The Novotel brand is part of Liverpool's future, as part of a vast project supported by the city council and the city's university, the Knowledge Quarter. At a cost of £1 billion - with a further £1 billion of investment envisaged in the future - this urban regeneration aims to transform the centre of the UK's fifth largest city into the beating heart of innovation. The ambition of the 'KQ' is to position Liverpool internationally as a key destination for everything to do with medical research and the life sciences, as well as digital and culture.
At the heart of the project is a new contemporary districtPaddington Village is a mix of cafés and restaurants, shops and events venues, green spaces and eco-responsible officesThe Spine in particular. A high-tech, BREEAM-certified building that houses the new headquarters of the respected Royal College of Physicians and has meeting spaces open to external clients for seminars. And then there's a hotel, the tallest in Liverpool city centre, with 360° views over the city.
The 16-storey Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village was designed by Ryder Architecture, in partnership with Faithful+Gould, the establishment embodying the contemporary future of the mid-range brand. To give this historic brand a new look, Accor has teamed up with four international design teams to come up with new concepts that will be deployed in Novotel hotels around the world.
In Liverpool, it's the work of international studio Sundukovy Sisters, who designed the hotel with a concept that combines business and relaxation, timeless comfort in rooms and lively communal areas. Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village offers a range of dining options, including a ground floor café and the Kensington Restaurant and Bar, which features dishes cooked in a charcoal oven. The bar menu focuses on local suppliers, including Laura's Little Bakery, Rascal Gin and Liverpool Lost Dock Rum.
While Novotel offers 221 roomsthe Liverpool City Council-owned establishment is extending its long-stay offer with 32 flats. Designed in partnership with Knowledge Quarter players, they are intended to accommodate students, patients and parents visiting nearby hospitals and universities. And for business travellers, one floor is dedicated to meetings and conferences, with three rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technology, all in a versatile space that can be configured for cocktails and events.
