Golf fan snaps up £3,000-a-night hotel room for Open

Feb 19 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

Vincent Hotel Southport

IT’S thought to be the most expensive hotel room in Merseyside and will set you back a cool £15,000. The five star, 60-room Vincent hotel, in Southport, only has its Penthouse suite left during July’s Open Golf championship – where a six-night stay will cost more than a new two-litre Volkswagen Golf car.

Managers at the hotel say top executives at a number of US merchant banks, one of the world’s largest insurance corporations and sports marketing companies have said they are interested.

But because no one has put any money down, the race is on to snap up one of the most desirable places to stay for this Open.

Half the hotel’s other rooms have been block-booked by global management consultancy firm Oliver Wyman and 10 others are reserved for Open organisers from the Royal and Ancient golf club in St Andrews.

Even before its opening in May, the Vincent has been listed as one of the top 20 Hot Hotels of 2008.

The 100 sq m penthouse boasts three rooms, oak floors, private steam room, outdoor Jacuzzi, a “maxi bar” and rainforest shower. After a day at Royal Birkdale watching top stars such as Tiger Woods, golf lovers will be able to kick back on to a super-king size bed with goose down mattress topper, duvet and pillows.

From the top of the six-storey Lord Street building, penthouse guests will be able see as far as Blackpool and Morecambe Bay, or Wirral and the Welsh Mountains.

Paul Adams, owner of the Vincent, said: “The price tag of the penthouse reflects the quality of accommodation.

“It is only a matter of time before the penthouse is snapped up.”

The regular price of a night in the penthouse will be £695.

With five months before the tournament tees off, the vast majority of the town’s 1,000 rooms have already been reserved.

Southport Tourism’s Steve Christian said demand for rooms started even before 2007’s Open at Carnoustie was over.

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