Latest Duke Street hotel awaits sign-off

Molo Hotels is planning to build a 255-bedroom hotel on the site of the former NCP multi-storey car park on the corner of Duke Street and Suffolk Street in the Ropewalks area of Liverpool.

The hotel developer is controlled by director Richard Whitehead, and Marcin and Lucasz Slominski.

The eight-storey building was designed by Falconer Chester Hall with Zerum as planning consultant.

Under the plans, the building would be spilt into two separate hotels, a Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo, with one containing 132 bedrooms, and the other 125.

Meeting rooms and a gym also feature in the plans.

Molo bought the site, which has been used as a surface level car park since the NCP was demolished in 2007, from Liverpool-based developer Legacie Developments in January, under the name Liverpool Suffolk Street Hotel. 

The company then changed its name to Molo Hotels in March. 

Legacie unveiled designs in March 2019 for a £30m development before it sold the 24,000 sq ft site. 

The plans are recommended for approval by Liverpool City Council’s planning committee which meets next Tuesday. 

Cllr Steve Munby has raised concerns about the height of the building in relation to its surroundings, and has called for Section 106 contributions towards the creation of green space to be implemented as a condition of approval. 

Duke Street features a number of hotel developments. Epic Apart Hotel is nearing completion on the conversion of 151-155 Duke Street into serviced apartments, and Henry Space Development won planning consent last November to develop a 200-bedroom aparthotel on the street.