Usually, my trips to Birmingham are quick day trips for work and with the trains only an hour and a half from London, I typically don’t see much outside of the train station. However, we had a friend’s wedding weekend in Birmingham so we took the opportunity to experience the “luxurious £45M Restoration of Birmingham’s Grand Hotel”. Here’s my honest review of what it was like.
The Hotel:
The Grand Hotel Birmingham is located in one of Birmingham’s most iconic buildings on Colmore Row. The Grade II listed building was closed in 2002 falling into disrepair. After 20 years and a £45 million pound restoration, this 141-year-old building has retained its mix of French Renaissance, Victorian Architecture, and Art Deco features while incorporating all of the modern design touches you would expect from a high-end luxury hotel. The restoration also includes a new penthouse suite with views of St Philip’s Cathedral and the city.
The centerpiece of the renovation is the grand staircase which will definitely be a popular Instagram backdrop and the ornate Art Deco Grosvenor Ballroom, featuring the art deco chandeliers dating from the early 1900s. The ballroom is super impressive with its Louis XIV-style interior, semi-private VIP balcony, and has access to its own separate bar room that is also connected to their Madeline bar if one wanted to fully hire out all spaces. The gym itself is very basic but nice that it’s available. I’d say that the thing that’s probably keeping this from being a 5-star hotel is the lack of car parking and a spa.
The Room
We stayed in the Grand Suite of the Grand Hotel Birmingham – a modern and beautiful suite fitted with high ceilings, a King-size four-poster bed, and city views across St Philip’s Cathedral gardens. Current pricing as of summer 2021 for this suit is roughly £150 a night which is very affordable for the luxurious upgrades you get.
Other features and room amenities:
- Super King four-poster bed
- Fresh flowers
- Luxurious bathroom with bathtub and walk-in shower
- UHD smart TVs with Chromecast
- Average 485 sq. ft
- Sleeps up to two people
- 1971 Collection bathroom amenities made in England by Molton Brown
- Nespresso coffee maker and pods
- Complimentary fresh milk and mineral water
- Marshall Bluetooth speaker
- Fast wifi
- Air conditioning
- Personal safe
- Iron & ironing board
- Hair dryer
- Yoga mat
I was also able to get a sneak peek into the penthouse suite which comes with its own bar, open-plan dining and living room, foosball, walk-in closet, and luxurious marble bathroom.
Dining
Guests of the Grand Hotel Birmingham and non-guests are able to meet and drink in Madeleine, the hotel’s glamorous cocktail bar with a Parisian-chic style. They serve afternoon teas from Wednesday to Saturday, priced £29 including a glass of Champagne. We stopped by for a quick drink and I would recommend trying out their signature Madeleine Cocktail with citrus foam bubbles. The bar food was alright but I didn’t have quite the chance to try out more of it because we had to be at a lot of the wedding activities and events which included meals.
The Grand Hotel Birmingham also houses Issac’s – a New York-style brasserie/neighborhood restaurant that serves American classics and comfort food. The design of the restaurant’s public entrance is nondescript and covered with graffiti and stickers that remind me of the city. The street corner also has a sign for Issac’s that’s nice attention to detail from a design perspective. Breakfast was served in Issacs and was pretty yummy and filling, it would have been nice to try out the lunch or dinner dishes but maybe next time.
Service
I know it’s early days and the staff of the Grand Hotel Birmingham is very new, but particularly for Madeleine, I was unimpressed with the level of service from the wait staff. We had a reservation acknowledged by the front desk upon check-in, when we arrived they couldn’t seem to find it at all. Luckily there was plenty of space but considering we were ensured we were all sorted out several hours earlier it was a bit awkward. Further, while we were having drinks I struggled a lot to grab the wait staff’s attention at times which took longer for getting orders in or asking for the check.
However, I will say the staff at the hotel from the moment you enter are nothing but polite, engaging, and extremely helpful, sometimes almost a little too chatty but with the best intentions. I attribute this to them being new and wanting to please guests which isn’t a bad thing but there were times where it felt like they were trying to fill the silence. Might be nice for some people, but it took a lot of energy to engage and continue the chat for an introverted individual like myself because I didn’t want to appear rude or standoffish.
Obviously being out of London, where things are pretty expensive, you can get some luxurious experiences at an affordable price point. All in all, we really enjoyed our stay at the Grand Hotel Birmingham and it would be somewhere I’d consider staying at again if I ever have to go back up to Birmingham.
The Grand Hotel Birmingham is located in Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BS. For more information and bookings please visit the website.
Disclaimer: I was invited to the Grand Hotel Birmingham for a complimentary stay. As always, all honest opinions are my own.
Maddie says
Looks like a great hotel overall! I’ll have to check it out the next time I’m in the UK.