Accommodation

The Hotel

The Devonshire House Hotel is an independently owned 54-bedroom hotel with extensive conference & banqueting facilities and we are known as “Liverpool’s Hotel in a Garden”. For enquiries contact Debbie.hayden@devonshirehouse.co.uk

Our History

We have an interesting history; originally this was a seminary run by nuns of the Immaculate Conception. The original two buildings, built in 1856, were the Public House at the front and Holly House, where reception, the executive bedrooms and the lounge bar can now be found.

The whole site was enclosed in a walled garden, some of which still stands, before the site was split into two, the Holly House & Public House.  The connection can still be seen today by a statue of “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception” carved into the east gable end of the pub.

One of the students at the seminary was the young Emma Holt. Emma applied to one of the Oxbridge Colleges to study chemistry but was refused; there were limited places for women. As a determined young lady, she the set about to form her own ladies university. She approached four wealthy Liverpool families (Melly, Herdman, Rathbone and Derby) and together with the Holts they bought these buildings and formed a ladies’ only college affiliated to Liverpool University. The University had the degree awarding powers. The nuns moved to Old Swan, where they remain today.

In the early 20th century The Holly House Ladies College was awarded its own degree awarding powers. To commemorate the first three degrees awarded from the college, in 1906 three Holly trees were planted, called the three sisters. The trees are to the right of you as you walk down the steps from reception or visible from the conference centre which opens onto the gardens with the trees straight ahead.

Holly House Ladies College then became part of Liverpool University and these buildings became halls of residence. Initially, in 1963, they were ladies halls of residence but in the 70’s they were mixed. They were then transferred to John Moores University in 1988.

In 1995 they were bought by the Devonshire House Hotel and converted into its present form.