Former Manchester Arora Hotel rebranded as part of £1.5m development

1024 683 Katy Phillips
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Located in the city centre, the former Arora Hotel is undergoing a complete refurbishment and relaunch as part of a £1.5 million development.

The hotel will be rebranded as the Princess St. Hotel, having been purchased by Aspen Hotels in 2013. The four-star hotel has had its lobby and public areas refurbished along with the introduction of a speciality coffee shop called LAWN.

The site is now undergoing refurbishment of all 141 bedrooms, with the entire project scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.

Once completed, the Princess St. Hotel will offer a selection of meeting and event spaces, along with refurbished restaurant and bar.

Home Grown Talent

Amardeep Chima, managing director of Aspen Hotels, said: “Manchester has firmly established itself on the map as one of the country’s go-to cities for music, culture and entertainment – it’s proud of its home-grown talent and its hospitality portfolio should reflect its unique personality.

“The Princess St. Hotel does just this by working with up-and-coming local talent, such as the designers for the upholstery and wallpapers and the independent coffee roasters supplying LAWN.

“Transforming the hotel into a boutique offering allows us to stand out from crowd in what can often be a saturated market and give guests – from both the UK and further afield – a more intimate service offering and taste of the surrounding area.”

Concluding, Chima added: “We want to offer guests much more than simply a stay in a city centre hotel – as Manchester has so much to offer, we’re their concierge when it comes to catching the hottest gigs, getting the best cocktails or seeing the most popular art exhibitions.

“We don’t aim to be the coolest or trendiest hotel, nor the most hi-tech; however, we do aim to be guests’ favourite by keeping it simple – the way a hotel should be.”

Katy Phillips / 27.03.2018

Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand. During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.

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Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

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Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher atSPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.
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