Four-Star Success for Waterfront Southport Hotel

Waterfront Southport Hotel is celebrating being awarded a Four Star rating by VisitEngland.

The accolade followed a rigorous assessment by VisitEngland inspectors, who recognised the high quality of experience that hotel guests can enjoy at the venue.

Waterfront Southport Hotel enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in the North West, overlooking Marine Lake and out towards the coast.

Just steps from Southport’s top attractions, the hotel is the place to be as a place where guests can ‘escape the ordinary’.

There are 131 bedrooms with penthouse suites that boast spectacular views.

A crown jewel is the Roof Garden & Bar where visitors can soak up the sun with a drink in hand before indulging in a delicious meal at the Waterfront Marina Restaurant.

Their stylish events space is perfect for all occasions from weddings, meetings to birthday parties, with floor-to-ceiling curved windows offering breath-taking 180-degree views of the Marine Lake and Irish Sea.

Guests are well looked after by the hotel’s dedicated team of 70 colleagues.

Frank Stewart the Manager of Southport Waterfront Hotel said: 

“We are really proud to have been awarded our Four Star rating by VisitEngland.

“It’s a very prestigious accolade for any hotel to earn, and it’s testament to the hard work, dedication and quality of the team that we have here.

“The four star rating means that visitors can be assured of the quality of their experience when they visit us.

“It was a very thorough assessment that the VisitEngland inspectors carried out, looking at all aspects of our operation from the quality of our rooms to our facilities and amenities, inhouse dining options, taste and quality of the food, ambience in our bar/restaurant, cleanliness, everything.

“They were able to gain a good perspective of what we’re all about and the quality of stay that our guests experience throughout the year.

“They were sufficiently impressed to award us Four Stars, which makes us very proud, and really sets out the standards that we set and maintain.”

The Four Star rating is a brilliant accolade to earn at the start of what will be one of the busiest years ever seen at Southport Waterfront Hotel.

The hotel first opened its doors as the Ramada Plaza Hotel in 2008, later becoming Bliss Hotel and now Southport Waterfront Hotel.

Southport Waterfront Hotel has several great events coming up this month. They include:

• Sunday 15th March 2026: Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea. Celebrate Mum with afternoon tea, a glass of fizz and live music courtesy of fabulous vocalist Tricia McTeague. 2pm to 4pm. £35 per adult. £17.50 per child (under 12).
• Saturday, 28th March 2026: Grease vs Dirty Dancing. 90 Minutes of bottomless drinks; slider platters & snacks; live performances & singalongs. £45 per person.
• Friday 10th July 2026: 90s Comedy bingo. £10 per person.
• Saturday 26th September: Next stop Nashville. Live full band country music event, followed by DJ, southern style food available to purchase on the night. £25 per person.

Frank Stewart said: 

“2026 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Southport!

“There is lots happening, and many reasons for people to come and stay in Southport and enjoy what’s coming up, all year round.

“I was impressed by the recent Lightport event, which was spectacular.

“It was the first of four major new events coming to Southport with Cristal Palace taking place in April, the Big Top Festival in May and Books Alive in October.

“They’re adding to our already well-established events such as Southport Flower Show, Southport Air Show, Southport Food & Drink Festival, the British Musical Fireworks, Southport Comedy Festival and others, which all bring lots of staying guests and a few celebrities too!

“When I first came to the hotel, in October 2024, I was walking through our restaurant and saw comedian Rich Hall, who was performing at the festival, sitting down and enjoying breakfast. Celebrity chef and star of BBCs MasterChef, Marcus Wareing is also a regular at the hotel.

“We are particularly excited to see The154th Open Golf Championship returning to Royal Birkdale this July.

“We were fully booked for that event several months ago and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone.

“The eyes of the world will be on Southport when The Open is being played, and it’s a huge opportunity for Southport to really shine.

“There is lots of redevelopment work happening in Southport, much of it very close to us.

“There has been good news recently about the restoration of Southport Pier and the creation of the new Marine Lake Events Centre and the Light Fantastic attraction, where we’ll see workers on site and spades going into the ground soon.

“One of the big benefits of Southport Pier being restored and reopened and the Marine Lake Events Centre being built is that they will attract substantial additional visitors into Southport.

“That will deliver a huge boost to Waterfront Southport Hotel in terms of the number of guests coming to stay with us, as well as to numerous local attractions, restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, guest houses, and more. It’s exactly what our town needs.”

VisitEngland offers a range of quality schemes for tourism businesses in England, all of which are managed by VisitEngland Assessment Services.

Their team of trained quality assessors who visit our quality scheme participants assess the quality of their business and award star ratings and accreditation.

With strict criteria for each of our quality schemes, the VisitEngland assessors check the services and facilities offered to determine the most appropriate level of accreditation. Each year, every aspect of the business is thoroughly inspected from the efficiency of the booking process to the level of service provided.

• Waterfront Southport Hotel is situated on the Promenade, Southport, PR9 0DZ
• Visit: Hotel in Southport | The Waterfront Southport Hotel