Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C) has announced that it has agreed to acquire a long leasehold interest in the Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool, the only Beatles-inspired hotel in the world.
Established in 2008, Hard Days Night Hotel has 110 guest rooms and suites and is located in the heart of Liverpool’s famous Cavern Quarter. This hotel will mark M&C’s 24th property within the UK and Europe. Completion of the acquisition is expected on or before 19 August 2015.
Housed in a magnificent Grade II listed Central Buildings, dating back to 1884, Hard Days Night Hotel is named after the Fab Four’s hit song and film of the same name. The hotel sits adjacent to now-world famous Cavern Club where the Beatles rose to fame. It is near to an array of the city’s famous Beatles landmarks. (In the UK, Grade II listed buildings are buildings of special interest and every effort is made to preserve them.)
In addition to the 110 guest rooms and suites – including the famed McCartney and Lennon suites – the hotel houses several bars and restaurants. It is also used for conferences, meetings and events such as weddings. Hard Days Night Hotel is conveniently located within a 10-minute walk from the famous Albert Dock and Liverpool Central Station, and just 150 metres away from acclaimed shopping destination Liverpool One.
M&C will acquire the hotel for £13.8m in cash, subject to standard purchase price adjustments. Over 113 years remain in the lease with Liverpool City Council.
The Beatles, who hailed from Liverpool, burst onto the music scene in the ‘60s, becoming one of the most famous groups ever, revolutionising global contemporary music with their performances, scores of hit songs and their lifestyle.
Exclusive Beatles artwork by world renowned artists is displayed throughout the hotel and photographs from the early 1960s until present day are displayed along the grand central staircase from the basement to the roof of the hotel, often considered one of the hotel’s most spectacular features. Among the renowned artists that have their works displayed at the hotel is Klaus Voormann, a much sought-after session musician on the Beatles’ and other music groups recording sessions. Voormann lived in the band’s London flat with George Harrison and Ringo Starr after John Lennon and Paul McCartney moved out to live with their respective partners, and designed the cover of their album Revolver, for which he won a Grammy.
Blakes, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, is named after celebrated pop artist, Sir Peter Blake, who created the iconic artwork for the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. Blakes boasts wall-to-wall original Beatles artwork including a centrepiece display of 60 images of icons from the album’s sleeve.
“This unique acquisition, which will be supported by M&C’s existing management infrastructure, further expands the Group’s hotel portfolio to one of the leading leisure and business destinations in the UK. The city is undergoing an economic regeneration and we are proud to be a part of that,” said Mr Kwek Leng Beng, Chairman of M&C.
Mr Aloysius Lee, CEO of M&C said, “Liverpool is a leading tourist destination that continues to attract millions of visitors annually on a mass global scale. Having been crowned Capital of Culture in 2008, the city maintains its prominent stance by investing in an array of forward-thinking regeneration projects, while firmly retaining its Beatles legacy.”
“Being the only one of its kind, the Hard Days Night Hotel offers an experience like no-other and we are confident that our guests, particularly from countries including China, USA and Europe, will be excited by the choice of this latest acquisition,” continued Mr Lee.
Teen-idol Justin Bieber and Hollywood celebrities John Hurt and Robert Downey Junior are among the famous guests who have stayed at the hotel.
This is not the first time that Mr Kwek Leng Beng, who is also Executive Chairman of City Developments Limited (CDL) has been linked to a “Beatles” legacy. Last year, CDL entered into a conditional sale and purchase contract to acquire Teddington Studios, located on the banks of the River Thames in south-west London and in a prime residential area of Greater London, which incidentally is where the Beatles made their first appearance to perform their first UK number one – Please Please Me.
M&C is the London-listed subsidiary of City Developments Limited (CDL), a property giant listed in Singapore. Both CDL and M&C are members of the Hong Leong Group of companies.
