Archive for the ‘Liverpool’ Category

Liverpool’s first “pod” hotel has officially opened its doors.

Cocoon, in South Hunter Street, is the city’s first offering in “budget boutique” accommodation.

The conceptual idea behind the hotel is to envelop each guest in comfort and style in internal cabin rooms, without breaking the bank.

Rooms offer kingsize beds with American walnut wood oversized headboards, ensuite bathrooms with rose head showers, quality LCD TV, free WI-FI, MP3 docking stations and digital safes.

Cocoon is the brainchild of the team behind the award winning International Inn Apartments and Tourist Hostel and they hope this latest and unusual addition to Liverpool’s boutique hotel collection will raise the standard for budget accommodation in the city.

David Mahony, creator of Cocoon said: “The Pod hotel theme has been popular in Asia for decades and more recently proved a big hit in London and New York and we are confident Cocoon will prove just as popular with visitors to Liverpool.

“We are aiming at the “trendy traveller” market – modern travellers, complete with ipods and laptops, who may not have a lot of money to spend but who do not want to compromise on luxury.

“Each cocoon offers a conceptualized, stylish, compact space with all the comfort and amenities needed for visitors to sink back, relax and enjoy their stay in Liverpool.”

Pod hotels were inspired by Japan’s “capsule” hotels. Designed for businessmen who needed a place to crash overnight, the typical capsule hotel has a public lounge space with baths, and another large room filled with individual sleeping units - the capsules. Each capsule has its own mini TV, radio, alarm clock, and lamp. Cocoon takes this inspirational concept one step further offering a more spacious room complete with full facilities equal to that in any high standard hotel.

Prices at Cocoon start at £43 per night for a pod room. For more details call 0151 7098135.

Liverpool’s tallest ever Ferris Wheel will feature at a new event at Wavertree Playground. The 40-metre/130ft-tall attraction is one of over 30 rides and attractions appearing at the Great American Theme Park from Saturday 17th to Bank Holiday Monday 26th May.

“Passengers on the ‘Eye’ will see the city from a whole new perspective,” says theme park co-organiser David Taylor. “Few people will ever have viewed Liverpool from this height, angle and location and with great weather forecast for the weekend visibility should be fantastic.”

Joining the Mystery Eye at the 9-day event in Wavertree will be two other headline attractions – Bomber Mark 2, a giant 50-metre spinning propeller and the tallest and fastest travelling ride in the world, and Mad Mouse, a roller coaster with a twist (the cars spin as they move along the track).

“The Mystery has hosted a number of fun fairs in the past,” says Taylor,” but with the Great American Theme Park we want to take it to the next level, offering bigger and better rides, free family entertainment and extras like an undercover food court and a pay-one price ticketing system.”

Over the first weekend (May 17th/18th), stuntman Tod Cody performs an action-packed Wild West show, demonstrating the cowboy skills that made his great, great grandfather Buffalo Bill such a legend at the turn of 20th century. Over the Bank Holiday Weekend, meanwhile, Uncle Sam strides into town for regular stilt-walking displays. Guests will also be given chance to meet and greet players from the Liverpool Centurions American Football Team during the event.

American themed rides include Spider-Man, the only ride of its kind in Northern Europe, and the Superbowl. Also featured will be the Frisbee, Twister, Eclipse, Reverse Bungee, plus tried and tested family favourites like the Waltzer, Dodgems, Fun House Ghost Train and kiddie rides.

Visitors will be able to enjoy unlimited rides for just £4.99 or £8.99 (depending on age/height) during either one of two wristband sessions each Sunday, and a number of other great offers are promised throughout the event. Entry is free at all times.

The Great American Theme Park takes place at Wavertree Playground (“The Mystery”), L15 4LE, from Saturday 17th to Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. Opening times are Saturday 17th/Sunday 18th May from 12–8pm, Monday 19th to Friday 23rd May from 4–8pm and Saturday 24th to Bank Holiday Monday 26th May from 12–8pm.

A bronze statue of Liverpool legend Ken Dodd is take pride of place at Liverpool Lime Street train station. The statue, by Liverpool-based artist Tom Murphy, has been commissioned by Merseytravel and is set to be unveiled before the end of the year.

Ken Dodd received the news at the 20th annual Scouseology Awards, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel last week.

Previous works by Tom Murphy include the statue of John Lennon at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence were held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool last night, the first time they taken place outside London. Winners from the North West were:

Gold Awards:

Tourism Website of the Year – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tourism Information Centre of the Year – Liverpool 08 Place

Silver Awards:

Large Hotel of the Year – Radisson Edwardian Manchester
Meet England Business Tourism Award – Manchester Central
Caravan Holiday Park of the Year – Sunset Park, near Blackpool
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Tullie House Museum, Carlisle

Several new buildings and landmarks in the North West have been shortlisted for the 2008 Structural Steel Design Awards. The Liverpool Echo Arena, the Halo sculpture in Rossendale, the Singing Ringing Tree sculpture in Burnley, and the Turning the Place Over public art display in Liverpool will compete against the likes of Terminal 5 at Heathrow for the prestigious design award.

The winner will be announced at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on July 8.

The International Slavery Museum in Liverpool has received a cash boost of £1.8 million from the Northwest Regional Development Agency. The money will be used to extend the museum from its current location in the Merseyside Maritime Museum into an adjacent building.

Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, said ‘The success of the International Slavery Museum so far can be measured by over 200,000 people that have visited since we opened in August 2007. The support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency will help take the museum to a new level, developing new facilities to continue its work as thought-provoking, stimulating and challenging.’

North West picnic lovers can vote for their favourite picnic spot in a competition being organised by Bolton-based bakers Warburtons. Ten sites in the region have been nominated:

Stanley Park – Blackpool
Lyme Park – Disley, Cheshire
Heaton Park – Manchester
Formby Beach – Merseyside
Beeston Castle – Tarporley, Cheshire
Barley Picnic Site – Pendle Hill, Ribble Valley
Jumbles Reservoir – Bradshaw Valley, Bolton
Beacon Fell – Goosnargh, near Preston
Fell Foot Park – Windermere, Lake District
Crook o’ Lune – Lune Valley, Lancaster

Votes can be registered at www.welovebread.co.uk until May 16 2008. All voters are entered into a draw to win a picnic in Central Park, New York.

The winner will be announced at the start of June and will go compete against the other regional winners for the title of ‘Warburtons Best Picnic Spot 2008’.

The Lowry Hotel hosted the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008 last week. The winners included:

Best Restaurant - The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool
Best Hotel – The Lowry, Manchester
Best Bar – Barlounge, Chester
Best Chef – Lisa Allen, Northcote Manor, Ribble Valley
Best Wine Offering, Northcote Manor, Ribble Valley

Rock legends Queen will be appearing in concert at the Liverpool Echo Arena on October 18 2008. The Rock the Cosmos 2008 tour kicks off its European leg in Moscow on September 16 and will promote their first studio album in more than a decade.

Venues for the other UK concerts are Nottingham Arena (October 10), Glasgow (October 11), O2 Arena London (October 13), Cardiff Arena (October 14), and Birmingham NIA (October 16).

Tickets for the UK dates go on sale April 5.

Moorfield Media have announced the nominations for the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008. The winners will be announced at the Lowry Hotel on April 7. The finalists include:

Best Restaurant

Brasserie Black Door, Newcastle Upon Tyne
El Gato Negro, West Yorkshire
Holbeck Ghyll, Cumbria
The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool
The Peacock at Rowsley, Derbyshire

Best Hotel

City Inn, Manchester
Hilton Manchester Deansgate
The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
Malmaison, Liverpool
Radisson Edwardian, Manchester

Best Pub

The Bayley Arms, Lancashire
The Highway Man, Lancashire
The Q Bar, Cheshire
The Shoulder of Mutton, Harrogate
The Swettenham Arms, Cheshire

Best Chef

Lisa Allen, Head Chef, Northcote Manor, Lancashire
Paul Askew, Chef Patron, The London Carriage Works, Liverpool
David Kennedy, Executive Chef, Black Door Group, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Simon Shaw, Chef Patron, El Gato Negro, West Yorkshire
Eyck Zimmer, Executive Head Chef, The Lowry Hotel, Manchester

Best Wine Offering

The Devonshire Brasserie and Bar
Hillbark Hotel
Malmaison, Liverpool
Northcote Manor, Lancashire
Warehouse Brasserie, Southport