Should I stay or should I go?
Gary Waring, General Manager at Radisson RED Liverpool
Air travel, and the possibility of last-minute cancellations, are putting
travellers off travelling abroad this summer.
Whilst this fact remains,
as we enter the summer months, the UK population still has a
travelling itch to satisfy – whether that be abroad or domestic.
Over the last two years, many people have tried holidaying in the UK for the first time and, for some,
the experience has marked a change in their long-term habits, substituting at least one foreign holiday
with short breaks and longer stays within the UK. Given trends have shown that more than half of 25-
to-34-year-olds plan to increase their UK-based holiday time, there is a real opportunity for the UK
tourism sector to optimise this long-term attitude switch, and with it, UK cities.
UK cities have begun competing with one another to be the tourist destination of choice, with each
city’s offering of culture, architecture, hospitality, events and transport all of important consideration
for British holidaymakers.
One city battling out for the attraction of tourists is Liverpool. It’s a city rich in culture, from its iconic
music scene around the Beatles that laid the pathway for generations of other bands at venues such
as the Cavern Club, to its picturesque waterfront, or the two global football brands of Liverpool FC
and Everton FC.
Yet it is the collective effort from Liverpool City Regions public and private offices that are elevating
and expanding the city’s tourism offering to the next level, in a bid to prolong tourists’ duration of stay.
Organisations across the region are coming together and collaborating to encourage tourists to move
away from the match day one-night stays to long weekends, where groups would explore the wider
amenities. This has led to partnerships happening all over Liverpool, with the likes of museums, golf
courses and tour operators teaming up with hospitality venues to offer a full week-long experience.
Aside from these considerations, the Liverpool City Region planning board has made a key move in
connecting several landmarks to shape St George’s Quarter as an architectural hub. The Victorian
architecture has been dubbed as some of the finest in Europe and houses some of the city’s biggest
cultural attractions, including The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Central Library and the World
Museum.
Sat in the heart of St George’s Quarter and connected to Liverpool Lime Street is North Western Hall,
the soon-to-be home of Radisson RED Liverpool.
The Grade-II listed building is undergoing a full restoration for over 100 years since it first opened its
doors as the North Western Railway Hotel in 1871. A nineteenth-century stained glass window, a
rediscovered secret doorway and a grand staircase made of sandstone are among the pieces of
history being restored as part of the launch of Radisson RED’s first North West hotel.
The multi-million-pound investment includes renovations stretching across the entire 10-storey
building, creating 201 bedrooms, five meeting rooms and a new modern steak restaurant specialising
in quality cuts with an uncompromising focus on locally sourced ingredients, paired with amazing
wines and hand-crafted cocktails.
Radisson RED Liverpool embodies the collective approach across the city, offering an opportunity for
tourists to stay in a historical building, within an architectural hub on the doorstep of the city’s main
train station.
With plans to launch the hotel this September, the team continues to look at partnerships with other
organisations across the region to elevate its offering even further so we can compete as the UK’s city
destination of choice for British holidaymakers long into the future.
