here? Have you been to Manchester? What do you think? 

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About Author

Kyle Stewart

Kyle is a freelance travel writer with contributions to Time, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Yahoo!, Reuters, Huffington Post, MapHappy, Live And Lets Fly and many other media outlets. He is also co-founder of Scottandthomas.com, a travel agency that delivers "Travel Personalized." He focuses on using miles and points to provide a premium experience for his wife and daughter. Email: sherpa@thetripsherpa.com

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2 Comments

  1. Scott Schultz Reply
    December 9, 2019 at 6:43 am

    My wife is from Blackpool and we used to love going to Manchester in the winter for the Xmas markets. Living in the US at the moment, we won’t get over there this year. We are working on getting my wife her green card and she can’t leave the country until she gets her travel waiver. There’s always next year…..

  2. Paolo Reply
    December 10, 2019 at 4:27 am

    Manchester has the best chip butties (..maybe not served in this joint)…ultimate comfort food.

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