Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre

The spa was a real highlight, with a steam room, sauna and pool we made good use of. The jacuzzi was only lukewarm because the heating wasn’t working, but that didn’t bother us much. I loved the interior and decor too. One of the best hotels I’ve stayed at, and I’d definitely recommend it.

I especially enjoyed breakfast, with plenty of fresh, well-presented hot and cold options. Getting to Liverpool One, the city centre and Albert Dock was easy on foot, which made the location a big plus. Parking does cost quite a lot, so keep that in mind if you’re driving. I was there for an event, and the staff handled everything really well. They were professional, friendly and went out of their way to keep things running smoothly. The hotel was in good condition and looked well cared for. My room had everything I needed and was clean and comfortable, though a few areas showed some wear. The pool looked inviting, but I hadn’t brought my swim gear this time. I’d pack it next visit. I had a very positive stay and would happily come back for an event or some time in the city.

The heat in the hotel was almost unbearable, including in our bedroom. We were there in January, and even with the thermostat right down and the fan running constantly, it was too hot. Think of the climate! Our accessible room had grab handles and pull cords in the bathroom, but otherwise it wasn’t accessible for us. There was only a shower over the bath, which my partner couldn’t use. When I asked whether there were rooms with a shower cubicle or wet room, I was told every room had a bath with a shower over it. The bed was pushed against the wall, so only one of us could get in easily. A wheelchair user would have found the tight space and bathing almost impossible. The staff we met were all very kind, helpful and friendly, and handled everything with professionalism. The hotel and rooms were spotless. The lifts worked smoothly, and even on a busy weekend there was always one available. Breakfast had lots of choice and was very good quality. It was busy on Sunday, but staff kept things moving so people didn’t wait long to be seated. Dinner was well organised too, with a large menu of delicious, nicely presented food. There were tea and coffee supplies in the room, but only one teabag each. I only noticed the next morning when I went to make tea. I’m sure someone would have brought more, but two each as standard wouldn’t be much to ask. I’d return and recommend the hotel for a trip with family or friends who are more able-bodied.

We chose this hotel for a five-day stay because it advertised parking, EV chargers and a pool, jacuzzi and steam room. Before booking, we messaged through the Booking.com advert to check on chargers. The reply said they had them and quoted guest parking at £17.50 a night. On arrival, there were no chargers. A year earlier, they had been removed. A friendly man at reception apologised and said he didn’t understand why we’d been told otherwise, since someone at the hotel answers the Booking.com messages. He also explained that parking was now £19.50. As a goodwill gesture, he gave us one free night of parking, but that didn’t make up for having to drive off-site to charge instead of charging while we slept. The bed situation made our first night miserable too. The pillows were very hard and lumpy, so we asked reception if we could try others. The girl there looked unhappy and bluntly said, “they’re all standard,” without an apology or any concern. We later saw on the IHG website that the hotel offers a choice of pillows. When we raised that with her, she still insisted they were all standard. In the end, we went out and bought pillows so we could sleep. We’d planned to relax and use the pool, jacuzzi and steam room. We booked ahead and were told to come down in our swimsuits and the hotel dressing gowns, which meant riding the lift and walking through a busy reception. We were also told the leisure-area lockers didn’t lock, so people just took their things in and left them by the pool. We weren’t comfortable leaving our room key, phones, cards, cash, car access, glasses, footwear and robes there, so we didn’t use the facilities at all. At checkout, we were told there was actually a safe we could have used, but nobody had mentioned that when we booked. The hotel itself was good and reasonably clean, but the misinformation and poor customer care from some staff left us disappointed and very annoyed. We won’t be back. Liverpool has plenty of other hotels, and next time we’ll try one that really does have EV chargers. They’re a useful draw and a possible source of extra income for hotels. We counted at least 20 electric cars in the car park every day of our stay.