'I stayed in TripAdvisor's top hotel in best large UK city for a short break'

According to a survey by Which? Liverpool is currently the best large city for a short break in the UK. Scoring 84% customer satisfaction, Merseyside's famous coastal city just edged out Edinburgh and York by a percentage point into second and third place respectively.

In contrast, Manchester came in 11th place with 74% - trailing behind other large cities like Newcastle, Portsmouth and Bristol. For fairness, it's only right that I declare my split loyalties to both cities, working for the Manchester Evening News while hailing from Liverpool.

The truth is I love both Liverpool and Manchester. Yet there's no doubt Liverpool has transformed itself into a great destination for a city break - and it's only just over 30 minutes from Manchester by train.

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Much of this is thanks to the city leaning in to its unique selling points in terms of its history, architecture, pop culture and its iconic waterfront. Assets the city has excelled at promoting in recent times, while also receiving universal praise for its brilliant hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 after stepping in for Ukraine.

So I put myself in the shoes of a tourist and booked into the city's No.1 rated hotel on TripAdvisor. The Resident hotel on Seel Street is located right in the heart of Liverpool - perfectly placed to experience what the city offers in terms of culture as well as shops, bars and restaurants. It's also just walking distance from Liverpool's famed waterfront.

As we walked down Seel Street to check in early on Saturday afternoon, the streets were already crammed with shoppers and afternoon