The Vibe: Achingly cool.

The Area: On busy Princess Street in the city centre, over the road from the bars and restaurants in the Gay Village, a couple of minutes’ walk from Chinatown and a five-minute walk from Manchester Art Gallery.

The DNA: Whitworth Locke in Manchester is the most comprehensive realization of aparthotel brand Locke Hotels’ core philosophy: to effortlessly merge the worlds of social, stay, and work. Set across three former Victorian-era export mills, the hotel features maze-like coworking areas, a sleek cocktail bar, a restaurant and a neighborhood coffee shop designed by local studio NoChintz, in addition to 160 studios and one-bedroom suites. As with the brand’s previous hotels, the design was helmed by New York firm Grzywinski+Pons, which gracefully infused a refined simplicity with a delicate palette. “The color choices were both inspired by, and a reaction to, Manchester,” says principal Matthew Grzywinski. “At first glance, it felt like a city of red brick and gray skies, but as one looks deeper, there are quite [a few] colorful pops. The yellow of the Manchester Bee, the pastels of Victorian fenestration, and the tension between those two extremes was quite exciting—like that between the existing fabric of Manchester and the new intervention.”

Suite-Me-Up: Rooms are done out in blush pink with brass finishes on bedside tables, window sills and – showing the attention to detail – coat hangers. They are chic retreats, but it’s not all style over substance, as all have fully-equipped kitchenettes, extremely comfortable king-sized beds, seating and working areas. Size varies, as do the views: over Rochdale Canal, while some in the Johnson Building look out over the glass atrium.

Seen: dezeen, Hospitality Design, Wallpaper*, WeHeart

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 160 studios and 1-bedroom apartments (25-60m2) (269-646 sq ft) • architecture & interior design: Grzywinski+Pons, NoChintz • parking possible nearby (charged) • pets allowed on request • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible