History
Towering above the Manchester skyline, with its distinctive clock tower and striking Victorian architecture, The Palace Hotel is a magnificent, terracotta grade 2 listed building steeped in history.
Rewind back to 1890, when the Refuge Assurance Company paid a sum of £21,000 for an 1800 square yard parcel of land at the corner of Oxford Street, and the beginnings of The Palace Hotel was born. Appointing eminent Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse to design a building, which would act as the chief office for the Company, in July 1895 the Refuge Number One building was completed; a building that showcases Waterhouse's most ornately Gothic work, giving it elegance and symmetry. Inside he enhanced the spacious working areas with richly glazed decorative tiles, panelling and plasterwork.
Within ten years Number One building was bursting at the seams. Calling back Waterhouses' son Paul to continue the good work, building Number Two was developed incorporating some spectacular features including the magnificent Cararra marble and bronze staircase and the soaring clock tower standing at two hundred and seventeen feet, one of the cities best known landmarks.
The Refuge finally closed its doors in 1989; Principal Hotels bought Building Number One in 1994 which had 55 bedrooms and over the next few years acquired buildings Two and Three, transforming them into to a 252 bedroom hotel. Fast forward to the present day and The Palace Hotel has now undergone a major £7 Million refurbishment and investment programme to transform it into an upper 4 Star Conference Hotel venue.
An iconic hotel, a spectacular building; the charisma and charm of The Palace Hotel stems from its extensive history and continues to grow and develop, paving the way for an exciting future.