Standing loud and proud on one of Liverpool’s earliest streets that dates back to medieval times is The Municipal Hotel & Spa.

Opened around 3 years ago as a hotel, the Grade 11 listed building that dates back to 1868 was once home to the beating heart of Liverpool City Council.

The acquisition, renovation, restoration and repurposing of what was originally aimed at uniting the city’s administration and corporation and bringing them together under one roof cost over £40 million.

It’s true to say that this is a hotel like no other by virtue of the fact that the sympathetic design and facilities of the hotel have been carefully tailored to fit beautifully into this historic building, thereby preserving its ambience and its historical relevance to the city.

Built in the Italian/French Renaissance style, from the moment you step through the doors of this iconic building, time seems to stand still and an air of peace and tranquillity overcomes you.

Once through the heavy oak doors, there are several alcoves and seating areas for guests to gather their thoughts or wait for colleagues to arrive.

Our check-in was seamless, and although the hotel is in the city, there’s a drop-off area to unload luggage, and it's literally only a 4-minute walk to the nearest car park. There’s also a bus stop directly outside the hotel and, of course, plenty of taxis around if you have arrived by rail.

Standing in the entrance, there’s a really amazing view of the central atrium that houses the Palm Court. This was once part of the city’s treasury, where people came to pay their rates and taxes.

The area is flooded with natural light that comes in from the windows in the high ceiling. Decorated with large palm trees, it has a large cocktail bar in the centre with the Seaforth Restaurant at the far end. Round the side of this former banking hall there is banquette seating and tables so expertly choreographed that everyone has their own private space.

On the right-hand side there are large, tastefully antique-furnished rooms that ooze timeless elegance. One is a library with oil paintings of past prominent cultural figures, whilst the others are comfortable lounges with velvet sofas and winged armchairs and marble and oak fireplaces. The décor is sumptuous, and it's hard to believe that once these were the offices of the Medical Officer of Health, Town Clerk, Water Engineer and such.

This place is a favourite with locals for its all-day dining and especially its small plates, a cheeky daytime cocktail or meeting up with friends. The Palm Court is renowned for its great service and for the expert knowledge of its mixologists.

Whilst our luggage was being taken to our room, we decided to partake in some liquid refreshment after the traffic jams and road works that accompanied our long drive to the city before making our way to our room and unpacking.

This is when I became overcome and started to think and imagine about the history of this building. We climbed the stone stairs to the first floor, and as we walked along the corridor, it wasn’t hard to imagine that this place once was home to 1,000 council staff.

I could almost imagine clerks and officials darting from office to office, important frock-coated council officials chatting in the corridors, and wing-collared clerks hurrying with plans and documents to ongoing council meetings – such is the historic vibe of this place. The restoration team has certainly given a lot of thought to this hotel and has planned it sympathetically with a gentle nod to its glorious past.

Our suite was amazing. It had large windows looking on to Dale Street and was very spacious with a large bathroom complete with slippers, fluffy gowns and towels, a large waterfall shower and a deep claw-footed bath. The room itself had many drawers, a large wardrobe and cupboards, plus all the usual technology that one expects of modern luxury hotels.

The super king size bed was extremely comfortable, and I now love having a pillow menu, plus ear plugs, to escape the outside world and drift off to sleep in soothing silence.

I was really impressed by the Liverpool Tart confection that sat under a glass dome. The dessert was superbly delicious – a classic shortcrust pastry filled with brown sugar, butter, currants and lemon, topped with a light crumble. Once a working-class favourite, the tart was born from Liverpool’s rich trading history, when ships brought sugar and citrus from the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. The ‘Forgotten Tart of Liverpool’, as it is now known, is regarded as part of the city’s unique culinary heritage.

The hotel also boasts an award-winning spa, which features a pool, steam room, jacuzzi, experience showers, and holistic treatments, including manicures and pedicures.
The use of the Spa incurs a charge and it is advisable to book before your visit as it gets very busy.

Before dinner we indulged in an aperitif before progressing down the Palm Court area to the Seaforth Restaurant popular with guests and with locals alike with a menu that brings together a fusion of tastes and cultures.

The menu at the Seaforth has something for everyone. I decided on pan-seared scallops and king prawns, which came with Romanesco and a delicious pea puree. The scallops and prawns were succulent and tender, and the pea puree was the perfect match to give an extra burst of flavour to the dish.

My partner opted for the ham hock and parsley pressing that came with a beetroot and horseradish relish, pickled mushrooms and a quail egg. He declared the relish had an amazing tangy taste that let the beetroot and horseradish flavours come through. The pickled mushroom added even more flavour to the dish.

For my main course I chose the pan-seared fillet of sea bass with buttered baby potato, asparagus, fennel and courgette salad – and what a dish this was. The fish was moist and flavoursome; there was a large portion of asparagus resting on the fish, which was cooked to perfection, and I found the fennel and courgette salad a great addition to the meal.

My partner ordered the loin of lamb, which came cooked exactly as he requested. It was tender and had a great flavour. He was impressed by the assortment of vegetables that accompanied the lamb, including spring greens, carrot puree and a Scouse croquette. The Scouse croquette is a modern gourmet take on the traditional Liverpool dish that takes its elements of the slow-cooked meat and potato dish, rolled in breadcrumbs and then fried. His verdict: very tasty.

When dessert time came, my partner opted for the spiced apple cheesecake with a chocolate crumble, which he really enjoyed.

Pineapple tatin with coconut ice cream was my choice. It was served hot, and the pineapple was smooth and tangy, and the coconut ice cream was the perfect partner to the Tatin.

After dinner we decided to sit and relax in the Palm Court and enjoy an offering from the mixologist behind the bar before retiring.

Next morning after a really relaxing sleep we indulged ourselves in The Seaforth for breakfast. I usually dread breakfast service at the best of times but the service and welcome here was absolutely fantastic – as it was from all the staff for whom nothing was too much trouble.

The Seaforth Breakfast menu is one of the best and most comprehensive I have encountered for a long time. From Sweet Potato & Wild Mushroom Hash, American Pancake Stack, Poached Smoked Haddock with poached eggs and hollandaise – just as my gran used to make it plus countless other dishes everything was so tempting on the menu.
So what did we opt for? The Liverpool Brekkie – their name for the full English which was expertly cooked and delivered to our table with a smile.

After breakfast it was time to move on and journey back up the motorway to our next port of call so to speak.

The hotel is a short journey from The Tate Gallery and The Royal Albert Dock or you may want to experience The Cavern Club or The Beales Story Museum. The concierge will be happy to assist you with details of these attractions.

The Municipal Hotel and Spa, Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2DH.
Website: www.municipalhotelliverpool.com
Phone: +44 1513 323 030