According to sources close to the project, the five-star brand W Hotels is nearing an agreement to open at Gary Neville’s St Michael’s scheme.

W Hotels, a part of Marriott Group, is said to be considering the high-profile Manchester project for its third UK location.

The 191-bedroom hotel would be housed within the 40-story tower element of St Michael’s, which is being built in collaboration with Salboy and Gary Neville’s development company, Relentless.

Around 180 apartments would also be part of this portion of the plan, which Hodder + Partners designed.

Last year, main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland began construction on the first phase, which includes 185,000 sq ft of offices and a rooftop restaurant.

The first phase, which Relentless is delivering in collaboration with KKR, is scheduled to be finished in 2024.

If the deal goes through, Manchester will join a long list of cities that already have a W Hotel, which includes New York, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Istanbul, Osaka, and Kuala Lumpur, among others. 

W’s Manchester hotel would come more than a decade after the brand opened its first UK location in Leicester Square in London, while a W Hotel in Edinburgh is due to launch later this year. 

To address Manchester’s lack of high-end hotel options, the St Michael’s team has sought a five-star hotel operator from the beginning.