“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” – Ernest Hemingway.
Liverpool has always been full of dreamers and thanks to Hope Street Hotel, we’re not the only ones. 40 Hope Street is home to an award winning boutique hotel that is privately owned, independently run and passionately delivered. They’ve been looking after the dreams of travelling businessmen pre-rendezvous, weary tourists and couples in search of a romantic getaway for quite some time now and have built up an impressive reputation in the process. They’ve racked up an impressive accolade of awards yet have still remained independent and we just had to find out their secret.
Dave Brewitt bought the rather dilapidated and neglected buildings in order to turn them into flats. All you have to do is mention the words “student flats” to anyone in Liverpool and you’ll be greeted by almighty groans of apathy. Luckily for coffee meetings and dinner tables everywhere, Dave saw the opportunity to open up his very own hotel and the rest is history. Dave studied engineering at University in Liverpool and ended up as a teacher of Physics but the public sector wasn’t for him. They say a life of security is one of the worst things you could wish for as, well, where is the fun in that? Every expert was once a novice and Dave went from a self taught builder to a successful developer and his passion for good design shines through in this hotel. Before you even step foot inside, this Hope Street experience offers a break far away from the all too familiar exposed brick outside – it distinguishes itself from the pack by the entirety of its front covered in rich brown oak wood. It is enticing, it is unusual and it leaves an immediate impression that you’re about to enter a quality establishment. At the front desk you’ll be greeted with a big smile and a bowl full of red apples shinier than those in Snow White. So shiny in fact we didn’t dare take one as were convinced they were plastic but the lovely staff assured us they were not fake and they are probably the tastiest apples you can find. On our way to our rooms we discovered an unusual leather depicting room numbers alongside the winding hallways that worked purposely well alongside the oak theme.
As soon as we walked in to our room we couldn’t help but fall in love with the well crafted simplicity of the setting. Solid birch floors, white bedsheets (not just any bedsheets mind you – Egyptian cotton bedsheets, of course) and a steely-grey marble style bathroom all marry up superbly. A bar of Green & Blacks organic chocolate (no expense spared here) alongside a welcoming, handwritten note made us feel instantly at home and connected us to the whole ambiance they’re trying to create. Whilst tucking into our complimentary chocolate which was calorie-free (anything you don’t pay for carries no calories) our chewing was only interrupted by the view out of the window. It is rare you get moments where your whole city is enclaved in one panoramic view. It felt like we were at the top of a mountain, a big one at that, looking down on our gorgeous city and being able to see it all at once. It was one of those moments where you are awoken from the everyday and realise you’re part of something bigger and that moment is one that will stay with us.
Hope Street Hotel all in all was like a little trip away without ever leaving the city. It has a very continental feel to it and the illusion is only broke by looking out the window. There’s something about the crisp and clean lines of Hope Street Hotel alongside the beautiful architecture of the building itself that align in perfect harmony which makes the whole experience rather special. Independent Liverpool cardholders will be happy to know they can sleep better with 10% off their best available rooms. Like them on Facebook, give them a follow on Twitter and visit their Website here.