Racquet Club Hotel

The hotel is located in the Hargraves Building on Chapel Street in Liverpool which was the former home of the Liverpool Racquet Club, a gentleman’s club with a focus on racket sports, which operated from 1874 to 2001. The club was based in the current building (a Venetian Palazzo-style building that was originally a bank) from 1985 until its closure in 2001.

It is a small hotel with only eight rooms that represents a sophisticated accommodation option. The rooms are furnished with antiques, which gives the establishment a degree of character that you won’t find in larger, more modern, hotels. Some guests describe the place as a bit shabby in areas, although it is certainly better maintained than other hotels in this price range with similar decor.

The rooms all have comfortable queen-size beds, a work desk, a flat-screen television and en suite bathrooms with either a roll-top bath or a walk-in shower.

As it was formerly the Liverpool Racquet Club, guests have use of the former club facilities that include a fitness centre and squash courts.

In most cases, your room rate includes breakfast, which is served in the hotel’s Ziba restaurant.

The restaurant is a bright airy space with eclectic decor and it is an elegant dining spot. It has a modern English menu and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner although it does close between mealtimes and is occasionally closed if it is booked out for a private event. It is the perfect environment to enjoy afternoon tea although the restaurant’s set Christmas menu, which runs for most of December, is much better value.

The staff, in both the hotel and the adjoining restaurant, are lovely and repeat guests often find themselves coming back because of the friendly service.

Free Wi-Fi wireless internet access is available but its reliability is a bit hit or miss.

Depending on seasonal demand, the Racquet Club Hotel can be a surprisingly affordable place to stay.

It is located near the waterfront at the northwestern corner of the city centre. It is only a one-minute walk from the Western Approaches Museum and five minutes to the waterfront where you can find the Royal Liver Building, the British Music Experience, the Pier Head ferry terminal and the Museum of Liverpool. It is an eight-minute walk to Mathew Street and a 12–15-minute walk to Albert Dock.

Both James Street and Moorfields stations are around a five-minute walk from the hotel.