THE Bold Hotel in Southport is celebrating being recognised as the best in Merseyside in their category at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards!

Southport’s oldest hotel - which has welcomed generations of families from across the UK since it opened in 1832 - was crowned Small Serviced Accommodation of the Year at a glittering awards event at Liverpool Cathedral.

10 years ago the venue on Lord Street was bought by Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group, which has invested millions of pounds in a continuous programme of improvements.

Last year The Bold won the Southport Hotel of The Year title at the Your Southport Stars Awards, ahead of winning their new title among peers from across the Liverpool City Region. 

Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group Chairman Andrew Mikhail said:- “What a fantastic award for The Bold to win! I was elated when I heard the news! To be honoured by judges as the best in the whole of the Liverpool City Region against so much strong competition is massive. It’s brilliant news for us and it’s great for Southport, especially during such a big year where we’re hosting visitors from across the world at The 154th Open Golf Championship and with the 4 major new events happening as part of ‘Southport 2026’. To be able to say that visitors can come and stay at the best venue in Merseyside is something for the whole of Southport to be proud of."

He continued:- “We took over The Bold a decade ago and have been investing in it continuously ever since. We have spent more money making improvements throughout than we did to buy it in the 1st place. That’s the secret of our success - we never stand still. We are constantly looking to improve our offer both in terms of the quality of our accommodation, the quality of our food and the quality of our service to ensure that our guests have the very best experience possible. The changes we make are continuous. That is true not just at The Bold but also reflective of what we offer across the whole Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group, which includes venues in Southport, Liverpool and St Helens. Our occupancy rate at The Bold is over 90% which is outdoing the trends across the industry. It’s because our guests know the high standards they can expect."

Andrew Mikhail added:- “I’d like to pay tribute to our General Manager Mark Sloan, who we appointed earlier this year, and to our previous General Manager, Kelsie Buck. Mark has come into the role and has continued to set similar high standards to Kelsie, putting his own stamp on the venue. We’re very grateful to our much-valued team of 50 staff members at The Bold, who all work hard to make the hotel so successful from our chefs, to our front of house staff, housekeepers, cleaners, receptionists, bar staff and more. It takes a whole team with everyone playing their part to make a successful hotel.”

The Bold General Manager Mark Sloan was at Liverpool Cathedral to collect the award on the night.

He was joined by colleagues including Head Chef Lee Whittaker; Director Geoff Wareham; Group Reservations Manager Trinity Christian; Reception Manager Amy O’Donnell; and Group Business Development Manager Geraldine Janssen.

Mark Sloan said:- “It was a superb night at the Liverpool City Tourism Awards - there were hundreds of guests there on the night, from venues across the region. Liverpool Cathedral was a magnificent venue to host the ceremony. It really came out of the blue. I never expected to win, especially when we were up against such huge competition. To hear our name called out and to go up and collect the award was a very proud moment! It’s another accolade for our trophy cabinet after The Bold won Southport Hotel of the Year at last year’s Your Southport Stars Awards. Hopefully we’ll be able to add more trophies and honours in the years ahead. The secret to our success is constantly improving! We’re currently making improvements to our outdoor terrace  area, brightening it up with new flowers and a fresh new look ready for a busy Easter and summer period, along with the many big things coming up including the new Cristal Palace event in April. We’ll have lots of reasons for families to come and visit. We’re currently creating our new menus, making sure we have lots for people to look forward to.”

The excellence of the winners in the Liverpool City Tourism Awards together demonstrate a sector delivering consistency, innovation and a world‑class visitor experience.

The ceremony, held at Liverpool Cathedral and hosted by BBC Radio Merseyside presenter, Kevin Duala, honoured the individuals, businesses and organisations whose work has welcomed thousands of visitors over the past year.

For more details about The Bold visit this website.