MANCHESTER, N.H. - Following a multimillion-dollar revitalization project, Manchester’s iconic venue for business travelers, presidential candidates, weddings, conventions and business events opens today as DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. The DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown team, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and representatives from the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce took part in a ceremony today to unveil the new DoubleTree by Hilton sign and introduce the hotel to the community.
Along with renovated guest rooms, a reconfigured lobby and a Hilton Honors Executive Lounge, the new DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown features an entirely reinvented dining destination – The Current Kitchen & Bar. The new restaurant boasts a casual dining experience with upscale creative dishes, including an array of small plates, local craft beer and signature cocktails, all with an emphasis on local products. The revitalization project also entailed expansion of the business center, renovated meeting spaces and a new market featuring beverages and snacks.
“This is a tremendous moment as we formally begin a new era as DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown,” said Kim Roy, general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. “DoubleTree by Hilton prides itself on paying attention to details, large and small, that make a positive impact and impression on our guests, all starting with our signature, warm DoubleTree Cookie at check-in. Our revitalized hotel features across-the-board modernizations and enhancements, along with a fresh and delicious new restaurant concept. We are excited to begin our next chapter in the Queen City and our DoubleTree by Hilton team members are looking forward to continuing our longstanding tradition of community commitment and involvement.”
The 65,000-square-foot, 248-room hotel and conference center, located in the heart of downtown Manchester, opened in 1983, quickly becoming a key attraction in the state’s largest city.
On a scale unlike any other hotel or function space in New Hampshire, DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown will continue to host countless events each year in its ballroom and meeting spaces, which completed a transformation last year. Hotel events include nonprofit functions, local and regional business and trade organization events, weddings and proms, and political events, including functions for candidates in New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary.
“This is a tremendous moment for the city of Manchester as our downtown hotel is formally reintroduced to the community as DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown,” said Joyce Craig, mayor, Manchester, New Hampshire. “This is an exciting evolution for a downtown Queen City institution that has always embraced our community and city’s rich history, while serving as an important economic hub for the region. The future is bright for Manchester.”
The Current Kitchen & Bar at the Penstock
DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown’s new restaurant, The Current Kitchen & Bar, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, was named to reflect its emphasis on contemporary, “current” cuisine, while also paying tribute to the Merrimack River’s role in shaping Manchester’s industrial past. Menu highlights include Maple Farms Pork Belly, served with a maple syrup and bourbon sauce and brussels sprouts slaw; New Hampshire Seafood Paella, made with mussels, crab, shrimp, clams, roasted corn, cauliflower socarrat, thyme and a tomato broth; and a selection of charcuterie and cheese board options.
The new restaurant also celebrates both the classic cocktail, as well as libation innovations, such as a Draught Cocktail Well, which features cocktails crafted from locally produced honey mead spirits. The cocktail menu includes A Cool Breeze on Elm, which is made with Appleton Estate 12-year-old rum, pineapple juice and angostura bitters; and A Bottle From the Orchard, which is made with Bulleit Bourbon, Laird’s Applejack Brandy, New Hampshire Cider and Thyme Simple Syrup. The Current Kitchen & Bar seats nearly 60 guests in an intimate setting.
“We are confident The Current Kitchen & Bar will become a destination in downtown Manchester as a cocktail and food retreat,” said Chef Todd Lytle, executive chef, DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. “With a focus on the smallest details, we are introducing delicious, contemporary dishes and cocktails made from the highest quality ingredients in a welcoming yet exclusive setting.”
DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown is also part of Hilton Honors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 15 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount, free standard Wi-Fi and the Hilton Honors mobile app.
Guests can make reservations at DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown by visiting www.manchesterdowntown. doubletreebyhilton.com or by calling 603-625-1000. For more news on DoubleTree by Hilton, visit newsroom.hilton.com/doubletree .