German hotel investor RIMC Hotels and Resorts says it will close the 30 James Street hotel in Liverpool in early 2024 to carry out a multi-million pound refurbishment. Tony McDonough reports
RIMC Hotels and Resorts will close the 30 James Street hotel in Liverpool in early 2024 to embark on a multi-million pound refurbishment of the Grade II-listed property.
Hamburg-based RIMC acquired the hotel for an undisclosed sum in May 2023 from administrators Moorfields Advisory.
Moorfields had been trying to sell the hotel, located on the corner of James Street and The Strand, for some time. It was opened by Liverpool firm Signature Living in 2014 and the company put it up for sale in 2019 with an asking price of £17m.
It later collapsed into administration before a buyer could be found. Property agency Savills then sought a buyer for the site in 2020.
It appointed Legacy Hotels, which runs the Pullman Hotel at ACC Liverpool, to run it. Savills was seeking £12.5m for the property but, again, no buyer would meet the asking price.
Originally called Albion House, the property was completed in 1898 and was built as the headquarters of the White Star, owners of a number of famous vessels including the ill-fated Titanic liner.
When news of Titanic’s sinking broke in 1912, White Star officials were afraid to leave the building and instead read out the name of those who perished in the disaster from an upper floor balcony. It remained empty for many years until the hotel opened in 2014.
In the last few days RIMC has invited business leaders to a reception at the hotel to announce the refurbishment plans. Owners Marek Riegger and Audun Lekve, joined UK managing director Duncan Gray to speak at the event.
They announced it will close in early 2024 with a view to re-opening at the end of the year. The new concept will honour the building’s heritage whilst introducing a multi-functional hospitality offering that RIMC describes as “innovative, cool, fun and slick”.
Covering 10 floors and more than 60,000 sq ft, the plans include a Top Deck Members Club, The Decks – which will accommodate 60 spacious and luxuriously furnished bedrooms.
There will also be The Main Deck Restaurant, Brasserie and Bar, including The Waterline Experience and The Engine Room Bar which will incorporate a social dining and live music venue. On completion of the refurbishment the venue will provide more than 100 jobs.
Locally architects Falconer Chester Hall have been appointed as the lead designers for the refurbishment following their recent project at Municipal Buildings in Dale Street.
Merseyside based structural engineer Tom Roberts of TERM Engineering has been appointed to the project.
Duncan Gray said “We are proud custodians of this wonderful building and we truly believe that we will deliver something special for Liverpool.
“We have the perfect location and we are confident that we will create a space that embraces it’s heritage, but gives it a fresh outlook for the future”