Morgan Sindall Construction celebrates topping out at Liverpool’s tallest hotel

The topping out of the new flagship Novotel hotel within the city’s Knowledge Quarter has been marked by the release of new images of the 16-storey tower.

Positioned opposite the new Royal Liverpool Hospital, the £38 million, 221 room Novotel hotel will become the highest in Liverpool and is located in Paddington Village within the 450-acre Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) Mayoral Development Zone.

Paddington Village - one of Liverpool City Council’s biggest regeneration schemes of the decade - is a £1 billion expansion site east of the city centre which, when complete, will be a key part of one of the UK’s leading innovation districts – incorporating new science, technology, education and health space.

The new hotel will be a UK flagship for global hospitality group, Accor, with exceptional design features in both public spaces and bedrooms. The design is led by Ryder Architecture and the hotel’s public areas have been designed by Koncept, with Faithful+Gould serving as project managers.

The hotel is set to open in Spring 2022 and will be managed by Legacy Hotels & Resorts, an existing Accor partner and the management company for Accor’s Pullman Liverpool located on the waterfront by the ACC arena and convention centre.

Richard Potts, Liverpool area director for Morgan Sindall Construction said: “Although we’ve not been able to mark the topping out of the Novotel in Paddington Village with a traditional ceremony, it’s still right that we celebrate what is an excellent achievement by everyone who has played a role in getting us this to this moment in the project.

“The hospitality sector will be crucial to supporting the economic recovery of the Liverpool City Region in the wake of COVID-19, and we’re very proud to be playing our role in creating what is not only a visually dynamic new building, but also a source both of employment opportunities for local people and a destination that will welcome people from around the world to our wonderful city for many years to come.”

Acting Mayor for Liverpool Cllr Wendy Simon said: “The topping out of the new Novotel is the latest landmark moment for Paddington Village and for Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter. Despite the pandemic, progress at Paddington Village has been hugely impressive and its transformation over the past 12 months has been remarkable in the circumstances. We all look forward to the day when this new hotel opens and welcomes its first guests. In many ways these new buildings not only point to the future growth of Liverpool but in this era of lockdowns they also provide hope that there will soon be a better tomorrow - and we have a legion of scientists and medics, many of whom work in our Knowledge Quarter, to thank for that achievement.”

Phillip Lassman, vice president of development, Accor Northern Europe, said: “This is a key moment in a significant development for both the city and Accor. Liverpool is a vibrant city with unrivalled musical heritage, cultural attractions and is bursting with character. We believe the new Novotel hotel will be a great fit for the Paddington Village area, offering both leisure and business travellers a city-central location with an internationally recognised brand. The hotel will be a UK flagship and a major step for the brand in design terms.”

Paul Bell, partner at Ryder, said, “Novotel will be a great addition to Paddington Village, creating a bold, positive marker for Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter when entering the city from Edge Lane. As a business based in the Knowledge Quarter ourselves, we are delighted to see the hotel reach this significant milestone and to be progressing so well despite the current challenges – an excellent example of Liverpool continuing to invest and position itself as a creative centre for health and science.”

Morgan Sindall Construction’s other projects at the Knowledge Quarter include The Spine - the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) new £35-million northern home – which is now approaching completion.

As part of its presence in the Knowledge Quarter, Morgan Sindall Construction has created the Knowledge Quad, which uses construction to inspire local people. It instils Liverpool City Council’s vision of inclusive growth into the wider development via its pillars of Skills, Education, Employment and Discovery.

• For more information about this news release please contact Tom Carlin at Influential on 07827 957740 or email [email protected].