New city centre hotel could almost double in size
Fresh plans are set to go before Liverpool Council to almost double the size of a Beatles-themed hotel in the city centre. After initially securing planning permission for 150 rooms at the Cavern Walks site on Mathew Street in April last year, entrepreneur and owner of the famous location, Craig Greenwood, is seeking to add a further 133 suites to the location.
Mr Greenwood acquired Cavern Walks in a joint venture with JSM Company Group in October 2022. He started out with refrigeration engineering firm Everkool before moving into property investment.
The major change relates to the changes in layout of the beds. Initial plans sought to provide multi-bedded rooms, ranging from six to one within each room, to accommodate groups as well as individuals and couples. According to planning documents, the total bed spaces now proposed is 283, a reduction from the 291 bed spaces approved last year.
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Of those a total of 29 suites would be fully accessible from the outset, while two would have a ceiling track hoist. A total of 12 would be capable of future adaptation. The upper levels of the Cavern Walks building were previously office accommodation, but have been vacant for several years, despite marketing efforts by the owners.
As well as Beatles themed bedrooms, Mr Greenwood’s plans for the venue also include a cinema room, function room and a bar which remain unchanged under the fresh submission to the city council. The report said: “Supporting new hotel accommodation stock is an important element in the city’s tourist infrastructure, given the role of tourism in the local economy.
“Furthermore, the city’s key tourism objectives include growing the tourism sector in Liverpool to attract more overnight visitors, offering a wider choice of quality accommodation, and ensuring that hotel developments preserve and enhance the distinctive character of
places of visitor interest.” As a result, officials have recommended the development be given the go-ahead.
The report said: “The development will provide the building with a viable use that compliments the other Cavern Quarter businesses.” The committee is to also consider proposals for a major overhaul of the Martin Luther King Jnr building on the Albert Dock.
It was confirmed in July how as part of its waterfront transformation project, National Museums Liverpool (NML) has set out a master plan of how it intends to reimagine the offering from the International Slavery Museum and revitalise the Maritime Museum. Formerly home to Granada Television, NML said the overhaul of the site was needed to become “more sustainable and meet the needs of the museum’s audiences.”