UK: SACO Property Group, the development arm of SACO The Serviced Apartment Company, has acquired its ninth site as part of the expansion of its Locke concept.
The site, to be known as Whitworth Locke, is the group’s first Locke property in Manchester and will offer 150 units alongside amenities including a gym, multiple independent food and beverage offerings, co-working space and meeting rooms.
The scheme will be located on the site of the former Atrium Serviced Apartments (previously operated by BridgeStreet Worldwide).
The site is located in the heart of Manchester on the corner of Princess Street and Whitworth Street within walking distance of Piccadilly Station.
SACO Property Group will undertake an extensive refurbishment programme to the property, which will have a phased opening, beginning in March 2018 and completing by June 2018.
Since the start of the year, SACO has secured additional development opportunities in London, Cambridge and Dublin, which will double its current stock of 1,000 apartments to more than 2,000 by 2020.
Locke’s second property, Eden Locke, is due to open in Edinburgh in July 2017, offering 72 design led suites, while an additional site in east London has just been submitted for planning. The group is now targeting further acquisitions in Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Dublin and Hamburg, in addition to bolstering its presence in other major UK cities.
Ben Harper, SACO commercial director, said “With the successful launch of our first property behind us, we have been focused on securing sites for the continued expansion of the Locke brand and Manchester was a natural target. We know the city well as we have successfully operated there under the SACO brand for a number of years. This new opening gives us an opportunity to operate aparthotels under both SACO and Locke brands in Manchester, providing increased capacity, choice and relevance for all customer groups.”</p
