iStay Liverpool Bold Street

The apartment was lovely and in a brilliant location, though some things in the newly built block weren't working. That wasn't the staff's fault. Maxine was friendly and attentive throughout, and even helped with our ridiculously heavy luggage after we'd overpacked. When the oven stopped working and we had lots of breakfast ingredients, she arranged for us to use an empty apartment's kitchen so the food wouldn't go to waste. Huge thanks to her.

It was basic, but did the job for a quick visit when we weren't going to spend much time in the room. Better soundproofing would help. We were there for Eurovision, so maybe the city was noisier than usual, and the street-facing rooms may be the only ones affected.

Avoid this place. It's overpriced, poorly equipped and badly managed. We were in room 11 with friends: one bedroom and an open-plan sleeping area for everyone else. There were no wardrobes or drawers, no mirrors, too few sockets, no air conditioning, no shower extraction or fans, and a shower-room handle was missing along with the lock. The air or machine units outside the window were noisy. The extractor above the oven just feeds air into the cupboard above it. There was no dishwasher or washing machine, either. No one was at reception when we arrived before 6pm, so we had to call to find out how to get in. There was just one key for four of us, kept in an outside box with a code similar to the one used for every other room. Ours was 2011. I could say more about the security, but don't want to get anyone into trouble. I wouldn't send my wife here, let alone my daughter. A month earlier, in August, I stayed in a proper two-bedroom apartment in Liverpool L1 for half the price. It had furniture, was properly equipped and had all the other things you'd expect in a city-centre apartment. It lacked air conditioning and extraction too, but at least provided fans, and reception was very friendly and staffed around the clock. Liverpool FC were away in London, so foreign football tourists weren't driving up the price of this flop house. I didn't book it myself.

iStay staff were superb, and the apartment was clean, tidy, bright and nice. Concert Square and the cool Baltic triangle were only a short walk away. I'd definitely come back.