Signature Living, once a prominent hotel and development company in Liverpool, launched several high-profile projects in the city centre. The company, founded by Lawrence Kenwright, expanded from serviced apartments to iconic hotels in restored buildings, but faced a dramatic downfall in 2020 when multiple companies entered administration, leaving creditors owed nearly £114m. In February 2024, Kenwright and his wife were declared bankrupt, and in August 2026, Kenwright was banned as a company director until 2031.
Dixie Dean Hotel and 30 James Street
The Dixie Dean Hotel, themed around Everton legend Dixie Dean, opened in 2019 and was operated by Signature Eden, which owed over £15.5m when it entered administration in 2022. The business and assets, including the hotel, were sold for £3m to an associated entity of the secured creditor in August 2025. The 30 James Street Hotel, based in the Grade II* Albion House, was launched in 2014 and later sold to Hamburg-based RIMC Hotels and Resorts in May 2023, but after closure, it was sold again to Amsterdam-based Guessa Capital Invest B.V.
Kingsway House and Bling Bling Building
Kingsway House in Hatton Garden, a project by Kingsway SLG, was granted planning permission in 2018 but has been in receivership since August 2022, with investors yet to receive refunds. The Bling Bling Building on Hanover Street, purchased in 2017 for co-working office space, was sold to Prestige Stay in December 2020.
Arthouse Hotel and 60 Old Hall Street
The Arthouse Hotel, opened in 2017, was part of Signature Works Gold Limited, which sold desk space but did not own the properties. The company had assets under £100,000 and liabilities of £4.8m when wound up. 60 Old Hall Street, taken on in 2016, went into administration in April 2020, with a High Court ruling finding a monitoring surveyor negligently advised a lender on a £12.9m loan.
Alma De Cuba, Shankly Hotel, Cavern Walks, and Bold Street Apartments
Alma De Cuba, acquired in 2017 for £3.1m, entered administration owing over £9m and was bought by JSM Group for £2.5m, later reopening as St Peter's Tavern. The Shankly Hotel, opened in 2015, went into administration in April 2020, with administrators seeking a sale amid complex fractional ownership. Cavern Walks, bought in 2018, had plans for a hotel that never materialized, and a new proposal in March sought to convert it into serviced apartments. Bold Street Apartments, opened in the 2000s, were among the first projects that "started it all" for Signature Living.
