NOT only has base2stay, a former derelict printing press turned eco boutique hotel, been called ‘the coolest hotel in Liverpool’ by The Times, but it’s the city’s number one rated hotel on Trip Advisor. As Catherine Vonledebur discovers, it is also a great no-frills place to stay with children.

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FROM the little North Wales market town where I grew up, we could see Liverpool across the River Dee on a clear day.

Many of my schoolfriends were Scousers. We used to shop at Quiggins, the alternative shopping centre, hang out in Irish bars and go to gigs at the Liverpool Empire.

It is great to be returning with my husband and three children – aged 10, seven and two.

But this time we are going upmarket, staying at an affordable four-star boutique hotel in the city’s vibrant Ropewalks quarter.

Innovative base2stay opened a year ago in a former industrial brick warehouse in Seel Street, following the launch of its sister concept hotel in Kensington.

The former Seel House Press Building, which dates back to the 1850s, was derelict for 25 years before hotelier Robert Nadler spent £14million on extensive renovations.

His wife Clarissa Nadler, a French interior designer, worked with Liverpool architects Austin-Smith to restore the building.

The minimalist contemporary decor is reminiscent of a Bohemian New York warehouse apartment – sliding glass doors, black leather sofas and exposed brick walls.

In the entrance lounge you can drink free coffee and read arty books on the lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Robert’s stepson Ronald Diennet created 527 pieces of striking modern art for the hotel’s bedrooms and entrance lounge.

Staff could not be more helpful when we check-in to the intriguing sounding ‘Secret Garden Suite’ on a sunny Sunday afternoon. This stylish room is huge and sleeps up to five.

There are ceiling high glass doors leading to the ‘secret garden’ – an enclosed decked space with wooden chairs and table.

Downstairs, two leather sofas are converted into comfy looking beds and there is a master bedroom upstairs –“Can we sleep upstairs?” the two older ones ask.

As well as a family bathroom with a bath and walk-in shower, there is a separate toilet with ethical toiletries, Zero%.

But it’s the sleek granite mini-kitchen with fridge, sink, microwave, kettle, coffee machine, free Fairtrade tea and all the cutlery and crockery you’ll need, which make it particularly family-friendly.

Other perks include 30 minutes free phone time, a laptop safe, free WiFi and discount at local restaurant and bars. Almost immediately, CBBC’s Horrible Histories is switched on the giant 37” LCD flat-screen HDTV downstairs as the kids make themselves at home curling up in duvets.

There is another TV upstairs – they both have free internet, 6,000 music tracks, radio, games and 30 pay-per-view films for £1.95 each.

It comes as a lovely surprise to discover the extremely hospitable general manager Andrea Burton is from Coventry.

She said: “It’s quite a family-orientated hotel – our three deluxe rooms four and eight Gallery Studios sleep up to four and the Garden Suite sleeps up to five.

“They are quite good for families. We have mini-kitchens in every room.

“I am really big on customer service. Every year I go on holiday to the same hotel in America and it really bugs me I can’t check into my room until 3pm.

“If we are quiet in the week, we will go out of our way to accommodate people and if they want to check into their room early, that’s fine.

“We get a lot of American, Portuguese and Spanish guests.

“I asked our receptionist staff to some research and find out how they had heard of us – it was mostly from Trip Advisor.”

Andrea, whose mum still lives in Longford, started her career as a hotel receptionist in Coventry.

“I worked at the Royal Court Hotel, Allesley Hotel and the Windmill Village.”

She has managed base2stay since January, having previously worked at The Best Western Feathers Hotel in the city – and brought many of her staff with her.

“A lot of money is being put into Seel Street,” she adds.

The Ropewalks has a vibrant arty, industrial yet slightly run down feel – base2stay is on the same road as kooky indie club Heebie Jeebies and Alma De Cuba, the beautifully converted 300-year-old St Peter’s Catholic church, now a Cuban bar/restaurant.

It is also just five minutes stroll to Liverpool One with its designer shops and the stunning UNESCO World Heritage waterfront site.

Our only dilemma was where to park – a parking bay outside the hotel for £2 overnight, but staff recommend a nearby secure car park nearby costing £9 for 24 hours.

Unfortunately when we came to pay the next morning our bill was £14.

The following evening we risked the £2 bay – and the car was still there in the morning...

Getting There

* www.base2stayliverpool.com ; 0151 705 2626. Room Rates: from £49 for a single to £70 for a family room and £149 for the Secret Garden Suite. Breakfast is not included. There is no in-house bar or restaurant. Breakfast boxes can be delivered to your room; or you eat out at one of the 16 nearby cafes listed in a breakfast directory.

* Things to do with kids: We picked up a handful of leaflets in the hotel lobby including a Family Guide to Liverpool’s eight National Museums, which include the Tate and the World Museum, with its Age Of The Dinosaur exhibition. Each has lots of children’s activities.

* We decided to visit the £72million controversial new Museum of Liverpool which looks like a giant computer screen perched on the the edge of the Albert Dock.

* It seems the whole of Liverpool had the same idea. When we arrived it was heaving and people were queuing up in the entrance. “Why do we need to queue?” was my first reaction. “Isn’t it free?” Yes it’s free but there are timed tickets for three areas – Little Liverpool, a 30-minute fun activity session for babies to 6-year-olds, a football show and a Beatles show. We also went for a paddle at the man-made beach at Chavasse Park in Liverpool One and went to Crosby Beach to see Antony Gormley’s Another Place – 100 iron men looking out to sea.

* Where to eat? If you’d ever fancied trying to catch fried potatoes in your teeth, watch your own personal chef juggle eggs and create a heart shaped omelette on a hotplate before your eyes, Sapporo Teppanyaki in Duke Street is the place to go.

* This is not your typical sushi and noodle bar - it is more of a theatrical eating experience. My husband and I did not hear a peep from our children, who were totally enthralled throughout the whole three-course meal. I had monkfish with noodles and banana tempura for dessert which was delicious. www.sapporo.co.uk

* Hotel manager Andrea Burton recommended the award-winning Lunya, a Catalan fusion restaurant and deli in beautifully converted 18th century warehouse in College Lane, a two-minute walk away.

* We ordered tapas and as it was a Monday night, got a free bottle of wine for spending over £35. As guests of base2stay you also get 20 per cent discount from your bill. www.lunya.co.uk

For more information about accommodation, bars, restaurants, shopping, culture and heritage go to www.VisitLiverpool.com