Opening of Dixie Dean hotel to create ‘football quarter' in Liverpool

The opening of Signature Living's £10m Dixie Dean hotel in Liverpool will see the creation of what the company describes as a "football quarter" in the city.

The first phase of the 100-bedroom hotel's launch will see its No9 restaurant open in May, joining sister hotel the Shankly opposite.

The Dixie Dean is named after the former Everton football player, with the restaurant name referring to Dean's shirt number, while the Shankly commemorates former Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly. Life-size bronze statues of the pair will be positioned outside of both hotels.

The 160-cover No9 restaurant and bar will serve British cuisine across breakfast, afternoon tea, lunch and a la carte dinner menus. The interior will feature a blue colour palette, synonymous with Everton FC, with gold embellishments, as well as Dixie Dean memorabilia.

The second phase of the hotel will follow in the summer, which will see the rooms opening.

The Dixie Dean hotel is a partnership between Lawrence and Katie Kenwright's Signature Living Hotel Group, Barbara Dean and Melanie Prentice, Dean's daughter and granddaughter, respectively. Dean will attend special events at the hotel to talk about her father and his footballing career, while Prentice has been appointed guest relations director of the hotel.

Lawrence Kenwright, Signature Living chairman, said: "Our goal was always to build two iconic hotels that would represent the two greatest football teams in English football and to leave a lasting legacy to Everton and Liverpool football clubs. What made this even more unique was not only the locations of each hotel being across the road from each other but that we had the full support and blessing of Dixie's family."

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