Epic aiming to expand out of Liverpool

THE husband-and-wife-run company behind three Liverpool apart-hotels has ambitions to expand beyond the city region.

Epic Apart-Hotel, owned by Simon and Fiona Beer, is currently putting the finishing touches a new 17-room facility at 75 Duke Street, after transforming a building which had lain derelict for 31 years.

The property – which the company aims to open in time Easter weekend and the Grand National – will add to Epic’s existing portfolio with a four room hotel on  Campbell Street and another 14-room building on nearby Seel Street.

Overall in investment into the three properties amounts to more than £2.5m and the couple have no intention of stopping there, according to Epic general manager Paris D’Allessandro.

D’Allessandro said the apartments were ideal for party excursions, including stag and hen nights, although there are strict regulations over behaviour.

“The apart-hotel is a great concept because it allows groups of people to be in their own space,” he said. “They have a kitchen and are self-contained and are not bound by things like the breakfast times you get in a traditional hotel.

“But it’s also great for corporate business people and we are finding there is a buoyant midweek market for people staying in the centre of Liverpool.”

Advance bookings for the new hotel in Duke Street have already topped £100,000 and go right up to the end of January 2016.

“Liverpool has numerous tourist attractions, not just because of the two football teams,” said D’Allessandro. “We are finding there is strong demand for this type of accommodation.

“Epic is a Liverpool company,” said D’Allessandro. “But Simon and Fiona have created their own brand and see no reason why we can’t go beyond the Merseyside area.”

Work is being carried out by the Epic duo’s own company SAB Developments and they have carried out their own architectural work on the project.