A swanky new hotel has opened today (May 10) in Liverpool's city centre and it aims to offer a truly "five star" experience.
After four years of renovations, The Municipal Hotel, based on Dale Street, has finally opened its doors to the public - just in time for the Eurovision Song Contest. The impressive building boasts 179 rooms, as well as a restaurant, bar, and spa.
The Municipal Liverpool Hotel joined MGallery, Accor Group's luxury boutique-hotel brand, with no expense spared to transform it into a dazzling, opulent space while still paying homage to the Grade II-listed building's history.
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Managed by leading hotel management company, RBH Hospitality Management, the beautiful building spans four floors, each one impeccably styled. The design is awe-inspiring, with reminders of the building's past life as a council building displayed throughout, from a series of seven-foot-tall statues on the façade, to vintage phones and library style desks indoor - all working in perfect harmony with plush velvets, luxurious marble, warming woods, traditional tiles, and more.
There's been a sympathetic restoration process, with many of the building's existing materials and features highlighted and incorporated as refreshed features, bringing the past firmly into the present day. Even the famed clock tower has been carefully restored and brought back into working order.
The rooms are cosy, calming sanctuaries that have been designed with a seamless blend of modern, luxurious comforts and traditional décor elements suited to the building. There's a variety to choose from, with generously sized doubles and impressive suites with views of the vibrant Liverpool cityscape all on offer.
The décor inside the rooms is a comforting palette of warming, earthy tones and opulent textures. Each of the spacious rooms features sumptuous king or queen size beds, plus modern luxuries like lavishly stocked minibars and bathroom amenities from luxury lifestyle brand, Culti.
The hotel is vast, with the jaw-dropping Palm Court taking centre stage. It's able to accommodate 500 guests and is complete with a state-of-the-art bar. It'll play host to live music on selected days, while the cosy snugs that jut off the room offer intimate hideaways, kitted out with vibrant velvet chairs, mid century-style tables, and televisions.
The Palm Court is flooded with light, courtesy of the generous roof lantern and, though enormous, it manages to offer both space and seclusion. During the day, the equally beautiful Botanic Tea Room will serve crafted drinks, patisseries and afternoon tea options for guests and visitors, featuring herbs and plants from around the world.
Other notable features include impressive wellness areas incorporating a luxurious and impressive swimming pool, as well as a sauna and steam room, fitness area, treatment rooms and Laconicum. There's also a salon and spa, filled with luxurious products from leading British skincare brand, Elemis, and premium beauty brand, Grown Alchemist.
The hotel also boasts six large, state-of-the-art boardrooms on the lower ground floor, each available for hire and named after Liverpool's iconic 'quarters'; Ropewalks, Baltic, Cavern, Waterfront and Georgian Quarter.
Before opening today, the Liverpool ECHO was granted a sneak peek at the site to see every nook and cranny in all its glory, including the spa ahead of its completion and June launch. Peruse the gallery below.
Deirdre Billing, general manager of The Municipal Liverpool – MGallery, said: "I am delighted to write a new story for the Municipal building, bringing back its local heritage into a hotel and introducing the luxury brand MGallery to Liverpool. It has been a joy to see this iconic building brought back to life and we can't wait to welcome guests into the space and experience its charm for themselves. The hotel is an invitation to change the pace, take time and have a real break."
Speaking to the ECHO, Deirdre, from Ireland, continued: "This building is a love story and it's captivating. My background is with five star hotels and that's my passion - we're the touching point of five star here. I want this to be the first hotel thought of in Liverpool.
"We want it to become a bigger destination - with the afternoon tea and morning pastries, but I need to get this [the hotel and Palm Court] to work first."
Of the luxurious feel of the hotel and the entire building as a whole, Deirdre said: "There's an exclusivity here too, very much so [especially] with the board rooms downstairs and the function rooms. The lower ground floor even has its own dedicated entrance."
She continued: "We came to Liverpool to open something new with a twist, and wanted iconic pieces throughout. Whatever could be salvaged when the hotel was under work, we used and displayed - it's part of its story and we wanted to showcase that history."
Deirdre added: "I think it's magnificent. It even beats The Dorchester, our Palm Court."
The Municipal Hotel is based at the Municipal Building, Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2DH. For more information or to make a reservation, click here.
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