The Halyard takes Liverpool’s maritime history and turns it into something considerably more polished than anchors on the wallpaper. Part of IHG’s Vignette Collection, the hotel uses timber, wool and industrial references throughout, with a smart restaurant and bar downstairs and some particularly useful rooms on the upper floors.

For groups, the big win is the Two Queen Premier: two proper queen beds plus a balcony and city views, giving four friends a much more civilised sharing set-up. There are also queen rooms with sofa beds and larger suites with separate lounge space, although adult sofa-bed occupancy needs confirming before relying on it commercially.

The Ropewalks location puts restaurants, bars and Liverpool ONE within easy walking distance, while the hotel itself gives you somewhere grown-up to start the night. Add dressing tables, mirrors and GHD straighteners in the suites and this feels like a hotel that has accidentally solved quite a lot of group-weekend problems.