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Malmaison Manchester Deansgate

CLIENT:

Malmaison Hotels

PROJECT LOCATION:

Manchester, North West

PROJECT VALUE:

£540K

ARCHITECT:

N/A

PROJECT MANAGER:

N/A

CONTRACTOR

N/A

Located inside the former Pearl Assurance building, Malmaison Manchester Deansgate is a stylish 70-room hotel that brings bold interiors and boutique luxury to the heart of the city. Vision was appointed to design, supply, and install the kitchens and bar areas across the site, from the ground-floor restaurant and bar, to basement stores, to the striking rooftop restaurant, Sora.

This project followed our work at Malmaison York and marked the continuation of a 20-year client relationship. It brought unique challenges, from city-centre logistics to complex layouts across multiple floors — and required innovative solutions to maximise space, flow, and functionality.

Designing for Complexity Across Three Floors

The hotel’s layout spans the basement, ground floor, and 7th floor rooftop, with each zone presenting its own constraints. The ground-floor bar was shaped like a rugby ball with no straight edges, requiring tailored fabrication and precise on-site adjustment to ensure a perfect fit. Meanwhile, the rooftop Sora kitchen needed careful integration of back-of-house functions to serve a high-volume restaurant while keeping the kitchen footprint compact. Challenges included:

  • Navigating a building originally designed as an office block, with no natural kitchen ventilation paths

  • Working around structural columns added during refurbishment

  • Ensuring seamless flow between back-of-house prep areas in the basement and the Sora kitchen on the top floor

  • Mitigating noise pollution by relocating cold room condensers from the roof to internal bin stores

  • Using Revit 3D walkthroughs to visualise and align with interior designers, architects, and contractors

The final kitchen and bar designs maximised both aesthetic impact and operational efficiency, maintaining Malmaison’s high design standards throughout.

Bespoke Equipment, Tight Footprints

The client brief called for a visually impressive, energy-efficient, and operationally high-performing kitchen and bar setup, with equipment selections guided by performance at Malmaison York.

Vision sourced and installed:

  • A bespoke cooking suite tailored to a compact kitchen

  • Energy-efficient warewashing and induction cooking equipment

  • Custom stainless steel fabrication throughout

  • Specialist units for the bar, including coffee machines, beer cellar kit, and grease management solutions

Despite the tight footprints, especially in the main kitchen, every item was selected to enhance staff workflow, simplify maintenance, and reflect Malmaison's evolving focus on sustainability.

The installation phase was phased in line with construction progress, coordinated to minimise delays and waste. Logistics were carefully planned around city-centre access constraints, with early morning deliveries using a 7.5-tonne vehicle and a dedicated delivery route.

Smooth Handover, Ongoing Partnership

Vision maintained close collaboration with Malmaison and the wider project team throughout — from initial 3D walkthroughs to final sign-off.

To support handover and ongoing operations:

  • We delivered comprehensive training on key equipment, including dishwashers, coffee machines, and grease shields

  • Supplied full documentation packs including O&M manuals and preventative maintenance schedules

  • Continued post-handover support via our service contract, including both PPM and ad hoc visits

  • Quickly resolved site-specific installation challenges in person, avoiding unnecessary delays

This project extended our 20+ year partnership with Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, demonstrating Vision’s ability to deliver smart, design-led commercial kitchens and bars in even the most challenging urban environments.

Testimonial

“We are pleased with the service and expertise provided by Vision. Throughout the process, they exceeded our expectations in bringing the Bar & Grill and Sora to life. Their attention to detail, professionalism, and commitment to customer satisfaction set them apart. The team listened carefully to our needs and ideas, creating a custom design that perfectly suited our space. Despite the typical challenges of any project, they were resolved promptly through collaboration with our team, the contractor, and subcontractors on site. We confidently recommend Vision for designing, installing, or transforming commercial kitchens, as our ongoing partnership with Vision has consistently met our expectations."

Jonathan Livesey, Development Director at Malmaison and Hotel du Vin

Testimonial

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