An AC Hotel Design Review 🛋️ + A Power 🆙
image peakd
Last night I mentioned my trip home—Boston to London to Manchester—was finally moving along, but honestly, staying one more night was the right call. I needed a break to catch up on @creativeworkhour stuff, handle both of my Discord servers, and do some posting on Hive. Plus, let’s be real, I wanted a good meal and a glass of wine, and someone at the hotel to serve it up right.
So, I landed at the AC Hotel - Manchester City Centre, right on 15 Mason Street. AC Hotels always have this 4.5-star boutique vibe, but what’s wild is there are about 160 of them, mostly scattered across Spain where they started out. Each hotel feels different—no cookie-cutter designs here—but they all lean into bold architecture.
Funny thing, the brains behind AC Hotels is Antonio Catalán, a hotelier and entrepreneur, not an architect. Still, you can tell design runs in his blood. Every AC Hotel feels intentional, like it’s trying to give you a unique experience no matter where you are.
image peakd
Okay, so picture this—the lobby catches your eye right away when you walk in. It’s set up with a workstation and a library to the left. The reception desk is straight ahead, but honestly, it’s not the star of the show. The real welcome comes from the bar and restaurant—it’s warm, inviting, totally sets the mood.
I snapped a bunch of photos, but this one’s my favorite. The chairs practically say, “Hey, you matter—even if you’re just waiting for a sec.” There’s a wall of wine stacked up, and space for more, plus seven different light sources that somehow make everyone look a little more glamorous. There’s a lot going on at the entrance to Tapas La Casa, their in-house dining spot.
image peakd
It’s All In the Lighting
You can see four of the light sources in the photo, and they really know how to set the mood.
Let me walk you through it, starting from the ground up.
Light Source 1
Check out the glow under those long banquettes by the windows. That’s the base lighting—just a soft wash along the floor.
Light Source 2
Behind the banquettes, you’ll notice these massive lamps—like, surprisingly big. If you’re sitting there, you get this soft, halo-like light. Feels special.
Light Source 3
Look to the left side of the room. There’s this high-backed chair that’s basically begging you to stop for a drink. Sit there and glance up—you’ll spot one of these huge cantilevered lamps hanging above.
Light Source 4
And here’s my favorite part. This is a tapas restaurant inside a hotel that’s got a real Mies van der Rohe vibe. I’m an architectural designer, but even I missed this detail until I was editing the photos. Take a close look at the bull sculpture—see those sharp, angled hind legs? Now look up at the ceiling lights. Same angles, echoed in the design above. Such a clever touch.
Who says design can’t be playful?
I love working on restaurants and hotels. Desire drives the whole process, and nothing stirs that up like a beautiful space that makes you feel like a star. Even though I just arrived and the place was empty, I caught myself feeling a little more glamorous.
Finally, I settled into my seat for the night. If you check out the third photo from the top, you can see how the designers played with scale—big space, but they carved out this cozy corner with just the right mix of hard and soft, smooth and rough, matte and shiny finishes. I’m claiming the best seat in the house—el mejor lugar de la casa.
Thanks for stopping by and letting me take you on this little tour. Hope you could picture yourself there with me. Honestly, I wish you were, because I’m all about Hive meetups. In fact, I’ve got a small one coming up this weekend. I’ll share more soon.
For now, I’m signing off with my 21 Power Up for January 21.
Much love! 🥰