Sunday Times names Liverpool hotel as best spa in the North West

It ranks among the 50 top spas from across the country

The Sunday Times has named a Liverpool hotel as the best spa in Northwest England. This week, the newspaper will reveal their first definitive list of the 50 best UK spas, showcasing the finest spa destinations across the country.

The guide, available from Monday September 30 via an interactive online platform and as a special supplement on Sunday October 6, highlights the growing trend towards wellness and self-care in the UK. It divides the UK into ten regions: London, Southeast, Southwest, Central, East, Northwest, North and Northeast, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.

With spa writers journeying from the Scottish Highlands to the coasts of Cornwall, there’s something for every preference, budget, and location. Claire Irvin, Head of Travel of The Times and Sunday Times, said; “This inaugural edition of our 50 Best UK Spas guide builds on the ongoing success of our popular ‘Best Places to Stay’ and ‘Best Beaches’ lists.

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“Our guide celebrates the impressive depth and individuality of the UK’s spa offerings—places where readers can invest in their health and relaxation, from cutting-edge wellness retreats to tranquil countryside escapes. With this guide, we aim to offer a trusted resource for planning the ultimate rejuvenation getaway.”

Susan d’Arcy, Hotel and Spa Expert at The Times and Sunday Times, added; “With the UK spa scene in such robust health, it’s the perfect time for us to launch a guide to the best places to experience it. Obviously, excellent treatments, knowledgeable therapists and results-driven skincare ranges are the non-negotiables for inclusion but we’ve also prioritised thoughtful design, comprehensive facilities and inventive health-focused cuisine.”

Hope Street Hotel has been crowned as the top spa in the northwest by The Times and Sunday Times. Tucked away in the city’s Georgian Quarter, this stylish boutique spa provides a pampering sanctuary in an unexpected setting – within the reclaimed cells of a 1970s police station.

The guide describes this spa as “a subterranean haven of relaxation and restoration” emphasising its appeal as “the perfect weekend getaway with friends.” Judges commended the spa for seamlessly blending modern wellness with a retro twist, highlighting its unusual yet highly effective treatments alongside warm, down-to-earth service.

The Hope Street Hotel celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year. It opened in February 2004 and quickly established a reputation for excellence. The business also earned a spot on Conde Nast Traveller’s list of the top 50 new hotels worldwide before it even opened its doors and has continued to win major awards and accolades for its design, offer and service.

Owner David Brewitt previously told the ECHO: “We’ve had some fairly staggering guests over the years from Condoleezza Rice to Taylor Swift and Maradona. We’ve had some great people come here to say.

“Rafa Benitez signed his contract here for Liverpool. Liverpool FC, we’ve been very close with them for a long time so our footballing connections are huge.”

As well as notable figures, Hope Street Hotel has also welcomed customers from across Merseyside and beyond, becoming a place where many special memories have been made. Dave said: “One of the things that stood out to me, particularly during covid, was the support from customers.

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“Customers wrote to us saying we’ll come back, we hope you and the staff are ok and it really meant a lot. It’s a remarkable thing to have achieved and I think it’s testimony to my team that people want to come back. It’s just an endless source of joy and pride to see people happy in whatever space it is – whether people got married here, come back for an anniversary or proposed to their fiancés here, or say we had our first date here.”

The hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, The London Carriage Works, has two AA rosettes and, under executive chef, Mike Kenyon, offers modern, seasonal dishes along with an extensive wine selection. The AA inspector said: “Opposite the Liverpool Philharmonic sits The London Carriage Works, built in the mid-Victorian era, then converted into a hotel in 1998. The restaurant occupies the corner of the ground floor and has floor-to-ceiling windows allowing guests to look out (and in). Styling is minimal with bare boards and exposed brick. Menus show international influences with an Asian angle.”

The Sefton town of Waterloo was recently ranked among the UK’s top places to live by the sea by the Sunday Times. The newspaper’s article cites Antony Gormley’s Another Place, the area’s “good” schools, its array of bars and restaurants, and the Plaza Community Cinema as Waterloo’s top attractions.

It said: “The greatest attractions here are the 100 life-sized cast-iron figures that make up Another Place, Antony Gormley’s mesmerising installation which has transformed the huge sandy Crosby Beach into one of the country’s most uplifting spectacles — even more so if you spot one of the dolphins that are increasingly regular visitors to the Mersey.

“But there are more down-to-earth attractions in this unpretentious beachside enclave that’s less than 20 minutes by reliable Merseyrail train from the centre of Liverpool. There are good schools, a lively selection of bars and restaurants clustered around the station on South Road and the lovely Plaza Community Cinema.

“Best of all is a useful stock of Victorian and Edwardian houses, which are both closer to the water and cheaper than in Waterloo’s better-known neighbour, Crosby. A four-bedroom place with a view of the beach will cost £350,000-£400,000. An extra £100,000 will secure a spot right on the beach.”