Australia-based Quest Apartment Hotels will enter the UK hotel market in 2019 with the opening of its first property in Liverpool.

The company will spend £10m redeveloping a commercial office building in the city's Church Street into the 100-room Quest Liverpool.

Set to open in early 2019, the hotel will kick start Quest's plans to expand further in the UK market. It plans to establish itself as a major player in the hotel/apartment sector with a target of having between eight and 10 properties by 2023.

Quest founder and chair Paul Constantinou said the deal marked the realisation of a long-held dream.

“For decades, we have honed the brand and the franchise business model to appeal to Australasian business travellers," he said.

“This first property development in Liverpool sets a benchmark for Quest and for the apartment hotel industry in the UK.”

"We spent many years in the UK before undertaking this development, to ensure we understood the market and could confidently, and aggressively roll-out the brand."