With its quirky shipping line theme and glitzy decor, 30 James Street is built for adventures, writes Janet Reeder
‘The home of the Titanic’ it says on the 30 James Street website but this is not to be confused with the Titanic Hotel further along the Liverpool waterfront. This prestigious address is the former HQ of the White Star Line and is now a Grade II listed building.
Owners Lawrence and Katie Kenwright have uncovered the beauty of the original architecture and the hotel has many features which pay homage to the building’s illustrious past.
But if that sounds like we’d be conducting everything in reverential hushed tones during our stay nothing could be further from the truth because, darling, we were in Liverpool!
There’s something so ‘up for it’ and exhilarating about staying at 30 James Street. The location is opposite the Albert Dock which gives it the feel of a seaside location and on a sunny day everyone is dressed in their best.
Across from the hotel, which the locals call the streaky bacon building because of its red brick and marble exterior, are the riches of Liverpool’s maritime heritage in the form of the Three Graces, as well as newer museums and the Tate Liverpool. We headed to the latter to catch the Francis Bacon show and fell in love instead with the work of Maria Lassnig. Catch it while you can. It’s on until September 18th.
Back at 30 James Street the wedding season was in full swing and girls in pretty dresses tumbled out of the elevator clutching glasses of fizz.
It’s a hotel created for glamorous get-togethers and while our room was medium-sized it had an extra double bed. Check out the website and you’ll see pictures of the OTT 15 ft bed in the Presidential Suite. Not so much a case of You’ll Never Walk Alone as You’ll Never Sleep Alone.
The rooftop bar overlooks the Albert Dock and beyond and it is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail before dinner in the chic Carpathia Champagne Bar and Restaurant.
We started with Coquille St Jacques scallops served with shallots, garlic, Gruyere cheese gratin and duchess potatoes, £9.50, and a Garstang Blue twice baked soufflé, £8.50, both accomplished dishes. The mains included a juicy 8oz Welsh rib eye complimented by flat cap mushrooms and cherry vine tomatoes, £24.50, and wild mushroom and goats’ cheese wellington with buttered baby vegetables, £13.50, which packed plenty of flavour but was a little soggy. The hand cut chips were delicious.
But what a wonderful place to dine on any day. The views are spectacular and you can imagine how it might have been a hundred years ago, gazing out onto your ships as they cast away their anchors and headed out into the unknown.
Maybe 30 James Street’s glitzy interiors and quirky shipping line theme isn’t for everyone but for me it had a great good time vibe that I loved. Arguably the closest thing to taking a White Star Line luxury cruise!
30 James Street Hotel, Albion House, 30 James Street, Liverpool, L2 7PQ 0151 601 9845
