Busy Bees: Here’s What It’s Like Inside Manchester’s Zhuzhed Hotel, The Rex

It’s apt that the worker bee, the symbol of Manchester, is on the outside crest of The Rex hotel. It represents the city’s industrial past and continued growth – and this hotel has been a hive of activity before and since its rebrand. Formerly Hotel Gotham, The Rex is now upping the ante at its 60-room hotel, with an emphasis on good food and, above all, glamour.

There is no beige or dullness in the bedrooms; this is five-star with bells on. Think fur throws on the bed, dark padded headboards and energy shot sachets. There are two huge Bank Manager suites and five Inner Sanctum ones – so named as they have no windows but a huge flatscreen, great for event television or football matches. This is Manchester, after all.

The new name (Latin for king) comes from its location on 100 King Street, one of Manchester’s premier thoroughfares. The theme continues at the Reign restaurant while the Reserve private members’ area, Treasury vaults and Strongroom are a nod to its banking past. The Grade II listed landmark was formerly a Midland Bank. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1928, it was completed between 1933 and 1935 and was a sister bank to what is now The Ned in London.

Wonderfully knowledgeable general manager Jenny Oh tells us the restoration of the building was done in conjunction with English Heritage. And it’s been hugely sensitive; look out for the MB (Midland Bank) logo in the Art Deco railings on the stairs and the huge vault doors in the basement. 

Typewriters used by office workers found in the renovation are now on display in the Reign restaurant. Here they serve a Lutyens’ afternoon tea, from £35, with smoked salmon, mature Cheddar and Branston piccalilli sandwiches as well as scones and a blueberry mirror cheesecake, which was so delicious and shiny on top you could almost see your face in it. The tea menu is superb, too; we sampled a Mattakelle Golden Curls and a Silver Tips white tea. It’s refreshing to see a tea menu that is just as important as the food.

We also dined at Reign in the evening with a £65 five-course tasting menu of umami white onion and miso, plus Argentina prawns, glazed Daikon (like an Asian radish), lamb cannon and a fabulous mousse. All were washed down with a Riesling, Pinot Noir and Portillo Malbec. Unlike some tasting menus, which leave you feeling sluggish, everything here was innovative and exciting. 

The menu changes every three months, and Chef Bartosz Szynaka works with local suppliers to get the best produce. The hotel has already achieved a Green Tourism Gold award for its use of LED light bulbs, low flow showerheads and recycling programmes.

As this is Manchester, guests can be anyone from celebrities to footballers, businesspeople to wedding parties; the hotel has a host of areas to accommodate all. The Treasury in the former vaults has its own bar area and can be hired exclusively. Check out its original Art Deco tiles, too.

We retired to the Strongroom event space for a gin tasting with North Uist Distillery, which is stocked in The Rex. This B corp certified company has some of the nicest gins I’ve tasted, including a traditional Scottish Dry gin, pink gin and sloe and bramble.

Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat is housed in the same building as The Rex and Jenny tells us there is a real reciprocal arrangement with their neighbours. The hotel is in a fantastic location, just ten minutes’ walk from Piccadilly station and the same amount to Spinningfields where you can find Sexy Fish and Hawksmoor.

Ditto to the more arty Northern Quarter and places like Mackie Mayor with loads of independent food stalls. Around the corner on King Street, we browsed the shops including Belstaff, Loake shoemakers and the beautifully titled bookshop and cafe House of Books and Friends. 

Shopping done, back at the hotel, we retreated to Reserve on the rooftop for a sundowner. Open to private members and hotel guests, Reserve has three independent areas each with its own outdoor terrace. We sipped on an off-menu white Negroni and the most delicious whipped feta with honey. Those bees have been busy again…

C&TH Key Notes

—Push the boat out… And book one of the two Bank Manager’s suites. As their name suggests, they were once used by Midland Bank staff and have huge windows, a free-standing roll top bath, walk-in shower and an Emperor-sized bed.

—You must try… The homemade focaccia, beef croquettes and salt and pepper chicken on the small plates menu at Reserve. Simply sublime.

—Bag a seat… At one of Reserve’s rooftop terraces. They give a wonderful view over the city with its mix of old and new buildings and Gothic spires. On a good day you can even see the Pennines in the distance.

The Last Word

With its blend of history and glamour, The Rex is really making its mark on Manchester. A great spot to shop and drop.

BOOK

Nightly rates at The Rex start from £179 on a B&B basis. rexhotel.co.uk