The Grand Hotel Birmingham reopened in May 2021 with 185 bedrooms, two bars, a restaurant, a gym, meeting rooms and a sunken rooftop garden terrace. The French Renaissance building on Colmore Row opened in 1879 and closed in August 2002, then stood under scaffolding for around ten years before restoration began.
The hotel stands on Colmore Row, in Birmingham's business and financial district, with a frontage of 22 bays on Colmore Row and 7 on Church Street. After the 2012 planning permission the main entrance moved to Church Street. The Grand Suite looks over the gardens of St Philip's Cathedral.
The concept
Construction began in 1875 and the hotel opened on 1 February 1879 with 100 rooms, with 60 more unfinished. Thomson Plevins designed it, and the estate of Isaac Horton, a major Birmingham landowner, was involved in acquiring and developing the land. The first operator, Arthur Field, ran into financial trouble in 1890 and the owners, Hortons' Estate Ltd, took the hotel back. Martin & Chamberlain remodelled the interior in 1890 and 1891 and added a block on Barwick Street between 1893 and 1895.
The early twentieth century was its high point, with guests including King George VI, Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin. It closed in 1969, changed hands several times and declined through the 1970s and 1980s. After the 2002 closure the stonework began to crumble. A 2003 proposal to demolish the building was followed by Grade II* listing on 4 May 2004.
Arup Façade Engineering and Linford Group were appointed in 2011 to find a façade repair. Planning permission came in 2012 for a 152-bedroom hotel with eight suites, and exterior work started in October 2012. In 2014 the owners added £4 million, and in November 2015 the project received a £6 million grant from Birmingham City Council and the GBSLEP, of which £4 million was repayable depending on the hotel's commercial success. Starwood Capital Group, linked to the owners, announced a £45 million refurbishment in January 2020, with an opening first planned for summer 2020. Reports of the final cost say about £50 million.
The Grosvenor Room, now the Grand Ballroom, is 100 feet long and 32 feet high, and was built without supporting pillars, using deep girders and steelwork that was innovative for its time. It has ornate plasterwork and 1920s art-deco light fittings.
Dining & wellness
Isaac's is a British brasserie with French influences, known for its Sunday roast, and named after the founder. Madeleine is a cocktail bar, informal by day, with cocktails, wine and Champagne at night. Afternoon tea is served from Wednesday to Sunday, from £36.95 per person.
Downstairs at the Grand is a late-night live music bar, and the Garden Terrace serves seasonal food and drinks outdoors.
