They could do a lot of things, but they won't. The detail is in the application. They've listed materials and what they will then need to do is provide actual supplier information. We know there is a red brick plinth but we don't know the brick, so they'll build a panel or send a sample to the Council and it will be approved.
But whilst the Council will have someone who likes bricks and design, it's subjective and costs and lead in times play a part.
Fwiw I don't think there are many hotels in the world, let alone this country, that blow you away with their architecture. And I think this design will look a lot better in person than the CGIs suggest.
They're putting enough into it to make it look okay, but not any more than that because the return simply isn't there. Building projects in Abu Dhabi where the sun shines all year and it gets very hot but people spend a fortune is very different to wet and windy manchester where people staying at the hotel will need good value to tempt them from the city centre.