Companies helping Booking.com move
TWO Manchester companies are leading the charge to move e-commerce giant Booking. com to a new HQ – creating 200 jobs.
Liam Buckley, real estate partner in Fieldfisher’s Manchester office, led the acquisition of 222,000 sq ft of offices, located at the Manchester Goods Yard, part of Allied London’s St John’s development.
The structure of the new building is due to be completed by 2020 and will be Booking.com’s largest division outside of its main headquarters in Amsterdam.
This investment will also contribute to the development of a brand new tech, digital and creative cluster in the heart of Manchester known as Enterprise City.
Fieldfisher has dealt with the title investigations, utilities and construction, planning and negotiation of the transaction documents, working in partnership with Booking. com’s other major advisors, OBI.
OBI has worked with Booking.com for many years and has provided location and lease advice across its property portfolio.
The firm will be project managing and designing the new office at Manchester Goods Yard.
The new office will consolidate Booking.com’s four existing buildings, which currently house more than 1,500 staff in total.
Booking.com said it was in the process of hiring 200 new staff over the next 18 months.
Mr Buckley said: “Fieldfisher is pleased to have played such a key role in the development of this area in Manchester.
“We have a long-standing relationship with OBI, Allied London and Booking.com, and it was a great achievement to work on this acquisition with north-west firms that share our vision.”
Will Lewis, transactions and asset management at OBI, added: “We’ve been working with Booking.com for many years and it’s certainly one of Manchester’s major success stories in recent times.
“The growth of Booking. com has been remarkable and the transaction at Enterprise City represents the largest office letting in the city for some 16 years.
“It proves Manchester, as a city, has the infrastructure and talent pool to support the growth of global enterprises on an international scale.”