Stylish hotels in Birmingham
60
Stylish hotels in Birmingham
So this is about Hotels, for all those of you who fancy coming into the city for a bit of retail therapy, for a city break with your lover or to visit relatives. Its also for those of you living in the area with no room to put your relatives who wish to visit, or no wish to have them cluttering up your spare room (after all where would you put your shoes!).
This lists my top four hotels in the centre of Birmingham, chosen for style, location and pure decadence. Also included is a list of the most essential things you need to remember to find out about before you book into any hotel and of course the all important locations and contact information for the hotels.
1. Staying Cool at Rotunda
The Rotunda is one of Birmingham’s most iconic landmarks. Built in the 60’s it a round glass tower which has been excellently refurbished. The apartments are on the top two floors of the tower and the floor to ceiling glass walls make for an impressive view over Birmingham especially at night. Its only 250 meters from New Street station (you barely have to go outside if you take the short cut through the Palisades, although 250 meters is a bit of a walk in high heels with a suitcase so perhaps a taxi would be better!).
The aim of these apartments is style, comfort and design. There are original artwork and specially designed furniture in each of the rooms so no two rooms are the same. The descriptions of the rooms read like an interior designer’s heaven. The furniture is a mixture of NaughtOne and tulip chairs by Pierre Paulin., the kitchen is Poggenpohl and wonderfully sleek, the lighting is Tom Dixon and Artemide, the espresso maker is Gaggia and there are Apple computers and iPod dock/ this is the epitome of style, comfort and decadence, if only I could afford to live there all of the time I would!
There are four types of apartments, the minis which are studio apartments, the clubman’s which are one bedroom apartments, the maxi’s are two bedroom apartments with en suite facilities and the Europa penthouse is again two bedroom with en suites. Room facilities range but there is a hairdryer, iron, shower and bath, refrigerator, desk, seating area, dishwasher, washing machine and kitchen in all. The Maxis and Penthouse have separate dining areas as well, a total home away from home. All the rooms have king size beds with pocket sprung mattresses with memory foam. There’s free wifi, TV’s and hand blended aromatherapy products.
Breakfast is not included but is available. Its best to be aware breakfast needs to be ordered before 11am on the day of arrival and preferably 24 hours before which seems a little restrictive, as how can you possibly know if your going to be around for breakfast the next morning! Where applicable breakfasts are organic and free range.
Prices are from £144 per night
Upsides: it’s stylish, individual and hugely convenient as its right next to the station and Selfridges. Not for the faint hearted and those scared of heights, never the less for pure style and originality and of course the perfect location this has to be the number one every time.
Downsides: no guest parking, the public parking is over 300 meters away and uphill, and costs £16 per day. There are also no phones in the rooms to call to reception which although everyone has a mobile, seems a little irritating.
Pets: Not allowed
Disabled access: no specific arrangements but there are of course lifts to both floors.
Babies: children under two are free of charge and cots are provided free of charge, the maximum cots per room is only one however.
Why: when entertaining your lover for your first weekend away, or to try to blag as a business expense.
Style rating: 10/10
Website: http://www.stayingcool.com
2. The Spires
Well if you can’t get a hotel which is literally across the road from Selfridges, where else do you go than a hotel which is right next to the Mailbox and Harvey Nicks! It is however 500 metres away from New Street Station and 800 meters away from the Bull Ring and the main shopping in Birmingham. It is though closer to Broad Street which is the centre for nightlife in Birmingham, and being closer to where you want to get back to at night is surely more important then where you want to get back to in the daylight.
These again are apartments, which are modern and stylish. There is a choice of either one or two bedroom suites with or without breakfast included. However the apartments have fully equipped kitchens. Breakfast can be served in bed if ordered, or where ever you want to have it, and if you order groceries in prior to your stay they’ll even unpack them and pout them away for you! The two bedroom suites all come with two bathrooms as well. The faculties in the room include a TV, fully equipped kitchen area, shower and bath, telephone, radio, hair dryer (make and power vary so perhaps best if you’re fussy to take your own), wake up call services, iron and ironing board, refrigerator, desk, DVD player, CD player, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine. There are no hair straighters, each wardrobe has between 6 and 8 hangers, pillows are not feather and dressing gowns are not provided. However own brand toiletries are provided which consist of shampoo, shower gel and soap.
Prices are from £99 per night. The one two suite is a master bed in one room and double or twin beds in the other room. Only the master bedroom is en suite. There is also a garden for the hotel residents to enjoy which is unusual in a city centre. Laundry and dry cleaning is available along with wired internet in the hotel rooms which is free of charge.
Upsides: these aren’t quite so iconic and designed with total style in mind however they are modern, attractive and nicely furnished. Also they sometimes feel a little easier to relax in perhaps because they are not quite as hip and cutting edge. There are more amenities in the room which can make your stay more comfortable, and breakfast in bed is always an attractive option.
Downsides: the reception is not manned 24 hours particularly at the weekend so check in can be a pain if you arrive at an “unusual” time. No parking is available on site; however there is a car park at the nearby Mailbox which is £18 for up to 24 hours.
Pets: not allowed
Disabled access: there are no suites specifically designed for disabled guests however there are lifts to all floors.
Babies: one cot is provided free per room and up to three can fit in a room. All children under twelve stay free of charge.
Why: when shopping in the city with your best friend, or for your in laws to stay in when they come to visit.
Style rating: 8/10
Web site: www.thespires.co.uk
3. Home Serviced Apartments
These are between Brindley Place and the Mailbox, so they are a little further out, 0.8km from New Street and 1.1km from the Bull ring. So they’re not the best for shopping however their closeness to Brindley Place means that if you are coming for work reasons they are close enough to the business side of the city yet still close enough to pop into the city centre for some shopping in your free time, or to Broad Street to soak up some nightlife.
They are funky, stylish apartments which offer great work space as well as a roomy modern living area.
The apartments are one or two bedrooms and can come with either a separate study or a roof garden which is a total luxury in the city centre., Rooms come with free wireless broadband, TV, DVD, washing machine dryer, dish washer, fridge freezer, fully stocked kitchens, power showers, hairdryers but no hair straighters. There is an iron and an ironing board, non feather pillows, five coat hangers per apartment. There are no dressing gowns but there are toiletries. Prices are from £130 per night.
Breakfast is not included but a breakfast pack can be purchased from the mini bar in the apartment.
Upsides: there is parking on site, which is £10 per day. The security is fantastic both for the apartment and the car parks. These apartments are very stylish, clean tidy, modern, funky and yet designed for work as well as play.
Downsides: there never seem to be any staff around to talk to, although the showers are power showers they’re not the best for hot water.
Pets: not allowed
Disabled access: ramps up to the building and a lift in the block
Babies: the baby cot is extra and only two can fit in a room. Babies under two and children over twelve are charged for, in between they go free.
Why: for work, to entertain a serious minded lover, to write the book you’ve always wanted to write, to appear more studious to your intellectual friends whilst still wanting to be able to slip off for some shoe shopping!
Style rating: 9/10
Website: www.louisgrouphome.com
4. MacDonald Burlington Hotel
This is back to being central again, this is actually on New Street just 100 meters away from New Street station and so the only one where there really is no point in calling a taxi round as it’s literally only a two minute walk even in high heels with a suit case, unless of course its raining…
This is one of the larger hotels but each of the bedroom sis individually designed so you don’t get much of that bland corporate atmosphere that you can get in large hotels. The emphasis on this is more for traditional design with modern faculties.
Rooms available are single with en suite, double with en suite, and superior rooms which are more spacious and include suites, king size rooms and four poster rooms. Rooms include TV, internet, iron and ironing boards. The pillows are feather but you can request foams and whilst there are ten hangers per room you can request more if you want which is a huge help and something a lot of other places don’t offer. There are dressing gowns in the king size, suits and four poster rooms but not in the standard rooms but there are own brand toiletries in all of the rooms. There are no hair straighters but there are Aflotel 1200 watts hair dryers in each room.
Breakfast can be included in the package but is on the expensive side.
Prices are from £84 per night.
I think a big plus for this hotel is that there is a very good gym and leisure facilities and access to them is included in the price of the room.
Upsides: this hotel is about as central as you can get and the access to the leisure facilities is good if you pine if you’re away from a gym for over 24 hours. There is no car park on site but it is literally next door to a 200 space NCP car park so it’s not really an issue. The staff also go out of their way to be helpful which is always a big plus in my opinion, I can’t stand paying loads to stay somewhere and have the staff being rude to me.
Downsides: they charge £2 for using a credit card which seems a little extreme considering how much you are paying in the first place. Also in style terms this isn’t idea, it’s all very traditional and starting to look a little faded.
Pets: are allowed at a £10 charge per night
Disabled Access: there is a specific disabled room which is a twin bedded room on the 2nd floor.
Babies: children under four are free of charge, cots are free and only one baby cot fits in a room. Older children are only charged £15 per night.
Why: to impress older relatives or if you want to have the most central location, also one of the cheaper options for a central hotel or if you want the most helpful staff.
Style rating: 4/10
Website: www.macdonaldshotels.co.uk
Now before you go booking into any hotel remember that there are always essential things you should think about before booking a hotel other wise it makes your packing a nightmare.
Firstly does the hotel stock hair dryers, if so what make or at least what power. After all you don’t want to go for an important ball and find a tiny travel dryer in your room so it takes three hours to blow dry your hair straight. At the same time you don’t want to be carrying a hair dryer around if they have the exact same model when you get there. You could have packed another pair of shoes instead. Most hotels tend to be a bit vague on these details so it’s worth pushing them a little to try to get the required information out of them.
The same goes for hair straighters, it’s very unusual for these to be stocked but again it’s worth asking. Who wants to risk breaking their precious GHD’s if the hotel already has them in, unlikely but still its possible.
The next thing to remember asking about is irons and ironing boards. Often these are in some random room in the bowels of the hotel that you have to trek to or not available at all. This obviously will reflect your packing as you don’t want to go for a business meeting with your linen suit only to find you can’t iron it.
Lastly are the little extras. Do they stock toiletries if so what do they stock? If you have sensitive skin you could do with knowing the make. Also remember often they only stock shampoo and o conditioner so it’s worth check that as well. Dressing gowns, the last thing you want to do is step out of the shower, order room service and discover you only have a hand towel to cover yourself in. dressing gowns aren’t always available so if you want a lazy afternoon beautifying yourself make sure you pack yours if there isn’t one there.
Finally and the most important is how many hangers are available and can you ask for more. Hotels are often totally stingy on hangers, giving maybe five per room, which is you are sharing with a friend is bound to lead to arguments. Try to arrange to have more in the room in advance or if this isn’t possible consider taking some with you. There will be a lot less stresses if clothes can be hung up properly.
