Atlantic Tower Thistle Hotel (Liverpool)

. . . early March and I’m in Liverpool. (Sing along to the tune of “Oh what a night”)

Anyway, I went up to Liverpool to watch a UEFA cup match last season and decided that while I was up there I would make the most of it and stay the night. I took the two days off work and started looking for a deal on a hotel for the night. Not knowing Liverpool city centre very well I wanted to find a hotel that was centrally located and easy to ...
...around Liverpool I had this hotel recommended to me.

** Location **

The hotel itself is situated on Chapel Street across the road from the Albert Dock. Being at the end of the Birkenhead tunnel there is easy access to this hotel from the M53 as long as you use the right tunnel. Failing that, the Albert Dock is signposted through most of the city making it fairly easy to find your way to the area around the hotel. It ... more

. . . early March and I’m in Liverpool. (Sing along to the tune of “Oh what a night”)

Anyway, I went up to Liverpool to watch a UEFA cup match last season and decided that while I was up there I would make the most of it and stay the night. I took the two days off work and started looking for a deal on a hotel for the night. Not knowing Liverpool city centre very well I wanted to find a hotel that was centrally located and easy to find. Talking to some people who lived in and around Liverpool I had this hotel recommended to me.

** Location **

The hotel itself is situated on Chapel Street across the road from the Albert Dock. Being at the end of the Birkenhead tunnel there is easy access to this hotel from the M53 as long as you use the right tunnel. Failing that, the Albert Dock is signposted through most of the city making it fairly easy to find your way to the area around the hotel. It is worth considering that a labyrinth of one-way streets surrounds the hotel though so arriving at the front door of the hotel can prove more of a challenge. I found the hotel fairly easily when I went but it must have taken me another half an hour to find a way of actually getting to the front door. I did notice later that the hotel is signposted from one direction but not the other. My tip for getting there is to turn towards the Crowne Plaza that is across the road. Trust me.

As for local attractions, aside from the Albert Dock, the hotel is in easy walking distance of Matthew Street and the main shopping area of the city. There are also quite a few bars and restaurants in the local area. There were a series of bus stops just down the road from the hotel, which will probably offer faster transport to other areas of the city although I didn’t use them. Being central the cost of any taxi ride is likely to be relatively small.

I walked to the main shopping centre in around 15 minutes and it was relatively easy to find, although I have been to the city before. When travelling to the football ground I get a taxi, which from what I can remember cost around £5.

** Hotel Information **

The hotel is shaped as a slim tower and has 226 bedrooms (including suites) and numerous meeting rooms, including a 120-seat theatre style meeting room. Unfortunately there are no leisure facilities in this hotel and there is no free car park. There are a number of NCP car parks near by where car can be parked securely at an additional charge. I believe the hotel will also park your car for you for an additional charge. I did not make use of this facility though so don’t know where they park your car or how much it costs.

There are two restaurants in the hotel as well as a bar. The main restaurant and the bar are situated on the first floor of the hotel and offer views out over the Albert Dock and the river. I stayed in this hotel on a bleak March day so I can’t help feeling that I didn’t get the best out of these views which I can image being fantastic on a nice day. The restaurant had a large dinning area and had plenty of windows making it bright and airy.

The general condition of the hotel was very good. The reception area of the hotel was very grand looking and clean. The reception was well staffed while I was at the hotel and the check-in and checkout process was made very quick and simple. The hotel seemed to be well laid out with easy access to lifts and stairs from the rooms and the reception.

** The Room **

I booked to stay in a Standard Double room and when I got to it that was exactly what I got. You tend to find that most rooms in this type of hotel are very similar in look and feel, and this room was everything you would expect from a room in a four star hotel. There is nothing different or outstanding about the room, although every need is catered for. Everything in the room was clean and well presented.

The décor was nice and well maintained and the room was clean and functional. It had a large double bed, TV, trouser press and kettle. There was a large desk area and plenty or hanging space and draw space. The bathroom had a pretty good power shower in the bath and all the usual amenities. The room was not particularly big and I felt like I wanted a little more floor space, although it is worth saying that it did not feel cramped.

Probably the most impressive thing about the room I stayed in was the view out over the Albert Dock. I am not sure if every room comes with a view (I certainly didn’t pay extra for it) but if you do decide to stay here it is worth asking for a room with a view. The room had a very large window along one wall to offer the full glory of the Albert Dock and the Liver building.

** Eating and Drinking **

I didn’t actually pay to eat in the restaurant in the hotel so am unsure of either the cost of doing so or the quality of the food. I did have breakfast in the main dining room but that was included in the price of the room.

Breakfast was served on the first floor in a large dining area with views over the river and the docks. The buffet was open from early until 10am. When I arrived in the dining hall I was greeted by a member of staff and shown to a table. The buffet breakfast has a large variety of both cooked and non-cooked items. The hot food was out under hot plates and regularly refreshed and the fruit and cereal was in chillers. The hot items were kept hot and there was a large variety of items (sausage, bacon, eggs – scrambled and fried, hash browns, mushrooms and so on). The staff at your table served tea/coffee and toast. The food was all well prepared, well cooked and well presented. In short it was a great breakfast. The only downside being that the toast, which was served to the table, soon went cold, and there is nothing worse than cold toast.

While in the room I used room service to order some drinks. The drinks were delivered promptly and the young lady who delivered them was very helpful. The price of two drinks was around £7 which is quite expensive but what you expect when ordering from room service. The food on the room service menu was also quite expensive (around £10 for a main).

On my way in from the football I went into the residents bar for a couple of drinks. I was impressed to see that the bar had both a pool table and a big screen (showing sports) in it. Again the drinks in the bar were expensive as was the pool table (around £1.20 a game!), but it was a nice relaxed atmosphere and a large airy room with a view over the docks.

** The Service **

Overall I was very impressed with the service I received while I was at the hotel. As I have mentioned above, the reception area was well staffed throughout my stay and the staff there were extremely helpful. The check-in and checkout processes were made quick and painless (aside from the fact that you still have to pay) and the staff were very polite and obliging.

I used the room service to get some drinks while I was getting ready to head out and they were delivered promptly to the room with a smile. Similarly when I phoned down to reception to request some toothpaste (as usual I had forgotten to take mine with me) they sent some up to the room promptly and without any hassle.

The staff I encountered in the restaurant and the bar were also very polite and helpful leaving me with no complaints about the service I received.

** Cost **

I had a look around to try and find the best deal for the hotel room and decided to check the hotels own website for prices. I found a deal on the website that I was unable to beat elsewhere. I manage to get a double room (for two adults) including a buffet breakfast for £65. I thought this was an excellent deal considering a lot of the other hotels in the city were filling up with Marseille supporters.

** My Experience **

Overall I was very impressed with this hotel and wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. The hotel was well-placed and provided adequate facilities for what I wanted all at a reasonable price. There are a couple of drawbacks to the hotel and if I was going to be staying there for longer I would maybe have to consider staying elsewhere.

Being in the city centre, the lack of free parking is quite a big drawback. I parked my car in a neighbouring NCP car park, which was secure overnight. It cost me around £8 to leave my car there for about 24 hours. It was a short walk along the main road from the car park to the hotel. There were some other car parks near by, some of which may have been cheaper, although none looked particularly secure. While I was happy to pay £8 for one night, I am not sure I would be so happy with this rate if I was staying for longer.

I think there is a similar problem with the lack of leisure facilities. As I was only staying at the hotel for one night and was going to watch the football I had little need for any leisure facilities. If I was going for a weekend break or something then I may want a swim or use of the gym, neither of which were available at the hotel. There may have been facilities available locally but I didn’t look into it.

Aside from these two omissions, I couldn’t fault my stay here. The staff were excellent and the hotel and room spotlessly clean. The food was good and while the drinks were expensive, they were well presented and well needed (it was freezing in the football). The location of the hotel was near ideal and for the price I paid I think it was excellent value for money.

** More Information **

If you want more information on this hotel then check out the hotel website here:
www.thistlehotels.com

** Overall **

All in all I was very impressed with this hotel and what I got for my money. The hotel does lack a car park and leisure facilities but aside from that I couldn’t fault it. I would definitely stay there again.
 

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