Business interest ‘very strong’ ahead of Hilton opening

The £55m hotel overlooking Liverpool's Chavasse Park is enjoying healthy advanced booking for conferences, banquets and events ahead of its opening on 17 November.

Contractor Kier is currently completing the 215-room hotel, originally due to complete in April. The curved building is one of the final pieces of Grosvenor's Liverpool One project. The Aedas-designed hotel was sold to investor Andreas Panayiotou's Ability Group in 2007 for an undisclosed sum. The top three floors will contain 40 apartments with views such as those shown above.

A spokeswoman for Hilton said: "Early indications suggest that the conference, banqueting and events enquiries are very strong."

Room bookings are also healthy at the new venue, the spokeswoman said. Occupancy levels across the city are running at 66% compared to 76% during 2008, before the downturn and when Liverpool was European Capital of Culture, according to The Mersey Partnership.

Hilton is also delivering a Hilton by Hampton hotel in the nearby Baltic Triangle area and another at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.