36 I Spotlight on... Birmingham
this was a sliver of ‘chic Brum’. The manager told us
cold Nitro coffee was so popular during the hot spell
that people queued round the block.
Nearby Principal Hotel Company (PHC) – owners
of the Principal and De Vere brands – is redeveloping
the 180-room Grand hotel, which is housed within
a Grade II listed building on Colmore Row and
operated as a hotel since the late 19th century until
it closed in 2002. Following extensive refurbishment,
the hotel is scheduled to reopen in early 2019.
Back in the AC Hotel, the fluid lounge space
beyond reception is equally appealing to on-the-
go executives. With its brown leather seating,
bookshelves and mandatory LCD, it’s the kind of
‘bleisure’ space you find the world over but it’s been
well executed. The bar displays juices in the morning,
and cocktails in the evening. It’s a remarkable
hotel in that I only spotted one other amenity,
a small gym in the basement; it was my
first experience of the brand and its
‘European modernism’.
Moreover, it’s a reminder that
‘mega Marriott’ following the
Starwood Hotels acquisition
can do small rather well too.
It’s a distinctive offering
in a city centre where
there are no shortage of
beds with Premier Inn,
Holiday Inn Express and
the convenient Hyatt
Regency, which adjoins
the ICC, and more
options can be found on
nearby Broad Street, such
as Jury’s Inn, Hampton by
Hilton and Park Regis.
The interiors of the four-
star Park Regis, another
new addition last year,
are a lot more impressive
Clockwise from
above: The Library
of Birmingham; Park
Regis Birmingham
reception; Canadian
Geese at Resorts
World; Canal House
bar; Queen Victoria
statue.than the white exterior suggests. The split-level arrival,
where you take a lift up to the spacious reception, is a
relaxing introduction and food and beverage are neatly
separated either side of a linear walkway towards the
lifts. We stayed in a corner 10th floor room overlooking
the roundabout and a classical-looking Marriott (also
four stars). At breakfast the next morning, there was
hardly a spare seat, filled with cricket fans heading to
Edgbaston for the first ‘day-night’ test in the country,
marking another innovation.
In between both city hotels, we ventured out
to The Genting hotel at Resorts World, a multi-
entertainment complex with restaurants, IMAX
cinema and adult entertainment that’s sprung up
next to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). The
large lake is a magnet for Canadian geese, and it’s
an attractive, convenient space, certainly if you’re on
conference business. My partner unwinded with a