1 Water Street Hotel

We loved the apartment and would definitely book it again. It was nicely furnished, with comfortable beds, and had been cleaned to a high standard. Right in the city centre, it’s within walking distance of bars, restaurants and sightseeing.

We booked with house hotels for a friend’s birthday, but it became a night to forget for him. Finding the apartment was difficult, and once we got there we found six other people asleep inside, even though we’d booked and paid for it. There was vomit and urine in several beds and bathrooms. After several calls, the rental company said their security team had let the other guests into our apartment by mistake. They promised to send a cleaner, so we had to leave for a couple of hours while the mess was dealt with. The cleaner did come, but the key code wasn’t changed. The people who’d been staying there got back in and urinated in the beds again, trying to return the apartment to the awful state it had been in. We’d had enough by then, and the company showed little action or remorse. They couldn’t send another cleaner, so we tidied it ourselves and left as early as we could the next morning. We made a formal complaint. After some time, they offered a free night in a different apartment, and we accepted, hoping we couldn’t have the same bad experience twice. The second place was much cleaner, and the bedding seemed fresh, which was a relief. But security was still a problem: the front door lock was lying on the floor when we arrived. No one broke in that time, but we still left feeling robbed after the company charged us a £100 fine for supposedly leaving a cushion stained. The apartment was arguably in better condition when we left than when we arrived. I’ll never book with this company again and would strongly advise others to choose somewhere else. There are plenty of alternatives in Liverpool. Reading other guests’ reviews, it seems they’ve been treated similarly.

The flat was freezing, with single glazed windows throughout, and the central heating didn’t work when we tried it. We were also left worrying about security from the start because the lock was broken. Even getting inside was a problem. We were stuck waiting for help in torrential rain before we could get into the flat. It sums up the company that my friend had been given this place at a discount after a previous bad experience with them. One bad stay followed another. After we left, my friend waited over a week for his deposit, then had to chase the company. They accused him of leaving a stain on a cushion, which is ridiculous. We cleaned the apartment thoroughly and left it pristine. We checked behind the sofas and under every bed, and everything was clean. They didn’t even invoice him or show proof of the stain before making him pay. I’d advise against booking with this company if you don’t want to risk being ripped off by false accusations. After our two experiences, I’ll never stay here again.

We rented a spacious, modern penthouse on the top floor, with a balcony and direct views of the Liverpool Liver Buildings, beautifully lit at night. The apartment had all the modern amenities, and there are several apartments in the building. The location was perfect, with famous bars and restaurants just minutes away. Ten friends and I had a brilliant overnight stay for a special reunion celebration.