Panoramic cocktail bar will top the INNSiDE hotel at former Post and Echo building
Liverpool will get a new 360-degree Sky Bar this summer as Meliá Hotels International launch their newest UK venture on the site of the old Liverpool Post & Echo building. INNSiDE Liverpool is set to open on Old Hall Street in August with 207 swish rooms, including studios, townhouse suites and a condo.
Liverpool has always lagged behind Manchester and London when it comes to rooftop bars
The plans also include a destination restaurant and in March of this year it was reported that Gina D’Acampo was looking to take on the INNSiDE Liverpool dining experience.
But the most hotly anticipated feature of the hotel has to be the rooftop bar on the 18th floor which will offer panoramic views of the city. INNSiDE says that the 360 Sky Bar will be open to the public and offer dreamy cocktails to the soundtrack of resident DJs, as well as spectacular vistas all round.
Up there with the best rooftop bars
Despite Liverpool’s enviable waterfront position, the city has always lagged behind Manchester and London when it comes to the rooftop terrace experience. It’s hoped that the redevelopment of 95 Old Hall Street by Meliá Hotels will breathe new life into this part of the business district which has been plagued in recent years by empty lots and vacant offices.
The original Post & Echo building was constructed in the early 1970s in a Brutalist style and with its 73m (240ft) tower is among the top ten tallest buildings in the city. The upper half of the tower has been vacant since 2007 and three years ago, Liverpool Echo staff moved out of the podium element and relocated to St Paul’s Square.
A boost for business in St Paul's Square
Today, the neighbourhood is home to Panoramic 34, Bean Coffee, St Paul’s Social, One Fine Day, and The Cross Keys, but it's a world away from the buzzing food and drink strip of nearby Castle Street, which has benefited from the Without Walls scheme to help restaurants and bars reimagine their outdoor spaces.
Garry Fortune, cluster general manager of UK North at INNSiDE by Meliá, said that the Spanish hotel brand has gone from strength to strength following the launch of the Manchester site in 2015 and a brand new INNSiDE Newcastle set to open this year.
"The past 12 months have been exceptionally tough for so many, not least those in the hospitality industry, but we are thrilled to be launching our third UK INNSiDE by Meliá property in the heart of Liverpool this summer,” he said.
“With two further sites in the pipeline, it has been gratifying to see the brand so well received as we strengthen our roots in prime locations in the North's most diverse cultural hubs.”
The ambitious plans for INNSiDE Liverpool also detail events and conference facilities for business and seven meeting rooms - including The NewsRoom, The Printing Press and The Post Room - all named as a nod to the building's history.
Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca, Meliá Hotels International is one of the largest hotel companies worldwide, with more than 380 hotels throughout 40 countries and four continents. The INNSiDE brand includes Amsterdam, Madrid, Berlin and New York. INNSiDE Liverpool is scheduled to launch on 16 August 2021.
