The 19th Century derelict building turned into a thriving hotel

What is your background in hotels and how did your career lead you to this position? I started my own electrical engineering company, M-Tech, in 2009. The business is a major success, and in 2019 myself and my business partner, Rob Edwards, were made aware of an opportunity to purchase this abandoned Victorian building in Kirkdale, just outside the city centre. After we had purchased it, we transformed it into a hotel that offers affordable luxury and great access to Everton and Liverpool football stadiums, and the city centre. I also want to give back to the community in Liverpool. Last Christmas, through the SMILE Project charity, we had disadvantaged families from the local area stay, free of charge, at The Phoenix Hotel for a Christmas movie night. The children were also visited by Father Christmas and given a gift, while we put on a meal and hot drinks for the parents. It was humbling to be able to help. What inspired or motivated you to completely transform a dilapidated and abandoned building into a luxury hotel? My business partner, Rob, is a structural engineer and architect by trade and he was the first to see the potential the building had. His designs were amazing and were brought to life beautifully. With my background in electrical engineering, and our joint knowledge of construction through our business, Edwards Winters Developments, we knew we could create something beautiful in this historic area of Liverpool. There were some difficult moments, of course, as Rob and I were learning on the job, but we still finished the project ahead of schedule and were left with a stunning building, which continues to prove popular with guests and local residents on a daily basis. Though we proved successful, this all came after we were forced to close the same day we opened The Phoenix Hotel, because Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic! Can you tell us more about the process of transforming it? This was the first hotel project we worked on together, so we initially looked at transforming the building into nine apartments, but with Rob and I being big football fans, and understanding the footfall Everton and Liverpool bring to the area, we started to toy with the idea of turning the property into a hotel. The property was fire and water-damaged when we were handed the keys, so that proved a problem, but with our experience across architecture, construction and electrical engineering, we actually delivered at a pace which surprised us. We applied for planning in September 2019, and the premises were opened in March 2020. The speed and quality of delivery is something we pride ourselves on. Can you tell us a little bit about the history behind the location of The Phoenix Hotel? The Phoenix Hotel was once home to the biggest bar in Liverpool during its heyday as a local pub. However, the premises eventually closed and fell into a worsening state of dereliction over a period of 20 years. It is a 19th Century Victorian building, sandwiched between two enormous football stadiums and minutes from the city centre with public transport links just seconds away from the door. It was an educated risk to open the premises, because Rob and I want to help regenerate Kirkdale and bring it back to its former glory. I have said before that there is more to offer in North Liverpool, it just needs somebody to say, “look what we have here”. We have such places like Crosby Marina and South Road. The community also needs shops, restaurants, pubs and bars for people to gather and meet. Kirkdale is moving in the right direction; it just needs somebody to keep pushing that agenda and I hope we are contributing to it. With winter in full swing, how are you managing the hotel’s costs and do you have anything special on offer for guests? We offer all guests who stay with The Phoenix Hotel a free taxi service into the city centre. We know a lot of guests want to experience the magic and history of Mathew Street and the waterfront, so we are happy to help facilitate this. We also know it is a difficult time for people with the cost-of-living crisis, so we keep our prices modest while striving to offer our guests affordable luxury. This is our ethos at all times. Our prices are as low as £40 per night for certain dates in December, but all guests have flat screen televisions, private shower facilities, and their free taxi ride in a boutique setting. We know if we keep delivering for our guests, they will continue to stay with us in the future. What’s next for the hotel in 2023? The Phoenix Hotel has proven so popular, we have been fortunate enough to buy a new property, The Phoenix Pods, in the city centre on Vauxhall Road. This is a 32-room development which will offer the same affordable luxury of our flagship site. It is really exciting to be growing into the city centre. We are proud to be adding to the heritage of Liverpool and providing our services to the millions of visitors each year. The Phoenix Pods are situated in an ideal location for all visitors to Liverpool. You can reach all parts of the city centre on foot while having a luxury room to come home to with first-class service. Meanwhile, we will keep delivering at The Phoenix Hotel in Kirkdale and the world-famous Anfield Wrap podcast have begun recording their matchday podcast from our bar, while Willow Smith, musician and daughter of Hollywood legend Will Smith, booked out the entire property for her recent stay. We feel we are doing something right. We also want to keep giving back to the community with Kirkdale coffee mornings for older residents to come in for a drink, free of charge, and a Phoenix Festival during the August Bank Holiday. It is going to be an exciting year!