This is a fine boutique hotel and is well located in downtown Liverpool (next to Thistle and Crowne Plaza hotels, very near the Albert Dock).
If you are tired of corporate hotels, and yet want to be right at the heart of things, this very chic hotel is definitely the place to be (a writer/photographer from the Washington Post was there doing a story on the place when I last visited). But at 105 pounds a night, a few caveats are in order to avoid disappointment. First of all, if you are not a smoker, think twice about this hotel. Non-smokers will notice that the rooms, though fresh and well-appointed with excellent bedding, can't quite hide the fact that guests have smoked in them. And the excellent club restaurant, Ziba, offers some of the best food in Liverpool -- which is somewhat muted by the fact that most of their clientelle either were smoking cigarettes or cigars (fine ones, but still, off-putting for non-smokers). Second of all, the plaster from the walls around the very small plunge pool is peeling off and gives the impression that the spa area is not well looked after. Third, this is not a premier athletic club, but a small racquet and social club that is trying to make a go of it, supplementing the club business by doubling as a hotelier and serving the local business community in their stellar restaurant and in their beautiful meeting rooms, and members lounge. It's received some well-placed attention in the London papers, and from the looks of it, will be getting attention from readers in DC. So, if you aren't bothered by a little second-hand smoke, and you don't mind a few rough edges with an otherwise luxurious and sumptuous setting, then this is clearly *the* place to stay in Liverpool. The staff is very friendly and helpful, the food is outstanding, the athletic facilities are adequate, the location couldn't be more central, the atmosphere is chic and sophisticated.

This isn't like staying at a hotel--it's like staying at the home of the coolest person you know. The staff was more like a group of friends than employees. The room my wife and I stayed in was equipped with a DVD player (free movies available by request) and a high-fidelity CD player. The TV was a no-reflection flat screen. The ceiling is sky high with curtains to match. The bed was indescribably comfortable. We loved the modern bathroom and the beautifully appointed footed bathtub. Keep in mind that you are staying in a unique property. You don't get a fridge in the room and there's no ice machine--though I don't doubt the in-club restaurant would be happy to keep something cold for you and supply ice as needed. There was a rock band playing for a wedding reception on Saturday night until 1am and the sound leaked very clearly into our room, and it would have been nice to have been warned about this. However, we didn't get into the hotel until after midnight anyway, so this was a major problem. If you want to stay in a nice, typical hotel, go to the Thistle, which is right across the street. If you want a memorable experience and have a flexible attitude, this is where you want to stay.