Boutique hotel up for sale at £1.5m due to pandemic

A Liverpool boutique hotel has gone on the market for £1.5m.

Urbanista Hotel is being marketed following a re-evaluation by its owners into its operational and development criteria due to COVID-19, which has severely affected the hospitality sector.

The hotel is made up of 17 different rooms varying in size and capacity which can sleep up to 58 people at any one time, as well as a top floor events space, terrace and staffing areas.

The pandemic meant that Urbanista was forced to close in March 2020, but reopened in July with the addition of a top floor events space, including a private bar and booth seating, ensuring it was fully COVID-secure and could continue to operate during the pandemic while adhering to all government guidelines.

Urbanista Hotel is home to double and quad rooms as well as larger suites, including the Wild Corner and Secret Garden suites that are both favourites with guests and come complete with private outdoor courtyards packed with flower walls, murals by local artist Jazz Stan, as well as a swinging egg chair and bar area.

Since the addition of the hotel’s top floor events space, Urbanista says it has received an overwhelmingly positive response with many enquiring to have private gatherings and parties.

Some were able to go ahead under the guidelines allowing 30 people to mix, before this soon changed to 15, followed by Liverpool’s tighter Tier Three restrictions forbidding any gatherings other than weddings and funerals and, of course, the third national lockdown.

Urbanista Hotel is owned by Liverpool-based Evolve Property Group and operated by Voya Hotels.

The hotel has been placed on the market with Christie & Co.

Ryan Lynn, director at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, said: “We see this as a fantastic opportunity for the buyer to take over a property that has been fully fitted out and refurbished in 2020.

“Unfortunately, due to COVID, our clients didn’t get the chance to open and trade the business fully, but due to its fantastic location and the standard of the property, rooms and space in general, we believe this will be a very successful business for a buyer going into 2021 and beyond.”

There is the option of a management agreement if a buyer wants a management team to run the new business for them, or vacant possession as required.