Contemplating (as always) my next trip to Liverpool, I am in a quandary over hotels. I've been to the city many times, and stayed in several places. Many of them have been just fine, but have lots of noisy guests.

It seems that Liverpool has become the destination of many "hen" and "stag" parties ( a custom that seems to be growing in the U.K., and isn't that popular in the States). I want a quiet place to stay, while I enjoy my own aspects of Liverpool.

Any suggestions, fellow Fodorites? I'd like to spend no more than $150 (75 pounds) a night. Or do I have to spend more at a business hotel to have a restful stay? Thanks for your input.

This really depends on when you're visiting. Ordinarily, Liverpool doesn't get that many people staying on business, so midweek prices usually fall off outside the peak holiday times, and stags and hens mostly only happen on Fri-Sun nights. Whether all this City of Culture stuff confuses all that during 2008 (people were having to stay in Manchester at the beginning of this week, as Liverpool hotels sold out), I don't know - but there's little to attract people.

We've occasionally got good midweek prices - via Priceline - at the city centre Marriott, and never found so much as a discarded L plate (I'd be very iffy about the Speke one, since it's next door to a major low-cost airport). Practically everywhere else in what I'd call the centre is either stag-infested at weekends or probably out of your budget

However there's a Campanile just east of Albert Dock, and a couple of similar places around it. It's a bit charm-free, but it's cheap and I've never seen a hint of a stag or hen there.

Oh, Flanner, I knew I could count on you to reply. Actually, I stayed at the Campanile once before, and found it satisfactory. I'll look into the City Centre Marriott.

I once stayed at the Holiday Inn Express/Albert Dock, and was awakened by neighbors coming in at 4 AM. The last time I visited Liverpool, I stayed at the Thistle, and had fine views of the river, but had noisy neighbors at 2 AM.

I love the city, though, so I will return!

The Holiday Inn City Centre seems to be a good choice. They offer breakfast included rates too.

"The Holiday Inn City Centre seems to be a good choice."

No, no, no, no no.

It's perfectly OK as a hotel. But if you're looking for stag parties at weekends, it's THE perfect choice. Worse, it's not rare to find the restaurants awash with flannerclan members celebrating some rite of passage.

Me, I like all that shouting, screaming and "No, nay never" singing - especially with the "de doo doo doo doo " bit. But if you want quiet, Times Square would be more suitable.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn City Centre in September, and didn't have any trouble with noise. Dead quiet, in fact. A few drunkies in the elevator and the bar, but not staggering abusive ones. I think it matters what floor you're on.

The hotel was decent enough, but there were a variety of things that didn't work in unexpected ways. How, for instance, does a nice hotel end up with a bathroom door that doesn't come anywhere near fitting in its jamb? It was a good half-inch from clearing. And the toilet seat was a completely different size and shape than the bowl it was fitted to -- it worked, but it was weird.

I didn't think to ask anyone if they were flannerclan.

I appreciate your honest comments. Obviously I haven’t stayed at the HI City Centre, was going by what was written on Trip Advisor, and thought it seemed like a good value hotel. I think the Marriott looks very nice. Again going by the posted TA comments written by UK locals as well as others the hotel gets mixed reviews.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...l_England.html

Thanks again, all. Any suggestions for self-catered apartments? The city seems to be filled with them these days. I can see the place is gearing up for 2008.