Review: the Aloft Liverpool hotel (Part 2)

Here is part 2 of my review of the Aloft Liverpool hotel.

In part 1 of my Aloft Liverpool review (click here) I looked at my room, gym and meeting spaces.  Part 2 focuses on the restaurant and bar and how you can use Starwood Preferred Guest points to get a fantastic deal at this hotel which can be very expensive at times.

Breakfast at Aloft Liverpool

Breakfast is served in the NYL restaurant. The buffet has a good selection of different breads, cold cuts and full English.

There were three different juices

and various cereals and mueslis.

Dinner

NYL’s menu is inspired by the food and culture in New York.  The menu ranges from soup over salad to burgers and steaks at what I considered very reasonable prices (it’s not London!)

It’s worth mentioning that Starwood Preferred Guest members can receive a 20% discount and earn loyalty points when dining at NYL even if they are not guests in the hotel.

At the weekends you can (well, have to) listen to live music whilst dining.  I personally enjoyed it especially as I was dining on my own and that can get a bit boring sometimes.

My healthy option for the evening was the NYL Burger. It was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. Just the right seasoning and cooking grade.

Here is a picture of the NYL bar (during the day).

The second evening I went down to the WXYZ bar and did some work on my laptop.

I ordered a steak from the bar menu which was really good.

This is the Re:mix lounge with lots of sitting spaces, a pool table and a work station with two computers:

Just to give an impression of the integration of new contemporary elements whilst keeping the right amount of old, here is a picture of one of the hallways that resembles an old train station.

The Aloft Liverpool is known for supporting local artists. They arrange music competitions and this artwork which you can find on every floor was chosen through a competition with local art students.

Conclusion

I really liked the Aloft Liverpool. The interior designers have done a great job creating a contemporary hotel inside a hundred year old building.

The staff were super friendly and seemed to really enjoy their jobs – always a plus.

As the hotel has got two bars and a restaurant with live music, you can start your night right in the hotel, or even stay there if you don’t want to go to one of the many bars in the surrounding area.

My room was super quiet, the bed very comfortable and the only problem I had was the amount of chlorine in the water.

If you have some Starwood Preferred Guest points, this hotel is an excellent deal.  (If you don’t have any, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points at 2:1 or get the SPG American Express Card which is reviewed here.)

Starwood offers ‘last room reward availability’ which means that you can book a standard room for a reward stay if one is available for cash, however expensive the cash rate.  On the weekend I was there, rooms started at £169.  On Saturday 17th September, you would pay £209 for cash but just 3,000 SPG points!  This gets you 7p per point compared with Rob’s usual valuation of 1.5p.  Other weekends see Saturday prices hit £229.  These prices are inflated by football matches and other events.

During the week you will usually pay around £85 or you can use 4,000 SPG points.  Even then, you are getting 2p per point which is a good deal.

The hotel website is here if you want to find out more.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)