BACKGROUND
Adagio is the "apart-hotel" brand of Accor, a hybrid of serviced apartment and hotel that Accor runs in a joint venture with French tour operator Pierre et Vacances.
Open since March, the Adagio Liverpool is the first property from the brand in the UK, though more are planned, including one in Birmingham.
WHAT'S IT LIKE?
The Adagio is in a famous old department store building, Lewis’s. A little history – David Lewis moved to Liverpool aged 16 and established his outfitter’s shop in 1856, developing it into a large store that was then taken to even greater heights by Louis Cohen from 1886. Above the main entrance is a statue of a nude man by Sir Jacob Epstein – its official title is “Liverpool Resurgent” but is locally nicknamed “Dickie Lewis”.
The refurbishment of Lewis’s is impressive, but at the moment most of the building is awaiting completion, with the intention for it to be part of a larger rejuvenation of the area into a Central Village with a plaza. To find the Adagio, follow the signs identifying the entrance on Fairclough Street. You ring the buzzer and take the lift up to the second-floor reception, a minimalist space with floor-to-ceiling windows.
WHERE IS IT?
A few minutes’ walk from all the city’s major attractions including the Albert Dock and Liverpool One shopping centre. Liverpool Lime Street station is a five-minute walk.
ROOM FACILITIES
The hotel has 126 studio and one-bedroom apartments (25 sqm-35 sqm and 35 sqm-45 sqm respectively). With the hotel being a refurbishment of the existing building, there are many variations in sizes.
The two-person studio has a fully equipped kitchen, double bed, air conditioning, safe, iron/ironing board, iHome dock/radio, flatscreen TV with Freeview, and a bathroom with tub or shower. The open-plan one-bedroom apartment sleeps up to four people and has a double bed with either another double or twin beds.
My two-person studio was a good size, though I found that when I sat up in bed reading, the bed moved away from the wall so I had to jam paper under the wheels.
The small kitchen area with a dishwasher, sink, microwave, good-size fridge with freezer, and a selection of cutlery, plates and dishes allowed me to prepare my own food, and the small workdesk had an additional pull-out table underneath that I could eat at.
The decoration was simple, with a polished wooden floor and a marble-effect bathroom. The combined soap and shampoo in the bathroom was fine, and there was a heated towel rail that could be put on a timer – a good idea since it dries the towel but does not overheat the room. The air conditioning was a little slow to cool the space, though the window opened.
I did have a few criticisms of the tech set-up. There was free wifi, but this was only for one device and so once the laptop had been connected nothing else could be. The room key needed to be inserted into a slot to power the room, so when I removed it upon leaving, my laptop failed to charge while I was away.
Also, although there were two plugs by the desk, both were already taken – one by the iHome dock, the other by a lamp – so you have to unplug one to charge your laptop while working on it.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The hotel sells alcoholic drinks from reception, and these can be consumed either in your room or in the third-floor restaurant, where a buffet breakfast is served (£12.95 per person). The venue is large, airy and has a huge mural dating from the 1950s from the original canteen.
MEETING FACILITIES
The meeting room on the third floor can hold 50 people theatre-style, and is divisible by two. There is an Apple computer for those wanting to surf the internet.
LEISURE FACILITIES
There is a small gym.
VERDICT
A good-value option in a central location, with great soundproofing and friendly staff. The addition of a kitchen will suit those on a budget, with supermarkets close by.
FACT FILE
- HOW MANY ROOMS? 126 studios and one-bedroom apartments
- HIGHLIGHTS The restaurant for breakfast with its marvellous 1950s mural
- PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in November started from £75 for a studio
- CONTACT Adagio Aparthotel Liverpool City Centre, 1 Fairclough Street; tel +44 (0)151 703 7400; adagio-city.com
