As Birmingham gears up for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, it’s keen to show the world that it’s a UK city break to contend with London, Edinburgh or Manchester. If anything, it’s a better snapshot of modern Britain, with a swish, trendy hotel scene to match.
This is a real locals’ city – living, breathing, thrumming with creatives and entrepreneurs who demand a dining, shopping and nightlife scene to match. This is evident from its five Michelin-starred restaurants – the most of any city outside of London – not to mention major arenas for touring artists, and a smattering of smaller indie music venues.
After you’ve strolled the city’s unique canals, you’ll want to stay in style: enter a raft of boutique, city-slicker and stylish budget hotels to choose from. Whether you’re after Peaky-Blinders-themed cocktails in art deco surrounds or a spa break in a futuristic glass tower, Birmingham has the bolthole for your bang-on-trend city break.
The best hotels in Birmingham are:
Neighbourhood: New Street
History buffs will have plenty to appreciate at the historic Macdonald Burlington
(Macdonald Burlington)
Reflected in the shiny steel façade of New Street Station, this Victorian hotel retains much of its old charm. Its rooms have period features from its Midland Hotel days, but the decor, beds and bathrooms are all thoroughly modern. Famous guests have included Laurel & Hardy and George Harrison, but this was also where Enoch Powell delivered his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech.
Price: Doubles from £98
Neighbourhood: Bull Ring
Superb views greet guests at Staying Cool
(Staying Cool)
If any Birmingham building can be called iconic, it’s the 1960s Grade II-listed cylindrical tower known as The Rotunda, and this quirky apartment hotel sits right at the top of it. In keeping with the swinging sixties vibe, the funky serviced apartments are named “Mini”, “Maxi” and “Clubman” after those other locally made icons of Birmingham. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer unrivalled views of the city’s vast sprawl, while the shops and restaurants of the Bull Ring and Selfridges are right on your doorstep.
Price: Doubles from £129, room only
Neighbourhood: Colmore Business District
The Hotel Du Vin offers gin lovers a dedicated suite complete with stocked gin bar for creating new concoctions
(Hotel Du Vin)
Formerly a Victorian eye hospital, this beautiful redbrick building is now home to one of Birmingham’s swankiest hotels. Standard rooms offer…
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