On top of the world – high living in the Rotunda

JUST when you thought Birmingham had all the visitor accommodation it needed, along comes a glut of new developments that turns such an assumption on its head.

And it’s not just the quantity that’s remarkable: the range from budget to luxury, from B&B to boutique is growing steadily – with serviced apartments becoming an increasingly important part of the mix.

Despite – or increasingly, because of – the property slump that has ground on since 2008, the past few months have seen a number of projects get underway that give credence to Marketing Birmingham’s perpetually cheery analysis of the city’s visitor economy.

Sanguine Hospitality’s triple run of developments announced just before Christmas are the clearest example. A boutique hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant in the Cube Development, a Holiday Inn Express near St Chads circus and another  large scale hotel development on Broad Street will between them bring more than 500 new hotel rooms to the city.

So no lack of choice then for exhibitors, convention attendees, weekenders, visiting clients, seconded staff.A budget box for Wayne the trainee from Swindon, swish suite for Mr Simowitz the VP from St Louis – but still visitors want more, something different.

This is where the Staying Cool serviced apartments in Birmingham’s iconic Rotunda building come in. Established two years ago, Staying Cool has been quietly building a reputation to justify its confident name, with a penthouse and 11 other apartments available for anything from one night to weeks at a time.

Capitalising on what could easily be claimed as the most spectacular view in the Midlands, Staying Cool also aims to please the most hard-headed FD, too, with a price structure particularly for long term stays that keeps visitors well accommodated at a reasonable price.

We stayed for one night in the two-bedroomed penthouse on the 20th floor, right at the top of the Rotunda, arriving on a Saturday afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy Birmingham’s remarkable cityscape as day turned into night.

After gawping at the view for a while, you soon appreciate the apartment itself. Generously proportioned, stylishly fitted and simply, well – cool.

[VIDEO: 223] As with all Rotunda apartments, the penthouse is shaped like a Trivial Pursuit ‘wedge’, which gave refit architect Glen Howells a problem he solved brilliantly by utilising space and light in a way that would be impossible in a ‘normal’ square building.

Each of the en-suite bathrooms tapers towards the centre of the floor plate and conversely, the main living space opens out to a great sweep of floor-to-ceiling windows through which the view stretches from the Bull Ring in the South to Colmore Row to the North. In between, if you’re a Brummie it’s a game of ‘Ooh look – there’s the Hippodrome / New Street Station / Mailbox / Cube / Hyatt /  NIA / new library / old library’. If you’re from out-of-town, it’s a case of ‘gosh I didn’t know Birmingham was such a beautiful city!’.

Our weekend visit made for a very leisurely stay and for guests on business, it’s easy to see the apartment becoming a refuge from long days of toil, although it would be an impressive venue for private client meetings too.

For food, the Rotunda is of course just minutes away from any number of restaurants in the city centre, but for a special treat, we used the delivery service provided by the Great British Eatery at Five Ways. This award-winning takeaway has brought a gastro ethos to fish and chips, using beef fat for frying, and a plate of its haddock with mushy peas washed down with fizz brought a suitably decadent feel to our stay.

[VIDEO: 224] Staying Cool provide a good range of basics, such as juice, fruit and cereal, and there’s everything you need ifcyou want to cook for yourself. There’s wifi, Sky and various bits of Mac gadgetry, and even board games in the unlikely event that you get bored with view.

The other apartments at the Rotunda include the two-bedroomed Clubman – ideal for two colleagues to share – and snug but comfortable Minis, their one-bedroomed studios. Prices range from £99 to £200 per night, and vary dependent on availability and length of stay. For the best rates, go directly to Staying Cool’s website.

Staying Cool is appealing for help from more than a dozen eagle-eyed local people who can identify key city landmarks.

To help them with their task they’ll be offered a free room with a bird’s eye view at the top of the Rotunda, hundreds of feet above the city streets.The company is creating a range of images of the city centre, which will be displayed in each of their boutique apartments, clearly indicating the key buildings guests can see from their floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Staying Cool managing director Tracey Stephenson said: “We’re looking high and low for eagle-eyed Birmingham experts who can help us with this unique project.

“If you know the city landscape and can recognise key buildings, we need your knowledge. If you fancy lending a hand, and think you know what’s what, get in touch now.

“We’re offering a free night’s accommodation on Sunday, March 27, in return for your expertise.”

Contact Staying Cool here or phone them  on 0121 285 1250 for more information. Rooms will be free of charge and on a first come first served basis – there’s also a little quiz to take first.