Work is now underway on a new £15m boutique hotel in the heart of Liverpool’s commercial district. The 151-bed, four-star Hotel Indigo is set to open in Chapel Street, near to the historic St Nicholas’ Church in 2011, creating more than 50 full and part time jobs.
A £10m funding package for the project was provided by The Co-operative Bank’s Liverpool Corporate Banking Centre (CBC).
The hotel, owned and operated by north west development group, Sanguine Hospitality, will become only the third Hotel Indigo in the UK.
The Co-operative Bank and Intercontinental Hotels, which owns the Hotel Indigo brand, visited the site last week to officially mark the onset of work by contractor Denizen.
Sanguine Hospitality, managing director, Nick Taplin said: “Merseyside’s tourism economy is worth over £1.4billion and rising. In spite of one of the worst recessions in recent times, the city region continues to grow as a destination of choice for domestic and international visitors. Our level of investment in Hotel Indigo reflects our level of faith in the city and the direction it is taking. We intend to bring something new and creative to Liverpool’s hotel market, giving visitors a real alternative and further strengthening the city’s appeal.\”
Falconer Chester Hall Architects and its associate company, FCH Interiors, were appointed to design the build and interior design of the new hotel.
Falconer Chester Hall Architects, director, Mark Doohan said they took their inspiration from the historic context of the area, adding: “Chapel Street was one of the five key streets of the city, at the centre of the city’s mercantile activity and cotton trade especially, with a concentration of cotton trading and storage houses.
“We wanted to reflect upon this context to fix the scheme in its locality and to tell the story of the city’s growth around the Chapel Street area, driven by the historic links with America and the cotton trade.
“So the facade and, of course, the interior draw their inspiration from cotton’s textures, weaves and colours, echoing a key strand of the hotel’s brand DNA, which is about being refreshingly local and telling intriguing stories.
“Indigo is going to be a landmark development for the city’s historic centre, drawing on its waterfront and maritime heritage in a contemporary but respectful way. We’re delighted to be involved.”
The Hotel Indigo brand began its global roll-out in 2009 with London Paddington and Glasgow.
Sanguine Hospitality is committed to expanding the Hotel Indigo brand across the UK and Hotel Indigo Newcastle will follow Liverpool’s opening in Spring 2011.
