Former Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs are best known for their talent on the pitch and prowess in the commentary box – but their latest joint project is a whole new ball game entirely.
The pair are behind the renovation of the old grade II-listed Stock Exchange building in Manchester, which has undergone a £17million refit since they bought it in 2013 for £1.5million along with hotelier Winston Zahra.
Having transformed it into an upmarket, sophisticated hotel complete with a restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Tom Keggidge, Giggs and Neville have now unveiled its crowning glory – a £1,750-a-night penthouse.
Dubbed The House, the luxurious three-bedroom, three-bathroom pad is 3,724 sq ft and boasts panoramic views of the city, a rooftop terrace, a 10-seater glass dining table, a fitness area and its own bar.
Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville’s latest project sees them launch a penthouse apartment at the top of the Manchester Stock Exchange hotel, available to rent for £20,000 a month. Pictured: one of the open plan living areas
The swish pad boasts a modest kitchen and its own bar, with a stocked drinks and snacks cabinet and a service lift for staff to deliver meals without disturbing guests
The dining area boasts a stunning 10-seater glass table and comfortable, modern chairs – perfect for entertaining guests
The ensuite bathroom in the master bedroom is kitted out with two enormous shower heads in a wetroom at the end, as well as a free-standing bath
The sporting duo have swapped the dressing room for dressing rooms, having handpicked elements of the interiors and soft furnishings including the exact shade of teal for the sofa cushions, so it matches the old stock exchange logo.
There are sofas at each end of the expansive open-plan living area and a master ensuite bathroom clad with marble walls and enormous shower heads, as well as a free-standing bath.
It offers in-house dining courtesy of the restaurant, and at the back of the modest kitchen is a service lift, so residents won’t be disturbed by hotel workers laying out their breakfast in the morning.
There is a dishwasher but no ashing machine, as the on site conceirge will wash and dry whatever you need within an hour.
The master bedroom is stylishly decorated, with plush furnishings, a king-size bed, dressing area and a seating area which can be used as a desk
The smart ensuite bedroom is off the master suite, and is certainly spacious, with a double sink and large marble floor tiles
As well as a breakfast bar, there’s also a separate kitchen which comes complete with a brand new Nespresso coffee machine
The elegant home is designed for someone from the world of business, sport or entertainment industry – and Giggs and Neville hope its occupant will take out a year-long tenancy. Pictured: a lounge area
Explaining they wanted the penthouse to feel like a ‘home from home only with better service’, Giggs justified its £20,000-a-month rental by saying it’s the ‘only residential penthouse apartment in Manchester with a five-star service department attached’.
Speaking to the Sunday Times Home, he told how their initial plan for the space was a private member’s club with roll-back glass ceiling, but said there ‘wasn’t much demand’ and ‘it rains a lot in Manchester’.
Instead it’s now an elegant home designed for someone from the world of business, sport or entertainment industry – and they hope its occupant will take out a year-long tenancy.
Its hefty price tag means it costs 20 times as much as the average monthly rent in Manchester, which is £940, and nearly eight times that of central London (£2,660).
Largely you’re paying for the service, which includes the personal conceirge, a stocked drinks and snacks cabinet, a bathrobe, toiletries, a Smart TV, Nespresso machine and – naturally – a Sky Sports package.
The Manchester Stock Exchange building was constructed in 1906 and it traded until 1979, when it was amalgamated into the London Stock Exchange. Afterwards it was used as offices with an Italian restaurant on the old trading floor.
Ryan Giggs (left) and Gary Neville (right) have swapped the dressing room for dressing rooms, having handpicked elements of the interiors and soft furnishings including the exact shade of teal for the sofa cushions, so it matches the old stock exchange logo
Dubbed The House, the luxurious three-bedroom, three-bathroom pad is 3,724 sq ft and boasts panoramic views of the city of Manchester
The fit out was the work of a Turkish interior design studio, Autoban, with Giggs and Neville very much involved in the decisions
According to the Stock Exchange Hotel website, The House ‘provides everything one could need for both short and long term residency, including three meticulously designed bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms’.
‘With its own roof terrace offering views over and across the Manchester skyline, The House is a unique penthouse residence, boasting superlative attention to detail, extensive amenities and spacious facilities,’ it adds.
The fit out was the work of a Turkish interior design studio, Autoban, with Giggs and Neville very much involved in the decisions.
‘We had all the fabric and wallpaper swatches,’ Giggs told ST Home. ‘And we went to the factory in Turkey and watched the furniture being built.’
According to the Stock Exchange Hotel website, The House ‘provides everything one could need for both short and long term residency, including three meticulously designed bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms’
The elegant free-standing bath sits in the middle of the room, which is clad with stylish marble tiles and an expansive sink
Earlier this year we told how a restaurant set up by the Manchester United legends closed after six years following customers moaning it was just like McDonald’s.
Cafe Football in Stratford, East London, was slammed as too expensive, with one punter writing online ‘re-mortgage your property before eating here’ and another saying simply: ‘Never again.’
The restaurant sat less than half a mile from West Ham United’s stadium in an area that was at the centre of the capital’s Olympics regeneration.
Its owners said the closure will allow them to focus on the brand’s hotel chain – but also said they ‘will not be making any changes to what we offer’ in terms of hospitality.