The grand city hotel that feels like going back in time after £50million makeover
We've explained everything you need to know from what to do at the hotel to the best thing to eat at the restaurant.
3
Where is the hotel?
Located on one of Birmingham's most esteemed business addresses on Colmore Row, this hotel is right on the doorstep of Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and a great mix of nightlife.
It has the perfect location of a 5-minute walk from New Street railway station and the city centre.
There is no hotel car park, but guests can get a discount at Snow Hill car park, which is extremely close.
What is the hotel like?
The Grade II-listed property is a grand place inside out.
Having welcomed a number of rock stars in the past, guests can pretend to live like royalty in one of its 185 rooms.
With £50million in refurbishments in recent years, this hotel takes a luxurious step back in time.
The showpiece is the grand marble reception and ballroom with capacity for 300 people.
What is there to do at there?
Fancy some yoga? In-room yoga classes are available with mats for an early morning stretch or pop into the gym which has great equipment.
Between Wednesday and Sunday, you can enjoy their traditional aft e rnoon tea (£35pp) in the Madeleine Bar.
What is there to eat and drink there?
To start, the full English breakfast is superb with all ingredients locally sourced.
3
The artistic Parisian-chic style strongly follows through with the Madeleine bar and its drinks menu.
And a cocktail at the hotel's plush bar is a must.
I tried the Strawberry Bon Bon made with vodka, toffee and strawberry (£13.50) which was delightful.
Around the corner is Isaac's, the hotel's New York-style brasserie, which has a great atmosphere with cracking burgers and an array of fresh seafood.
What are the rooms like?
The rooms have dark wood panelling, stylish lamps and tall windows overlooking the city feature, with an array of seven categories to pick from.
If you want to make it a night to remember, the Penthouse suite offers infinite qualities from in-room Yoga sessions to a walk-in wardrobe like no other.
But with a double room, I still enjoyed the old-style rotary phone, fitting with the quirky look, as well as a spacious bathroom offering a huge bath and walk-in shower.
Double rooms start at £159, including breakfast.
Is the hotel family-friendly?
There is a family package special offer which includes bathrobes and cuddly toys for your little or older ones, to family-friendly bars and activities for kids to create their own milkshakes.
Your pooch can also be brought along if it weighs less than 36kg. Don't forget to book their arrival in advance too.
Is there access for guests with disabilities?
Lifts are accessible at the main entrance and from meeting rooms to ensure ease of movement, alongside disabled toilets.
There are 7 bedrooms equipped for guests with disabilities.
Looking for a place to stay? For more hotel inspiration click here.
3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Sun
The retro model theme park that was like a ‘mini wonderland' – here's what it was like to visit as a child
A FORMER amusement park in Bournemouth used to be home to "Europe's largest model landscape" with Big Ben and a mechanical Tower Bridge. The model village of Tucktonia opened back in 1976 and included an array of different landmarks such as Admiralty Arch, Hadrian's Wall and Stonehenge. 6 6 6 Some of the models even moved, including Tower Bridge, which opened and closed to allow boats to pass through. A model of an airport also was mechanical with planes actually travelling along the runway. But the model village didn't just feature big landmarks, it also had a Cornish village, Kellogg's factory and a motorway flyover. At the time, the attraction was dubbed "the best of Britain in Miniature", according to an advert for the destination. One woman, Emma Cansdale from Waltham Abbey used to visit regularly as a child. The 52-year-old told Sun Travel: "As an eight-year-old it was like a mini wonderland. "Back then I loved the quaintness of model villages and miniature railways. Emma added: "I remember it was a hot summer day spent following the map to find the different attractions and eating ice cream." Across the village, there were over 200 models made from fibre glass and steel and it cost £2million to develop - about £13.5million now. The attraction took two years in total to plan and build. Best of British: Bournemouth's beach and vibrant city life is the perfect getaway And for little ones, there was Railriders club - which Emma was part of. "One of the reasons we went to Tucktonia was to pick up a sticker for my Railriders sticker book as they were participating in that scheme," Emma added. Old maps of Tucktonia Leisure Park that Emma has, show what featured at the 21acre site. And it wasn't just the model village - it also had a number of other attractions including fairground rides, a fun slide, boating lake, an amusement arcade, crazy golf, a go-kart track and a mini cinema. One leaflet even claims the park was home to "Europe's largest model landscape". Another poster claims it was "the greatest model Britain in the world". 6 According to Dorset Life, some famous faces made appearances at the park too. Comedian and magician Tommy Cooper and actor Jon Pertwee visited in 1978. Keith Chegwin and Maggie Philbin also hosted the BBC 's Multi-Coloured Swap Shop live from the park. Then in 1985, it was used as a film set for the alien movie Lifeforce - a sci-fi horror by Tobe Hooper, who also created The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Some believe that a number of the models were destroyed as part of the filming, whilst others claim that whilst the village was used as a set, the buildings destroyed in the film were actually different models created by the visual effects team. 6 In 1980, Alton Towers opened and many believed that this immediately had an impact on the number of visitors at Tucktonia. In the following years, the park changed ownership more than once and then in 1986, the park closed - just a decade after the model village had first opened. The site's buildings and fixtures were then all cleared to make the land available for a pub. In 2003, the site then transformed again into a number of retirement flats and homes. One fan of the park commented on social media: "What a fab place it was... Big childhood memories, very sad when it closed." Another added: "Absolutely loved Tucktonia. As a child these places were so exciting." There is also an abandoned £118million fairytale theme park that would have been a Disneyland rival – but closed after four years. Plus, Universal's UK theme park plans have dropped – here's what you can expect including nightclubs and film studios. 6
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Half price East Yorkshire bus fares for young people
Young people can travel by bus for half price as a school holiday discount scheme returns for people aged 16 to in East Yorkshire can take advantage of the offer by paying £1.50 for a single journey or £3 for a return journey on local bus services until Sunday 31 same discount will also apply in the October half term, Christmas and February half term Nick Coultish, East Riding of Yorkshire Council's cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: "Young people rely on buses to get around so we hope they will take advantage of this discount." The scheme was introduced last summer, with the council working in partnership with local bus companies to help young people get around for discount is funded by the council through the government's bus service improvement plan said: "Last year's discount scheme proved popular and so we have brought it back for 2025 to benefit young added: "Thank you to local bus operators for supporting this scheme."Due to the national bus fare cap, all passengers can travel on buses for £3 for a single journey until the end of March qualify for the reduced fares for 16 to 19-year-olds, a bus journey must be wholly within the East Riding or start or finish in the travelling outside the East Riding, passengers must purchase a return ticket on their journey from the East Riding to receive the offer for their return journey. The offer is available on services provided by East Yorkshire Buses and Stagecoach will need to provide proof of age. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
How a quiet Surrey woodland helped the Allies on D-Day
Just a short drive from the Surrey town of Farnham lies the Hankley Common woodland, which hides a fascinating piece of World War Two stroll past the huge wall that runs through the wood each day, but few will know of the key role it played in the D-Day the end of 1942, German-occupied Europe stretched from the Atlantic coast of France in the west to the Russian Ural Mountains in the Hitler felt the coastline to the west was vulnerable to invasion, so ordered forts be built on 2,000 miles (3,218km) of shoreline along France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and the northern tip of Norway. The defence system would inevitably fail, thanks in part to the tests carried out hundreds of miles away in Surrey in 1943. Royal Canadian Engineers based in the area built a replica section of wall in the woodland using plans smuggled from France, which showed how the real wall was Army then began blowing the wall to pieces using two new armoured test vehicles. One of the vehicles was the AVRE mortar-firing tank, which was then used to break through the real Atlantic Wall during the D-Day landings."It was about creating new armoured vehicles, vehicles that would be able to breach this wall," said military historian Paul McCue."The people who built this went ashore during the invasion of France and many lost their lives."There's a plaque on it but it's quite a modest one and it's tucked away, so people will walk past it and not see it."Today, it is clear to see the chasms that were blown out of the wall during tests, with metal rods still poking from moss-covered rubble.
