On the Beach to open digital HQ in Manchester

On the Beach will open a brand new digital headquarters in Manchester in November.

The company says its new HQ will create ‘one of the city’s most exciting new office spaces with a campus style environment, and bringing one of the UK’s largest travel businesses to the city centre’.

The online travel agent will relocate the majority of its business operations to the new premises in the autumn, allowing it to compete with the North West’s leading technology businesses, and attract and retain the very best talent in the region and beyond.

On the Beach has been based at Park Square in Cheadle for the past five years and has signed a 10-year lease for the whole of the Aeroworks building, a former aircraft components factory in Adair Street (M1), totalling 34,507 square feet.

A multi-million pound refit is currently underway, which will create one of the city’s most desirable offices.

The space will feature a 250-seater auditorium and theatre, games room, open plan casual seating and lounge areas, library, music room and beach bar.

Beach styling and furnishings, including hammocks, swing seats and Palapa-shaded tables, will reflect the brand’s holiday focus.  State-of-the-art communication and collaboration technology will also be installed throughout the entire space.

The plans were developed following an extensive employee engagement initiative, which included one-to-one interviews, workshops and online surveys.

The move will provide the space needed for On the Beach to realise its growth plans, and expand its digital teams from 200 to more than 350 employees over the next three to five years focusing on development, design and marketing – as well as product and business analysis.

This will see the business’ workforce as a whole grow to more than 500 employees.

Although the majority of its workforce will relocate to the new building, the Contact Centre will remain at Park Square, which will also undergo major redesign and refit.

CEO Simon Cooper said: "On the Beach is one of the leading technology businesses in the north and the move to Manchester’s city centre – and in close proximity to Piccadilly station – will no doubt allow us to better leverage this position in terms of attracting and retaining the very best talent in the region and beyond.

"The new space and its state-of-the-art facilities have been designed specifically for our employees and shaped by their feedback and will allow us to become more collaborative, increasing our ability to innovate.  We look forward to being at the heart of the Manchester digital business hub."

Simon Cooper founded the business from his house in Macclesfield 14 years ago before relocating to larger premises at Towers Business Park in Didsbury, before relocating to Park Square in 2012.