James Broadhurst reflects in Property Week on the UK hotel market's direction of travel

Hospitality operator Bob W has agreed a long‑term lease with Bloom Street Hotel to deliver a new 83‑unit aparthotel in Manchester city centre. The scheme will redevelop a former ground‑level car park on Bloom Street.

With a portfolio spanning more than 100 assets and around 7,000 apartment units and hotel rooms across the UK and Europe, Bob W intents to continue expanding through a mix of leases, conversions and new‑build developments.

This deal comes as a positive indicator of where the UK hotels market is heading in 2026. Indeed, the announcement follows a particularly encouraging 2025 for the hotel sector. UK hotel investment reached approximately £5bn and London recorded its strongest transactional year since 2018, with confidence across the sector continuing to grow.

James Broadhurst, Partner in our Corporate team, comments in Property Week:

Private capital remains an active and discerning participant, and the demand outlook, supported by both leisure and corporate travel recovery, continues to provide a sound foundation for that optimism. Against this backdrop, extended-stay and aparthotel formats have emerged as a focal point for investor interest.

The structural shift towards longer-stay, more flexible accommodation is not a passing trend; it reflects a meaningful evolution in how both individuals and organisations approach travel and temporary residence. Deals of this nature are, in that sense, very much in step with where the market is going.

Read the full article in Property Week here.