This was published 1 year ago
Review: Former offices of the Liverpool Echo newspaper now house funky hotel
By Craig Platt
INNside Liverpool occupies the former offices of the Liverpool Echo newspaper.
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Home to Liverpool's daily newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, for 45 years, the building began its transformation into a hotel in 2018, with the newspaper moving to a newer (smaller) office just a block away. INNside sits just behind the city's town hall, a short walk from the main shopping and entertainment districts, as well as the iconic waterfront on the River Mersey. The INNside is part of the large Melia hotel group, little-known in our part of the world but with more than 300 properties in its stable (including 160 in Spain).
THE LOOK
The original infrastructure remains, with the first three storeys still housing office space, with 206 rooms across the remaining 15 floors. A short staircase leads up to the lobby, but the large, open plan space is dominated by the hotel restaurant, Gino (see Food + Drink, below). On trend exposed pipes and beams, painted black, loom overhead. On the first floor there's a gym and a terrace garden, while the top floor houses the aptly named Sky Bar.
THE ROOM
Simple, but effective, the rooms are modern with greys and blacks offering contrasting, but understated tones. My twin room features a breakfast table connected to wall-mounted powerpoints so it doubles as a desk. There's ample storage in the wardrobe-cum-sideboard. Like many modern hotels, the room is defined by some of the things it doesn't have - no doors on the wardrobe (helpful in preventing you forgetting your clothes) and no walls on the bathroom, merely a partition that doubles as the bathroom mirror and sink.
FOOD + DRINK
This is the area where the hotel really stands out. Gino D'acampo, an Italian chef and major celebrity in the UK, lends his name to the restaurant and the hotel's two bars. The restaurant, Gino D'acampo Old Hall Street, features a wide range of Italian dishes, mostly from the chef's personal recipes featured in his many cookbooks. I enjoy a tasty entree of clam and mussel stew, followed by a more simple veal cutlet in rosemary and garlic breadcrumbs with truffle fries.
The hotel's location, outside the main nightlife areas of the city, makes its two bars a more relaxed place for a drink than the bustling area around the famous Cavern Club (a short walk away). Which is not to say they are not popular spots in their own right. The panoramic views of the city and river from the Sky Bar mean booking a table is a must, while the outdoor Secret Garden terrace, with its couches and artificial turf (and ping pong table) is a great spot to enjoy a drink in the summer heat (which is extreme by UK standards during my visit).
OUT + ABOUT
It's a short walk down to the waterfront and the city's "Three Graces", its three iconic waterfront buildings - the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. Beyond these is the Albert Docks area - once a working waterfront, now transformed into a hugely popular tourist destination, filled with restaurants and key cultural attractions including the Maritime and Slavery museums, the Tate Liverpool gallery and The Beatles Story, a museum dedicated to the Fab Four. As a Melburnian, it's striking to see how successfully Liverpool has revitalised its docks area compared with the cultural wasteland of our own Docklands district.
THE VERDICT
With its two bars, fabulous views and restaurant, INNside offers one of the coolest stays in the city. Not being located in the heart of the city's entertainment area is no disadvantage as it allows a relaxed escape from the intense nightlife of the city, particularly on the weekends.
THE ESSENTIALS
Rooms at the INNSide Liverpool start from £99 a night. See melia.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/liverpool/innside-liverpool
OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★★★
HIGHLIGHT
The views from the Sky Bar are among the best in the city.
LOWLIGHT
The twin room is a little cramped if occupied by two guests.
The writer stayed as a guest of INNSIDE Liverpool and Visit Liverpool. See visitliverpool.com
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