Staybridge Suites Review, Liverpool, England.

Half hotel, half serviced apartment, the Staybridge Suites Liverpool is a centrally located Aparthotel that is perfect for long term travellers and digital nomads, with the convenience and facilities of a hotel but all the comforts of a home base too. This review of the Staybridge Suites Liverpool will show you exactly why it is the perfect home away from home for travellers wanting to stay a little longer than usual in the city.

This is a paid article written in partnership with Staybridge Suites with products or services supplied by them. Full editorial integrity is maintained at all times. The views and opinions expressed are entirely the authors own based on personal experiences when travelling and are honest and factual without any bias.

For slow travellers who want long term accommodation in the city, the Staybridge Suites in Liverpool offer a unique blend of serviced apartment and hotel. Aparthotels and serviced apartments are usually the reserve of professionals or workers on long term contracts needing a place to live short term, but travellers can take advantage of this perfect ‘live like a local’ experience’ too. Whether they are a digital nomad needing a base to work from while they travel, a flashpacker looking for a medium to long term base while they explore the area in depth or someone looking for a short staycation in Liverpool who still wants all the comforts of home, the Staybridge Suites has a lot to offer everyone!

Aparthotels are a mixture of a serviced apartment and a hotel, and the Staybridge Suites certainly feels like the evolution of a wide range of various accommodation options with the comfort of a homestay, the luxury convenience of a hotel and the friendly, social atmosphere of a family run guesthouse or a social hostel.

The Staybridge Suites are an ideal cross between having your own home or apartment in Liverpool, with all the convenience and comfort of a hotel stay too.

Why rent out an apartment with messy short term contracts or risk the options in the sharing economy when you can have your own apartment space with the extra convenience and security of a professional hotel on top?

Location.

The Staybridge Suites are located right in the heart of the city on Keel Wharf, right in between the Albert Dock and the Kings Dock, and with amazing views over the picturesque Wapping wharf and the Cathedral on one side and the rest of the iconic docks on the other, the location is absolutely perfect! Right in the heart of the city but removed from the hustle and bustle of the city centre by just a couple of minutes walk.

Liverpool’s main train stations, Central, Lime Street and Moorfields are just fifteen minutes easy walk away (or half that by taxi or Uber) and all the main sites, restaurants, venues and and attractions of Liverpool are within easy walking distance via the neighbouring Albert Dock, and the famous Arena and convention centres are right next door. Basically everything you need to explore Liverpool is right here at your fingertips, but you still get a strong sense of being just very slightly cocooned away from it all if that is what you want too.

The Service.

The Staybridge Suites have a lot of amazing features that would make me recommend them to any traveller, but the service is something very unique and special at this level of hotel accommodation. Many hotels have great, friendly and professional service, and it should go without saying that I wouldn’t be giving a good review for anything less, but the Staybridge Suits have something more than that too. The majority of the guests who stay in this Aparthotel are either long term guests, with one or two essentially living there, or repeat guests on work contracts. As a result the staff know the guests extremely well and treat them like family, and that reflects on short term guests too and in the way I was welcomed here, with a warm, personal and friendly reception that I have usually only seen in small, family run guesthouses. Of course the famous Scouse friendliness has a lot to do with this service as well but when the cleaning staff have you in stitches before breakfast and everyone else goes out of there way to add those little extra touches to your stay, you know the service is something special.

Speaking of which special mention does have to go out to the cleaning staff, the hotel in general and my apartment in particular was absolutely spotless during my stay and I think these often hidden heroes never get the credit they deserve for that.

The Staybridge Suites have implemented the IHG Way Of Clean for their infection prevention control procedure. From the room being completely sterilised before you enter it and cleaned on request to minimise cross infection to enhanced disinfection protocols on top of their normal cleaning routine, the IPC at the Staybridge Suites gets top marks.

The Atmosphere.

The Staybridge Suites, unlike many hotels, refuses to be defined by the people who stay there and is a home open to everyone and anyone. The eclectic mix of long term workers, families, solo travellers and more have a range of open plan, contemporary spaces at their disposal that are as comfortable and functional as they are adaptable.

That creates a warm but inviting environment with open public spaces that are as perfect for relaxing with friends by the fire or getting some work done on your own as they are at having a business meeting in the private meeting room or even using the space to allow children to take some of the toys out and entertain themselves.

Unfortunately due to the timing of my stay I didn’t get to experience one of their famous social evenings first hand, gatherings where all guests are invited to gather for free drinks and snacks a few times a week, but I did hear more than one person talking about them. That is a huge part of the sense of community that you really can feel within the Staybridge Suites, something that I have rarely seen outside of the backpacker hostels and something that I really latched onto as one of the reasons I felt instantly at home here.

The Room.

Suites at the Staybridge are so much more than just a room. Once you are in your apartment suite you are in your own little world. You have all the conveniences of a hotel if you want them, but this is literally your own little home away from home.

Most rooms are large studios, but I stayed in one of the one bedroom suites which is quite literally your own, enclosed little apartment. It had its own living area with a sofa and TV, an open plan kitchen with an electric hob, combination oven, fridge, dishwasher and everything else you may need, including the pots, pans and utensils, and the large, en suite bathroom was through the bedroom area.

The living room was pleasantly decorated and a nice relaxed feel to it. There was only one slim window in this room so it really felt like a comfortable little hideaway, and the kitchen and appliances were all high spec and gave you everything you needed for your own self catering experience in the city.

Now I will admit that the combination oven took a little bit of working out even with the handy instructions provided, but that is more down to me than anything, and once I got used to it cooking my own meals every day and then sitting in front of the TV in my own little world was fantastic!

The bedroom itself could have easily gotten any hotel rave reviews on its own merits, and as perhaps the most important part of any accommodation option it was perfect! The feeling of high spec, contemporary design throughout the apartment was apparent here too, and the minimalist design features really let you focus on the stunning city views given by the corner suite windows overlooking the docks and the cathedral. Even the Radio City Tower could be seen in the distance!

On a practical level the cupboard space was good enough, with just enough room for my pack and to hang my clothes, as well as store the ironing board and safe of course, and there were enough plugs on both sides of the bed to easily charge my phone overnight. The bed itself was huge and extremely comfortable, with a huge soft mattress, and waking up to that sunrise vista over Liverpool is really awesome!

I really could have moved in permanently and very easily just lived here! With the feel of a modern apartment and comfortable, unassuming touches that make you think of a real living space and not just a ‘room’, the suite really did feel like a home away from home, which is why so many live and stay here long term, which is testament enough in itself. This homely feel was compounded by the welcome package on the kitchen side and in the fridge, which was a really nice touch. Of course for those of you who want to have a party or two they offer drinks packages and many other options besides too.

The Amenities.

Some amenities may not be currently available or amended slightly due to an increased focus on infection control and the IHG Way Of Clean policy.

On it’s own merits I would have been more than happy with the suite just the way it was, staying there as I would any other local apartment rental, but the Staybridge Suites is so much more than that and offers you the convenience of a modern hotel too.

The front desk is of course manned 24 hours, and the ubiquitous gym is adequate enough. It is small and is pretty full so that not many people can use it, but has all you need for a quick, fair workout.

Where the Staybridge really excels itself is that it has its own free laundry too, guests can of course get dry cleaning done for a fee but I really love the fact that they also provide you a free option to do your own laundry, all you have to provide is the soap powder! This is a really important feature for long term travellers and it is yet another amenity that the Staybridge offers that gives it that all encompassing community atmosphere and fills a huge gap in the market for long term travellers.

The Staybridge Suites also has its own little tuck shop and unique little bar on wheels for guests which I thought was an absolutely charming little touch! There is of course a small supermarket just a few minutes walk away, and the city centre itself if you really need to buy essentials at a slightly cheaper price, but for those last minute emergencies when you have forgotten your toothbrush, need a few basic groceries or get peckish in the middle of the night, this is absolutely perfect.

There is even free 24 hour coffee from the open plan area just off reception too, if for some reason you didn’t want to make one in your room or just wanted a takeaway cup to go.

The breakfast bar is great too with a solid range of continental and cooked options, and the bacon, sausage and egg bun that I had bagged up and ate in my room was so good, and actually much nicer with the fact that I had my own little kitchen area to eat in.

The Verdict.

Overall, the Staybridge Suites is a perfect self catering, long stay Aparthotel option for any long term traveller, digital nomad or anyone who wants a place to live, and not just ‘stay’, but with a price point similar to a reasonable budget hotel it offers fantastic value for money for any traveller looking for a city break or staycation too. Why limit yourself to a hotel room when you can have your own apartment? The friendly welcome and genuine feel of family and community you get from the staff really make you feel at home too, and at the end of the day that is exactly the way you should feel here, at home.

The Staybridge Suites are located at Keel Wharf, Liverpool, L3 4FN.

Bemused Backpacker always recommends booking directly where it is possible. Ready to book? The Staybridge Liverpool site can be found here.

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