The Mercure Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester has closed its doors to the public for the next six months, with the landmark building overlooking Piccadilly Gardens now unavailable to book during the festive period.
The hotel, located within the brutalist Piccadilly Plaza development, shut last week. Its main entrance has been covered with posters for Ultimate Group, a hospitality fit-out company understood to be undertaking the refurbishment inside.
Refurbishment Timeline and Statements
Accor, the owner of the Mercure brand, confirmed on its official accounts that the hotel is closed for refurbishment. A statement said: "Please note: Hotel bedrooms are currently closed for refurbishment and will reopen in early April 2027. The hotel will close fully from 11 October 2026."
The hotel's website offers a slightly earlier timeline, stating: "Please be advised that our hotel bedrooms are currently closed due to refurbishment and will remain closed until early February 2027. The whole hotel, including our conference facilities, will close from 11 October 2026 until early February 2027." It added: "We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming guests back once the refurbishment is complete." The statement was signed by the "Mercure Manchester Hotel Team."
History and Potential Rebrand
The hotel first opened as the five-star Hotel Piccadilly in the 1960s, hosting visiting superstars and renowned for glitzy events in its grand ballroom. Over the years, it has rebranded as the Ramada Piccadilly, the Jarvis Piccadilly, and currently the Mercure Piccadilly Hotel.
With 208 bedrooms across eight floors, it is one of Manchester's biggest hotels, uniquely situated atop Piccadilly Plaza above the bus station and tram stop. It is not yet known if the hotel will reopen as the Mercure Piccadilly or if plans submitted last year to rebrand as Lyf, a new-to-the-UK hotel brand, will come to fruition.
Planning Application and Future Plans
Venus Hotels Ltd, which has operated the Mercure brand at the site for over a decade, submitted an application to Manchester Council last year. The company has a long lease agreement with Schroders, the landlord of the wider City Tower asset.
On its company website, Lyf (pronounced life) is described as "an experience-led social living for digital nomads, technopreneurs, creatives and self-starters to 'live your freedom' in a dynamic environment." It continues: "The rooms, social spaces and experiential programmes at lyf properties are designed to connect like minds and create communities."
The application wrote of "extensive plans in place for full internal refurbishments to create an interiors-led and sophisticated hotel for next-generation travellers, which aligns with the hotel's brand and the local context of Manchester." It also stated: "The current brand (Mercure) is proposed to be replaced with a new provider 'Lyf' which operates as high-end, premium hotel accommodation for youthful travellers, seeking a place to socialise and network. The Lyf brand seeks to make a strong impression to the hotel market in Manchester by selecting central locations, within close proximity to shops and dining to attract modern and lively visitors."
The planning application was for new digital signs with the "Lyf" logo at the main entrance, approved by the council last year, though the hotel has remained as Mercure Piccadilly since. The MEN has approached the hotel for further comment on the refurbishment plans.
