Latin-American hostel start-up, Selina has opened its first UK hotel in Manchester, Selina NQ1 Manchester in the heart of the city’s lively Northern Quarter.
Selina, which was formed by Israeli entrepreneurs Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski, is planning three more UK sites in Liverpool and Birmingham, and Selina Manchester NQ2.
The new Manchester hotel features a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, Irish pub and a basement club, along with 37 uniquely designed private bedrooms, suites and shared rooms.
Selina’s Head of Country UK, Erwin de Jong Oliveira said, “Being able to bring Selina to Manchester is such an exciting opportunity, we wanted to blend Selina’s Latin American roots with the rich history of Manchester to infuse the aesthetics together and provide a hub for digital nomads around the world.”
With 132 beds in total in a range of categories, including airy lofts, suites, standard and micro-sized double rooms and community shared rooms for between three to eight guests, including a female-only option .
With social spaces at the heart of each of its properties, Selina will be hosting specially curated weekly programming including electrifying music performances, engaging workshops and unique pop-ups throughout the year.
The first restaurant to open on-site will be Wilson’s Social, named after British record label owner Tony Wilson, fondly known as ‘Mr. Manchester’. The venue celebrates the Northern Quarter’s vibrant music scene, combining it with Selina’s exciting international menu.
Dishes range from Agave & Jalapeno Glazed Chicken Wings to Black Pepper Tofu with marinated watermelon and cucumber, as well as Lemon and Saffron Chicken Kebab Flatbreads and Pan-Fried Sea Bass Fillets with whipped avocado.
Guests can expect world-inspired breakfast and brunch dishes each weekday and weekend morning, with options such as spicy Shakshuka, Huevos Rancheros and Sautéed Mushrooms with true salsa, truffle and egg on toast sitting alongside the ever-popular Smashed Avocado on Sourdough and Selina’s World Famous Banana Bread with crème fraiche, cinnamon syrup, blueberries & mint.
Also opening is Selina’s grab and go coffee shop for time-poor guests and locals alike, with three more social spaces set to launch this autumn. These include a high- end cocktail bar with weekly music performances, a late-night basement electric club and the reopening of the popular Corner Boy, a traditional Irish American pub that will continue to host Irish music nights and live acoustic bands.
True to Selina’s community ethos and in-keeping with Manchester’s reputation as the second-largest silicone suburb in the UK after London, Selina NQ1 Manchester will also be launching a co-working space later this summer to support local enterprise and embrace the city’s freelancers, along with international guests.
The company currently has 46 locations in 13 countries in Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean, combining affordable accommodation, co-working spaces, fine dining, wellness, volunteering initiatives, entertainment, travel, and adventure.
Selina has raised $225m to date with investors that include Dubai investment firm Abraaj Group, and fellow Israeli Adam Neumann, the co-founder and CEO of co-working space giant WeWork.
