Adelphi Hotel

We waited more than four hours to get into our room because of a problem with the booking agent. Reception did very little to help, so we had to keep asking for updates and pushing for a solution ourselves. By the time we finally got in, the room was freezing and unwelcoming. We decided to drive home instead of staying. The receptionist just said, “OK, I’ll check you out,” without apologising, showing concern or trying to put things right. That summed up the front of house team’s lack of accountability. The rooms’ condition, poor service and lack of care made this one of my worst hotel stays. I’d heard it used to be the place to stay years ago, so it’s a shame to feel the standards have collapsed. It’s advertised as one of the UK’s most haunted hotels, and after that night I can see why. Later, TikTok videos about it kept appearing in my feed even though I hadn’t searched for them. I can’t give it more than one star and would strongly advise people to stay away.

We booked mostly to explore the hotel’s haunted history and ended up pleasantly surprised. The place was immaculate, and I’ve never had a better shower in a hotel room. The staff were great, especially the shift manager. We’ll definitely be back!

The Grand Lounge has a great early 1900s feel, as if it’s been frozen in time. The building is a maze, though, with dim lighting and very little clear signage, so wandering around at night felt creepy. I can see why people call the hotel haunted, but don’t let that put you off by itself. The staff seem to be trying hard, and they’re clearly understaffed. Still, for a “cheap” hotel, you can find better in Liverpool. We arrived with our group around 00:30 after a roughly three-hour journey from the south of England. There were drunk people hanging around by the hotel stairs, and it took ages to get our rooms sorted. By 1:30AM we finally went upstairs. In the first room, the switches did nothing, the bulbs hung from two tiny wires, and the bathroom had a ladder over the toilet, paint splattered around, and leaks coming from all directions. I’ve attached pictures. We changed rooms, which happened faster than expected. The new one was okay, with one working lamp, a bathroom light and a slightly lumpy mattress. Sleep was mediocre at best: pipes roared all night, something made a strange scratching sound in the walls, and people shouted in the corridors. There are bigger problems with upkeep, too. The hotel seems badly underfunded, with maintenance left undone and water leaking from the corridor ceilings into dirty plastic tubs. The lifts don’t work properly. Going from the fifth floor to the ground, I stopped at every floor, including the sixth. Some rooms looked spectacular, though, and breakfast was fine. The hash browns were amazing. The atmosphere in the building is great, but the service seems to have stopped in time along with it.

The building is impressive and shows how luxurious it must have been in its day. The rooms are a good size and have what you need, including the usual tea and coffee. It was hot outside and the room felt very warm. The shower room was nice, with a lovely big shower, but the chipped, marked enamel bath looked rough and would have been better removed. I didn’t use the TV or other facilities. Check-in was easy, and the staff member I spoke with was friendly.