As others have noted, this hotel is nicely located yards away from the Lime Street Station with its excellent connections to Merseyrail (the Liverpool-Wirral underground system) and city bus system and long-distance trains. If anyone has a mobility challenge, be advised it is located on a rather steeply sloped street; my older friend found it difficult to climb this hill.

Our room was a twin, on the small side (about 3' of space available on either side of the two beds) but kept very clean. It was always made up within an hour of leaving it for breakfast. Closet space was OK, and the in-room safe was very useful and worked well in protecting a computer, camera, etc., but drawer space was minimal. The nautical decor is nicely done, though instead of enlarged old ship postcards as the source of the hotel's artwork, they might spend a few pounds for works by Liverpool-area maritime artists.

Breakfast was a good-quality buffet, and for us Americans suffering from a painful pound/dollar ratio, eating a full breakfast (included in the room rate) meant we could skip an expensive lunch, saving money. The hotel's clientele was very pleasant, including a well-behaved bunch of football (soccer) fans staying before the big game.

Everything about this hotel was good or very good, except for its staff's ability to resolve problems.

We arrived after a transatlantic flight at noon to find no rooms ready for our occupancy, and despite our British friend's asking them to expedite housekeeping to permit entry before the 2 p.m. official check-in-time, the best they could do was..... 1:45 p.m. Add a 90-minute nap, and much of that day was lost. Surely with travelers from different lands arriving jet-lagged every day, the management could anticipate such early arrivals and get several rooms ready quickly to assist their overseas guests.

The television service was nothing but snow for all but the final hours of our week-long stay. Oddly, the televisions in the public rooms worked just fine the entire time, but not in the rooms. We were told on the first day they were "working on it." Then I was told they expected repairs to finish by 12 April. The system finally worked three days later, on 15 April, the day we left. Other posters here indicate the television service has been a problem for months, so the problems appear ongoing. Wireless internet service, while free, was also erratic, and I've had a lot of UK-based spam since using it, once it worked. I was given a log-in name and password, but told by the desk clerk I would have to re-apply for a new ones after a maximum of 56 hours had passed. (Why 56?) In the event, apparently someone forgot to change the password because it worked for at least four days, when the Internet worked at all. (Weak signals were frequent.)

We were there for a convention, and its organizers had told the hotel there would be 75 for dinner one night. About eight of us (including the president of the group holding the convention) lingered in conversation too long in the lobby, then went in to find no seats available. The president requested another table be set up for us, the final eight, and, despite adequate space to do so, was refused. We were "banished" to the adjacent dark and nearly-empty Castaway Bar, and told we'd be served the same meal as our friends in the adjacent dining room. After a half hour of being totally ignored by the serving staff, the president again had to intervene. We were then sent back to the dining room where several tables had opened, their occupants having finished dinner.

Apparently heat in the rooms is turned off at night, so if you're visiting during a colder month, be sure to request a blanket to go with your duvet (which was too short for this six-footer to bring it up to his shoulders). Face cloths never did appear.

This hotel has plenty going for it, but the disinterested response of the staff in reacting to and promptly and effectively solving problems gives one pause. I was told by someone in direct dealings with the management that staff turnover is high, and people with limited experience sometimes find themselves in key management roles, probably before they've been properly seasoned. If you want a clean room in a good location, but don't need any assistance from the front desk, the hotel is a good one. At £98+ per room per night, it's a good value overall.