Liverpool’s lost hotels that have since closed or been demolished

For decades, Liverpool has remained a destination for visitors across the globe.

With so many tourist attractions, landmarks and brilliant independent businesses to visit, every year we see thousands upon thousands head to our city. In the last week, an additional 500,000 visitors came to Liverpool to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest, early footfall figures suggest.

And with that, many stayed in our local hotels – some which have been a familiar sight on our streets for generations. Today, there are so many different places to stay, but some well-known names have long since disappeared.

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Some have transformed into other hotels under new names, whereas others were demolished after years in the city. Here, we take a look back at a number of Liverpool’s lost hotels.

This list isn’t intended to be comprehensive, we’ve included a number of lost hotels in Liverpool from years gone by. But if you feel there are some we should have included, let us know in the comments section below.

Liverpool North Western Hotel

Completed in 1871, this building was opened as a hotel by the London and North Western Railway to serve Lime Street station. Designed in a Renaissance style by Aigburth -born Alfred Waterhouse, the Liverpool North Western Hotel originally contained 330 rooms including billiards, smoking and reading rooms.

The hotel closed in 1933, becoming Lime Street Chambers for a while before closing once again for 60 years. In 1952, the building was declared a Grade II listed building by Historic England and in 1994, it was bought by John Moores University and converted into a hall of residence with accommodation for 250 students, opening in 1996.

The ground floor became a public house, formerly the Head of Steam and now a JD Wetherspoon under the building’s original name since 2015. Fast forward to now, the building has been fully renovated into a Radisson RED hotel, which opened on December 13 2022.

Trials hotel

Built in 1868 for the Alliance Bank, this Grade II-listed building was later occupied by the North and South Wales Bank and the Midland Bank, before the building was converted by Liverpool businessman Wayne Rose into a bar, restaurant and a 4 star hotel, in 1986.

Known as Trials Hotel, due to its close proximity to the Queen Elizabeth Law Courts, the site opened its doors to upmarket guests after a £750,000 refurbishment. At the time, the ECHO reported how diners at the restaurant would not be supplied with a bill at the end, but instead handed “a verdict,” with Scales of Justice being the establishments logo, appearing on stationary, place mats and drinking glasses.

The building was bought by Centre Island Hotels in 2004 and refurbished into a boutique hotel. The bar and restaurant had previously been Room and What’s at 62 and in July 2015, the ECHO reported how the site would get a new lease of life when Neighbourhood took over the lease.

Holiday Inn

It was back in November 1970 when construction on the city-centre hotel began, and from there, it welcomed thousands upon thousands of guests over three decades. Many will remember its early days as a Holiday Inn, which was completed in 1973.

At one point, the massive Holiday Inn site boasted a heated swimming pool, sauna, cocktail lounge, conference rooms, offices and more. Costing £1,500,000, the hotel was nine-storeys high and boasted 300 bedrooms.

Whether it was for a first trip to the city, an event or conference or to stay over after a night out, it was a familiar sight in Liverpool. But the hotel only remained a Holiday Inn for just under 15-years before transforming into another well-known hotel chain.

Moat House

By 1986, the Queens Moat House group took over Paradise Street’s Holiday Inn site, and from there, it became known to many as the Moat House. The Liverpool ECHO previously reported how in its heyday, the hotel corridors welcomed the rich and famous from both sides of the Atlantic.

Staff waited on stars such as actor John Travolta and served the likes of Oliver Reed and Richard Harris. Award-winning actress Dame Judi Dench stayed at the hotel with Anna Massey when they were appearing on stage in Liverpool, and footballing legends Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan were also familiar faces.

But the noughties saw the end of an era for the well-known hotel as in December 2004, the hotel closed its doors to guests for the last time. By April 2005, work was in place to reduce the decades old hotel to rubble and the hotel made way for a new multi-screen cinema and part of the new John Lewis store.

The Washington Hotel

This image shows the area around Lime Street back in 1957. The Washington Hotel was next to the famous Guinness clock, but the whole lot was swept away by the creation of St John’s shopping centre.

An ECHO article from February 19, 1964, reads: “May 1 will see a start on the demolition of St. John’s Retail Market building, with the exception of the shops facing Elliot Street but still forming part of the market building. At the same time buildings facing Lime Street, including Rylands Buildings and the Washington Hotel. and as far as Queens Arcade will be demolished, and the buildings on Houghton Street between Elliot Street corner and the little crack linking Houghton Street with Market Street.”

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Liverpool Exchange Station Hotel

For years, Liverpool Exchange Station on Tithebarn Street was full of passengers. But in 1977,

The station area itself has since been converted into an enclosed plaza area for the offices that cluster round it – which once used to be a hotel. Many will remember days staying in the hotel when visiting the city.

Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Stork Hotel

The Stork Hotel faced out onto both Queen Square and Williamson Square. Originally a mansion belonging to to John Roe, who gave his name to Roe Street, it was a popular destination for tourists in the city.

The Stork later became a popular watering hole with actors from the Royal Court theatre and later, the Liverpool Playhouse. It was also in the centre of Liverpool’s first “gay district” which had sprung up around Queen Square by the early 1960s, the ECHO previously reported.

But by the end of 1976, the Stork Hotel had been demolished to make way for a new bus terminus. It stood in the city for over 90 years..

The David Lewis Hotel and Hostel

The David Lewis building, which included a theatre, a hostel, and a club, was built in 1906 and once dominated the area below Liverpool Cathedral. Named after David Lewis, founder of the famous Lewis’s department store chain, it became known as the Davy Lou.

According to Historic England, the building was designed by the Liverpool based architect J Francis Doyle and remained in use until 1977. It was demolished in 1980.

The Beatles played there in 1961 in the first event organised by the band’s fan club. And its site is today occupied by housing.

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