Carnival Weekend – Visit Liverpool August 2^nd

Parade 12 – 2pm, Princess Park Parade 2 – 7pm

On your Liverpool short stay in a Serviced City Pad serviced apartment why not be prepared for a riot of colour, music and energy as Merseyside gets in the carnival mood! This year’s parade will be the biggest and best yet, with thousands of vibrant characters in bright costumes taking to the streets, paying tribute to carnivals past and present.

2008 marks the finale of Brouhaha’s largest single piece of work to date – the four years crossing waters project – which explores Liverpool’s role and participation in the transatlantic slave trade and it’s legacy.

This year’s carnival will feature some 2,000 participants from all over the world, with characters and costumes from all the themed years, with new performance work that brings together the history of the triangle trade.

Artistic director Ray Mahabir from Sunshine International Arts provides the concepts from each themed year, the costume designs and development of production. www.brouhaha.uk.com

Parade starts at Mulberry Street through Catherine Street, Princess Avenue, Devonshire Road and ends in Princess Park, Liverpool L8

If you require accommodation for the Carnival Weekend please contact Martin or Chris from Liverpool’s Serviced City Pads on 0151 709 8000 or see our website for short stay accommodation www.servicedcitypads.com

Thursday 29^th May sees the much anticipated opening of phase 1 of the Liverpool One project.

The opening of Liverpool One, a £1 Billion retail, residential and restaurant development in the heart of Liverpool city centre will see Liverpool relaunched as a mecca for the fashion conscious shopper, meaning that for the first time in many years Liverpool can offer a viable alternative to the shops of Manchester and beyond.   

This opening on May 29 represents only the first of 3 phases at Liverpool One – phase 2 will offer a number of top quality restaurants plus more shops; whilst phase 3 is made up of over 300 residential apartments that look out towards the Albert Dock in a fantastic building designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli.

The retail aspect of the project is anchored by 2 huge flagship stores: John Lewis and Debenhams, with other shops including All Saints, American Apparel, Gap, Monsoon, and Oasis to name just a few, with plenty more to follow later in the year. And it’s not just about moving existing brands from one site to another, there are many stores entering the Liverpool market for the first time.

Chris Rose, director at Serviced City Pads, a Liverpool based serviced apartment operator commented, “The opening of Liverpool One is a massive and much needed boost to the shopping experience of Liverpool city centre. It feels like the city centre is being reborn. Not only will this project create many new permanent jobs in Liverpool, it will also attract weekend visitors to the city who would previously have gone to Manchester, Leeds or even Chester. It’s great news for the economy of Liverpool.”

If you thinking of visiting Liverpool why don’t you stay in a short stay serviced apartment? Check out the Serviced City Pads website at www.servicedcitypads.com. Alternatively, call 0151 709 8000 and ask for Martin or Chris. They will be delighted to find you the perfect place to stay for your time in Liverpool.

Serviced City Pads, one of Liverpool’s fastest growing providers of city centre serviced apartments, has appointed Martin Holt as a new director of the business.

Chris Rose, Director at Serviced City Pads, commented,

“It’s great to be able to welcome Martin Holt to Serviced City Pads. Martin brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, particularly in the corporate sales sector where he progressed through a number of roles with Kenco and TNT, on top of a huge amount of determination and a hunger to succeed.

Part of Martin’s role will be to develop strong relations amongst Liverpool’s corporate community as well as exploring the development of the Serviced City Pads brand beyond the boundaries of the Liverpool. 

I see this as a real coup for our company to be able to attract somebody of Martin’s stature, and a sure fire sign that we are making progress towards our goal of becoming the recognised primary serviced apartment provider for city visitors, not just to Liverpool, but throughout the UK.

Martin Holt said, “I am delighted to be joining Serviced City Pads and look forward to developing the business within the growing corporate sector in Liverpool. This represents a great opportunity to offer first class accommodation and to develop the Serviced City Pads brand throughout the UK.”  

Serviced City Pads provides a range of serviced apartments across Liverpool to suit a number of tastes and budgets, starting from as little as £65 per night.

For more information please call us on +44(0) 151 709 8000 or click on our website: www.servicedcitypads.com.     

Eden Square, a development of smart new city centre apartments in Liverpool, has just picked up a prestigious award being named as “The Best Residential Apartment Block of the year” at the recent Liverpool Daily Post and Echo Property Awards.

Chris Rose, director at Liverpool serviced apartment firm Serviced City Pads commented, “I am not surprised by this award, Eden Square is a great new development and a cut above many run of the mill developments in Liverpool. There is a feeling of quality throughout the development, the apartments are spacious and well finished, and some of the views across the city from the upper floor apartments are tremendous. The location, which is just off Dale Street is a great bonus. We have a couple of apartments in the Eden Square development that are used as short stay serviced apartments and they have proved to be very popular with our guests”

To check out the Eden Square apartments as well as the other apartments offered by Serviced City Pads, check out the website: www.servicedcitypads.com. Alternatively you can call the office and ask for Chris Rose or Martin Holt. We will be delighted to help you whether you are looking for an apartment to stay in whilst visiting Liverpool or if you have an apartment that you would like run as a servied apartment.

Please call Serviced City Pads on 0151 709 8000.

Liverpool property and life magazine Your Move recently posed the following question to a number of Liverpool’s respected hotel and serviced apartment providers.

Question: With so many new hotels in Liverpool can serviced apartments prosper?

Chris Rose, Director of Serviced City Pads, a thriving serviced apartment provider in Liverpool was one of the few asked to answer this question and came up with the following response:

“Serviced apartments offer visitors to Liverpool a choice they haven’t really had before. A wide range of customers want to stay in a serviced apartment, and not just because they can’t find a decent hotel room. Our corporate clients tell us an apartment offers more spacious and flexible accommodation than the four walls of a hotel room. Families say apartments offer better value for money. As competition increases only the fittest will survive, those who offer the best value product, whether hotel or serviced apartment operator. This can only be good news for Liverpool’s visitor.”

These views were echoed amongst the group and the general feeling is that serviced apartments are here to stay in Liverpool. Serviced apartments offer a great alternative to staying in a hotel; a new choice for the guest visiting Liverpool on a short break, whether for business or pleasure. More choice can only be a good thing for the customer.

To see the full list of views check out Your Move magazine issue 209, Page 50.

Should you wish to discuss how to go about renting your Liverpool apartment as a serviced apartment with Serviced City Pads, long terms lease deals with Serviced City Pads; or if you are planning to visit Liverpool in the near future for a holiday or for work, please call Chris Rose on +44(0) 151 709 8000. He will be delighted to help.

Alternatively check out our website www.servicedcitypads.com

I’d been meaning to go on the Cains brewery tour for ages, and finally made the trip around the majestic old Terracotta tower on Stanhope Street, Liverpool 8, with my dad and a couple of his mates last week. It was well worth the wait.

Cains has a long and proud history of brewing in Liverpool that dates back to 1850. I won’t go in to too much detail as it will spoil your tour of the Stanhope Street brewery. Robert Cain, an Irish immigrant who came to Liverpool in the mid nineteenth century, was an ambitious and shrewd man. He married incredibly well, receiving the brewery as a wedding present from his already wealthy wife. Life surely does not get any better than that!   

Our tour took around 90 minutes and was made a fascinating experience, not just because of the Victorian architecture and history that surrounded us, but because of the witty storytelling of John, our guide for the evening. The tour began and ended in the The Brewery Tap, the Cains pub that is attached to the brewery, which was the perfect place to sample the product of the brewery. Included in the price of the tour were 2 pint tokens. Take your pick from the tremendous selection behind the bar, and you will be served by the friendliest barmaids in Liverpool. The sandwiches weren’t bad either.

Cains is now owned by the Dusanj brothers, who bought the business in the early 1990’s. Their aim was to grow the brand of the beer in conjunction with the brand of the city of Liverpool. Their hard work and expertise seems to be paying off as Cains is again beginning to flourish, as is the city of LIverpool.

The main reason?

The beer! Cains produces a fine selection of sensational ales and is the official beer of Liverpool’s 2008 European Capital of Culture.

To name just a few of the beers produced here:

-          Cains finest lager. Described by GQ magazine as the “greatest bottled lager in the world” and winner of many awards around the world. The label on this bottle has been designed by Peter Blake, who became famous as the sleeve designer for the Beatles “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.

-          Cains dark Mild. Described by my dad as “chocolatey and smooth”. He like his Mild, my dad.

-          Dragon Heart Brown ale; organic wheat beer; creamy stout; Fine raisin beer and Victorian Beer are just a few of the seasonally crafted beers that you can enjoy.

Are you thinking of planning a short break in Liverpool? If you are I would thoroughly recommend including the Cains brewery tour on your list of “Things to do in Liverpool”.  To book your tour, go to www.cains.co.uk or call 0151 709 8734.

When you plan your visit to Liverpool, you will of course need somewhere to stay. Should you stay in a hotel or serviced apartment? The choice between the two is a relatively new one for Liverpool’s visitor.

Serviced City Pads is a Liverpool based company that offers a wide range of serviced apartments that suit different budgets and requirements across central Liverpool. We believe that a serviced apartment offers better value for money and more spacious accommodation than the four walls of a hotel room. Our motto for our serviced apartments is “Where hotel meets home”. Why not call Chris Rose at Serviced City Pads on +44(0) 151 709 8000? Chris will be delighted to help find you the perfect apartment for your short stay in Liverpool. You can also check out our apartments on www.servicedcitypads.com.

A BRAND new business offering exclusive serviced short stay apartments to both business and leisure visitors has launched in Liverpool.Serviced City Pads is the brainchild of Wirral-born Chris Rose, who founded the company to target professionals and blue chip clients, as well as Liverpool’s growing tourist trade.Besides offering high quality accommodation in modern city centre apartments, Serviced City Pads also offers its customers airport pick-ups, city centre chauffeuring, laundry collection and even an errand running service.The company, based on Duke Street, was advised by Mitchell Charlesworth Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, which helped set-up and launch the business.Chris, 33, said: “I first got the idea when I was living in London where there are lots of companies offering serviced apartments but I thought it would make a great business back home.“There is a definite gap in the market in Liverpool, where there is a massive shortage of hotel rooms but a huge over-supply of empty apartments, coupled with a substantial increase in visitors – especially on the back of Capital of Culture and the city’s regeneration.”The former music buyer for Woolworths and Sainsbury’s first came up with the idea during his ten years working for the retail giants respective head offices in London. He spent a year travelling around the world, before putting his business plan into action.Serviced City Pads currently has more than 30 apartments on its books, with more in the pipeline, located across the city centre, with apartments from Quebec Quay on the waterfront across the business district, Georgian Quarter and over to The Reach development on Leeds Street. Apartment prices start from £65 up to £230 a night.Chris, who now lives in Chester, plans to roll-out the business across the North West and beyond. He added: “Business is going really well. We’ve had a wide range of customers from conference bookings and hen parties to multiple reservations over a six month period.“If things continue as they are, then the long-term plan will be to establish the business in Liverpool and then eventually launch in other cities, starting with Chester, where there is an un-tapped market to offer alternative accommodation to hotels for tourists and large businesses.”Marlon Armstrong, from Mitchell Charlesworth, added: “Chris has identified a great little niche market and has developed a great offering with Serviced City Pads for both business and leisure visitors to Liverpool. The business has got off to a flying start and with his drive and ambition there is every potential for Serviced City Pads to become a market leader, not only in Liverpool, but right across the region.”For further information, visit the website at: www.servicedcitypads.com, or phone 0151 709 8000.ENDS.  All media enquiries, please contact:Jenna Beever, Kieran Howlett, or Simon Turner, Freshfield PR01772 888400 or (firstname)@freshfield.com Notes to editors: Mitchell Charlesworth is a North West firm of Chartered Accountants and business advisors with offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington, Chester and Widnes. It has 16 partners and over 160 staff. The firm is listed in the UK’s top 60 firms guide published by Accountancy Age magazine. More information can be found at www.mitchellcharlesworth.co.uk Links:www.mitchellcharlesworth.co.uk

Hotel room or serviced apartment? This is a growing debate amongst city visitors, whether tourist or corporate, that wasn’t applicable in Liverpool until very recently. There was a good reason for this: there simply weren’t any, well hardly any, city centre apartments available for visitors to stay in. Up until the turn of the millennium if you wanted accommodation in Liverpool your choice was either hotel…….or hotel, and that was if you were lucky enough to find a decent quality one with a spare room. New apartment blocks that have sprung up with growing rapidity across the city have meant that this is certainly a debate that has now become relevant for Liverpool’s growing number of visitors hunting for accommodation.  The famous skyline of Liverpool has changed considerably over the last 5 years with impressive new apartment structures such as The Beetham Tower, City lofts and the iconic Unity building springing up (and that’s before the completion of The Alexandra Tower and Beetham Tower West). Warehouses have been converted, derelict buildings pulled down and replaced by gleaming structures of glass and steel that have formed a new face for this once again booming city. Property development has not been exclusive to the waterfront. There are now apartments, warehouse conversions and new builds, in the historic Georgian quarter, Ropewalks area, and the city’s business district.  Like in so many provincial cities, whether Manchester, Leeds or Nottingham, much of the building boom has been born out of speculation. It could be argued that over zealous speculation has led to supply outstripping residential demand, in the short term at least, in a city that is still coming to terms with modern, city centre living. 

During the late 1990’s Liverpool’s property market boomed, with prices of city centre apartments rocketing. Apartments often bought as off plan investments, with buyers happy to ride the wave. The aim was then to sell properties before the building work was completed, cashing in on the ever rising market.

  The recent property market slowdown meant that the profit often didn’t materialise and many apartments ended up in the hands of unwilling landlords. Many apartments remain empty to this day. This coupled with the shortage of hotel rooms just doesn’t make sense.  Although the long term rental market for apartments in Liverpool remains fairly buoyant, it is a market based on volume rather than value. As an owner you might get a long term tenant in, but will the rent cover the mortgage? Depressed rental values coupled with increased interest rates can prove to be a disaster for landlords, unless there is an alternative to long terms rental.  A number of apartment owners in Liverpool have started to rent their properties on a short term basis (anything from a single night), advertising through online booking agencies, who then pass the baton back to the apartment owner as soon as the booking is made. It’s a great option for the apartment owner with high rental yields, particularly at weekends. However, the inconvenience of managing the post booking processes can prove to be a painful experience for the apartment owner, especially if they are managing these processes alongside a 9-5 career.   This is where a company like Serviced City Pads can prove to be a great help for apartment owners in Liverpool.  So, we have got to the point where there are now thousands of apartments across the city centre. Let the debate start for Liverpool’s visitors. Hotel or serviced apartment? You must remember that we are talking about brand spanking new, luxury apartments. 

One thing for sure is that there is plenty of demand for these new apartments and not necessarily from city residents:

1. Liverpool continues to suffer from a shortage of hotel rooms that cannot cope cope with……
2. …..an ever increasing number of visitors to the city who are beginning to demand more than the four walls that a hotel room offers. Tourism in the city is booming.

Tourists come in many guises: foreign supporters of Liverpool FC; fans of the Beatles; concert goers and conference delegates; corporate visitors working on projects. The numbers will continue to increase on the back of a hectic schedule of events that has been organised to celebrate Liverpool’s status as European Capital of Culture for 2008.  Serviced apartments have been a popular choice on the continent for a number of years, and are now an option for visitors to cities like Liverpool. It is understandable, even if there are hotel rooms available, that a tourist would choose an apartment to stay in during their visit. An apartment offers a different experience to a room: space and privacy with a separate kitchen and living area to the bedrooms. An apartment offers more flexibility on how a guest can spend their time, and avoid the inevitable cabin fever that results from too much time spent staring at the four walls of a hotel room.  Serviced City Pads is a Liverpool based company that represent a number of luxury apartment owners across the city. Our aim is to offer good quality and reasonably priced serviced apartments to Liverpool’s visitor, ensuring the perfect stay. 

If you are an apartment owner curious as to what Serviced City Pads can offer you, or a future visitor to this tremendous city who fancies a change from a poky hotel, why don’t you give us a call? We’ll be delighted to have a chat about how we can help you.

Contact Serviced City Pads on +44 (0) 151 709 8000.