£300m Etihad Stadium redevelopment hits major milestone as 401-room hotel opens its doors

Manchester City's £300 million expansion around the Etihad Stadium has reached another major milestone with a new 401-room hotel officially opening.

The development is transforming the area around the stadium into a much larger sports and entertainment destination.

Radisson Blu Hotel finally opens in Medlock Square

The new hotel opened its doors on Monday, marking a significant step forward in City's Medlock Square development.

The 401-room Radisson Blu Hotel sits adjacent to the Etihad Stadium, backing onto the newly expanded Pep Guardiola Stand and overlooking Co-op Live.

It forms part of the wider £300m entertainment zone being developed around the club's home, with plans also in place for a new 600-capacity entertainment venue after Manchester City Council granted planning permission in June.

Richard Pearson, general manager of The Medlock, told the BBC that the opening marked “the beginning of the story of Medlock Square”, with the hotel now taking centre stage in the expanding development.

The project comes as the wider Etihad Campus continues to grow, with the club having significantly increased its stadium capacity through the North Stand redevelopment while adding more entertainment and hospitality facilities around the ground.

The development is also taking place as City's lease at the Etihad Stadium is reviewed, with the process expected to result in an increase to the annual base fee paid to Manchester City Council.

That figure is currently understood to be between £3m and £4m per year.

FGG says: Etihad Stadium transformation is far more than a football project

The opening of the hotel is another clear sign that City are building something much bigger around the Etihad.

Having accommodation, entertainment and hospitality facilities alongside the stadium should make the campus considerably more useful beyond matchdays.

If Medlock Square develops as planned, the Etihad area could become one of Manchester's major year-round sporting and entertainment destinations, rather than simply somewhere supporters visit for a game.