Editor’s pick: top design-led hotels in Liverpool

Liverpool may well be the birthplace of many British music icons – The beetles, Cilla Black, Gerry and the Pacemakers and Elvis Costello among them – but it is also a cultural hub. Liverpool, which this week becomes the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, is famous for its architectural marvels, both on the water (The Titanic was registered in the city) and on land (the Royal Liver Building has been the podcast of Liverpool).

In recent years, gravitating towards the warmth and charm of scouser hospitality and amplifying the city’s rich culture, independent restaurants and a handful of charming hotels have emerged to reflect unmatched design narratives that add texture to the overall British hotel scene.

Here’s our Editor’s pick of the protagonist design-led hotels in Liverpool…

Aloft Liverpool 

Image credit: Marriott International

Given that this week is all about ‘the music’, as global fans of the world’s largest music contest builds momentum and gets underway, how could we not start this round-up with a brand that is designed to – and was born to – resonate the power of music, in both design and hospitality.

Aloft Liverpool is not only quirky and cool by the very nature of the ‘Aloft’ brand’s DNA, it also stands on its own as an iconic hotel wrapped in 18th Century architecture. Sheltered inside the Royal Insurance Building, the 116-key hotel is a true meeting of new design and classic architecture. The Neo Baroque style of the building is injected in every touchpoint of the building, including the guestrooms and suites.

Hope Street Hotel 

Known as the city’s ‘first boutique hotel’, Hope Street Hotel sits in the heart of Liverpool’s Georgian neighbourhood and oozes a layered city-chic look and feel. The hotel houses original features of pink Cheshire brick, iron pillars and pitch-pine beams. The cherry and walnut bespoke furniture and solid oak and birch floors complement the hotel’s ‘favourite colour’ of white: crisp white, chalky white and plump snowy white.

In 2020, the hotel announced a renovation that included indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sun loungers, a Himalayan salt sauna, a steam room, a hammam and tepidarium with heated beds and seven treatment rooms. In short, there is no wellness experience in Liverpool quite like it!

Malmaison Liverpool 

Image credit: Malmaison Liverpool

When it comes to the hotel F&B scene in Liverpool, ignore Malmaison Liverpool at your peril. The 130-key, waterside hotel has just unveiled the result of its most recent renovation, to its restaurant. The renovation included bespoke flooring design inspired by the river Mersey in its design, booth seating and a large disco ball positioned in the lobby to add character.

The Titanic

Perhaps it’s the legacy that makes the hospitality experience at The Titanic stand out from the crowd. Others would argue it’s the design and the generous bedroom sizes (starting at no less than 56 square metres). In truth, though, it’s probably a mixture of both, together with warm welcomes from the team and impressive public areas, that allows The Titanic to retain its reputation as one of the city’s most admired luxury hotels.

The hotel has been a key piece in the restoration of the historic docks. The busy warehouse has now transformed into a hospitality hub full of character, which preserves the charm of the original Victorian architecture combined with contemporary design.

Beyond the iconic lobby and spacious guestrooms, hidden underground of Stanley Dock lies the hotel’s wellness area. Maya Blue Wellness is The Titanic’s best (or worst) kept secret. The sanctuary comprises of a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, sauna, sanarium, foot bath, experience shower and relaxation area making of  Maya Blue Wellness offers an extensive range of wellness treatments and packages only minutes away from Liverpool Central.

Epic Apart Hotel – Duke Street

Image credit: Epic Apart Hotel – Duke Street

Inside a refurbished Victorian building – a former printing office – Duke Street’s original features, such as wooden-beam ceilings, reflects a home-from-home vibe that feels distinctly residential. This, paired with a contemporary design scheme and impressive artwork hung throughout the various apartments, the spaces feel refined and exclusive.

2 Blackburne Terrace

Located on a hill amid an unexpected enclave of grand Georgian architecture, 2 Blackburne Terrace is quite the checking-in experience. The boldly designed B&B in an 1826 mansion is all about breaking the mould in the British hospitality scheme – it unapologetically flies the flag for the indys as the groups muscle in.

Every suite is individually designed, creating a bespoke space with unique furniture and sophisticated lighting, opening a particularly wide palate of moods, modes and tones by night. With deep wool carpets and the finest 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, guests feel wrapped in a brave new world.

> Since you’re here, why not join us for MEET UP North, which takes place just a few miles from Liverpool in Manchester on July 6, 2023?

Main image credit: Malmaison Liverpool