Novotel Birmingham Centre, England, United Kingdom

We had a second night in Birmingham and wanted to try something new after staying at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham (Please see review.) in October 2015 for our 4th time.

The hotel's location is very good on Broad Street. A Sainsbury Express and all the nightlife is just a few steps away.

We booked an Executive Room, the highest category available.

After our lunch at Purnell's Restaurant (Please see review.) we picked up our luggage from the Hyatt Regency and checked in at the Novotel.

The building made the impression it was purpose built.

The modern interior was inviting and colorful. On the right was the reception to the left Elements Restaurant and the bar.

Check in was quick and friendly.

Our room was on the 3rd floor.

It was large with arched double windows and views over the neighboring buildings. They were double glazed and didn't let in any noise.

The room wasn't luxurious, but had interesting design features, like the blue writing desk chair. It looked uncomfortable, but using it proved the whole opposite.

The curtains had colorful circles printed on them. The sofa and carpet were grey, while the rest of the furniture was light brown.

The bed was queen-sized and Japanese sliding doors led to the bathroom.

The flat screen TV offered a wide range of channels including BBC World. Essentially it had the same line up as the Hyatt Regency.

There was also modern artwork and a Bose IPod docking station.

The minibar was free and contained Highland Spring Water.

A Nespresso coffee machine and tea making facilities with Twinning’s Tea were also available.

The bathroom was small with a shower, separate bathtub and sink. The toilet was in a separate room near the entrance - no sink there, but it had a hand disinfectant.

The bathroom amenities were own branded. The interesting thing about them was that they were Fair Trade and came from exotic locals like Mauritius and Kenya. We liked the soap with avocado oil and the sugar cane toiletries. There was also an exfoliant gel scrub and a body milk.

We didn't spend much time on our room or at the Novotel. For example we went to Wagamama on New Street for dinner, because the food at Elements was a bit too outdated for our taste and didn't sound good.

The room was comfortable and the bed allowed a good night’s rest. Overall, it was a good mid-scale room.

The next morning we went for breakfast at the hotel. It was a pleasant surprise and very good value for the quality. It cost 13.95 GBP (ca. 17.45 Euro or ca. 19.85 USD) per person. There was a wide choice of mueslis and cereals, Mueller products including yogurts and drinks, bread, fresh fruits and fruit salad, cold cuts, cheese, products by Tim's Dairy, eggs, bacon and much more. We had a pot of Twinning’s green tea each and got two and a half cups, so that was very generous. To our surprise there was even organic Soya milk.

Afterwards we had a bit time to explore the bar area and were fascinated by the cocktails on display. My fiancé believed they were not real and plastic samples like you see when going out eating in Japan. The bar tender, who was also working as a waiter at the breakfast service, explained they were real and all made by him.

Checking out the other public spaces we found a coffee corner beside the reception and near the entrance to the meeting facilities.

We had a sneak peek at the conferencing facilities. An event was taking place at the time.

Lying on an unoccupied table were printouts of the day's agenda and attendee's names. The meetings had already started. We were concerned about privacy and security as the info was there to take away, if we would have been so inclined.

Soon afterwards it was time to check out. It was done quickly and correctly.

Would we stay here again? Probably not. It's a very good  mid-scale hotel with friendly and helpful staff, but we are more interested in upscale to luxury properties, beside this our favorite Novotel so far is their Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport property which feels different than most Novotels we've experienced so far.

Would we recommend this hotel to a friend? Maybe, this depends on purpose of visit and budget.
Would we want to stay again at this hotel when visiting Birmingham in our future? Probably not, as we prefer the Hyatt Regency which was newly renovated recently and feels fresh and innovative.

©2016

Purnell's Restaurant Birmingham, England, Uninted Kingdom

When planning our travel through the UK in October 2015 we wanted to have lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant in Birmingham. There were two choices for us we liked to pursue on this particular visit to the city: Purnell’s Restaurant or Adam’s. 

Purnell’s Restaurant was longer on our list, so we decided to reserve a table there.

 

Glynn Purnell was born in 1975 in Birmingham on a council estate, so Brummies are very proud of their “son”.

His first cooking experience was preparing meals for his siblings.

 

The building itself is unassuming and understated. Only a few signs with a big P on the wall indicate that Purnell’s Restaurant is located there.

The interior is totally different. It’s modern with a bar in the front and the dining room at the back with a colorful carpet and tapestry.

There is also a small window, allowing guests to spy on the chefs or vice versa.

When we entered we were warmly greeted, asked for our name and our coats were taken.

The table was ready and we were invited into the dining room.

 

It was already relatively full with a group of businessmen and women, couples and another small group.

The atmosphere was convivial, upscale and upbeat, all this matched the setting in harmony.

Our table had partial views into the kitchen. I sometimes had the luck to spot Glynn Purnell and his brigade.

We were asked if we would like to order some drinks before being presented with the menu.

I asked for an alcohol free cocktail and was re-assured that it was possible and no problem at all. My fiancé ordered a glass of Billcard Salmon Rose Champagne.

My mocktail was made with cranberry and pineapple juice and elderflower. It was very well balanced, not too sweet and not too bitter.

The Maître d’ commented on the Champagne and said rose was a good choice, because it had a more intense flavor.

We ordered from the three course lunch menu and had a bottle of still water with it.

The greetings from the kitchen were potato balls with curry mayonnaise from the Brummie Tapas menu.

They were tasty. The presentation was Asian inspired. The mayonnaise was served in an understated black stone dish. The potato balls were finger food. They came with two little white rolls on a white porcelain plate. We were advised by the waitress not to eat the white rolls, since they weren’t edible. We wondered what they were. We found out with the help of “magic”. Another waiter came with a pot of boiling water and dowsed the balls in it. They suddenly grew and turned into hand towels.

A fresh loaf of bread was served too. It was really delicious, one of the best we had in a longer time and again we were told by the Maître d’ that it had a good flavor.

Our first course was the Beetroot Escabeche. It was very enjoyable and colorful.

Our main meal was Brixham cod with pumpkin puree and carrots. This was one of the best fish dishes we had. It was pure melt in the mouth.

Originally we expected as dessert a macaroon, checking the online menu, but it had changed. Instead we had a chocolate banana cake with frozen yogurt. Normally I’m not a big fan of this, but this one was gooey, chocolaty with neither the banana nor the chocolate overpowering and very satisfying. The flavor was full on. The cake looked more like a tart.

As a dessert wine he ordered the Legacy of the Barossa from the Dandelion Vineyards with 30 year old Pedro Ximenez. He loved it. It was syrupy and sweet, but not cloyingly.

Later the Maître d’ had some more time to chat with us and wanted to know where we were from. He recommended we should visit Patrick Gilbaud, a two Michelin starred restaurant, or Rustic Stone by Dylan McGrath, when he heard we were from Ireland.

By now we have eaten at Rustic Stone, but not managed Patrick Gilbaud so far. We were very happy with his suggestions.

The staff is a great asset to the restaurant too, very caring, friendly, attentive and knowledgeable.

A visit to the bathrooms is unusual. You enter a totally different world. The floor is covered in jungle wall paper and there are birds tweeting in the background. There’s also a full view through a glass door to the kitchen. My fiancé was lucky and was greeted by the complete brigade.

Too soon it was time to pay and leave this memorable restaurant.

The bill came in at 120 GBP (ca. 152 Euro or ca. 170 USD).

We loved our lunch experience at Purnell’s. 

 

©2016

 

The Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham United Kingdom

When we were the last time in Birmingham a few years ago we saw the first signs of a new public library at Centenary Square as part of the city’s redevelopment. We were impressed with the renderings and the building site. We were looking forward to see it completed.

 

The architect was Francine Houben of Mecanoo architecten, based in Delft, the Netherlands.

 

The building looks like a stack of parcels or maybe a ship with small chimney and beautiful flower decorations in black and gold.

 

When we visited the Library of Birmingham in October 2015 we were impressed and thought it was a great addition to the city and the awards it has won are well deserved.

 

The old library in Paradise Forum has closed and the Brutalism structure will be torn down.

 

The new library cost 188.8 Million GBP (ca. 244 Million Euro or ca. 267 Million USD) and took over three years to be built.

 

It is the 10^th most popular visitor attraction in the UK, the largest public library in the UK, the largest cultural space in Europe and the largest regional library in Europe.

 

The air-conditioning uses an aquifer ground source system, using and reusing cold groundwater. It makes the library more environmentally friendly due to reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

 

It is also connected to the REP, a theatre, and shares some facilities between them.

 

We enjoyed the high ceilings, modern interior and exterior, the light filled space, the Discovery Terrace on the 3^rd floor and the Secret Garden on the 7^th floor and the views from the 9^th floor Skyline viewpoint over the city are wonderful and memorable.

 

The gardens on the 3^rd and 7^th floor invited to explore, relax, take a seat on one of the benches, read a book and enjoy the views over the city.

 

Other highlights for us were the map collection and the Shakespeare Memorial Room on the 9^th floor.

 

The Shakespeare Memorial Room was originally created for the first Central Library in 1882 by John Henry Chamberlain. It was not on display for a long time, but the wait was worth it. The design is intricate and Elizabethan style with carvings by Mr. Barfield, marquetry and metalwork, which includes birds and flowers. The ceiling is also remarkable. We learned a lot of new things, for example that it’s not 100 % certain, that the paintings and busts we have of William Shakespeare might not be him, but a friend of his. It holds over 43.000 books and other printed material. One rare item is for example a copy of the First Folio from the early 17^th century. It makes it one of the most important collections in the world and the most important in the UK.

 

After exploring the library we went to the gift shop and had a quick look at the café.

 

When we return to Birmingham we will visit again to soak up the atmosphere and views.

 

©2016

 

Aria Bistro @ The Hyatt Regency Birmingham, United Kingdom

During our stay at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham (Please see also review.) for one night in October 2015 we had dinner at Aria Bistro in the heart of the hotel.

It looked romantic with trees, colorful furniture, shelves with vases, the water feature and a wall depicting what occupations Birmingham had in the past, like Buckle Maker, Buttonier, Pewterer and Sword Maker.

The cuisine was modern with local and international dishes.

The staff was attentive and friendly.

We ordered a bottle of Belu water, one hot chocolate made with soya milk, smoked Duarte Salmon, blue figs and Stilton, two blackened Atlantic Salmon with Cassoulet and Chorizo and one panna cotta with raspberry sorbet to share.

A rustic fresh bread selection was served with salted and unsalted butter.

The food was delicious and the blue figs and Stilton starter especially interesting.

The Chorizo added a nice smokiness and spice to the Cassoulet.

There was a small mistake in the invoice (two hot chocolates were charged, but we had only one). It was easily corrected and no problem at all.

The bill came in at 67.85 GBP (ca. 85.80 Euro / ca. 94.50 USD).

When staying at the Hyatt Regency again we will return to Aria

©2016

Hyatt Regency Birmingham, United Kingdom

When in Birmingham we generally have stayed at the Hyatt Regency and this time around we had it included in our itinerary for a night in October 2015. This was our fourth stay at this beautiful hotel.

We arrived shortly before the official check in time. The hotel has changed and was fully renovated.

Check in was done by a trainee and took a bit longer than usual. The wait was worth it, because we were asked which preferences we had. They were all fulfilled. We had booked a Club Room with King bed. It was located on the 22nd floor, a corner room and near the club lounge. We had views - as requested - over the Alpha Tower and the new library. The building site opposite the hotel didn't impact us.

The room was large with a king sized bed, a white colored wardrobe and dark furniture.

The storage space is good for a short stay.

The club chair with ottoman and coffee table was comfortable.

We liked the orange colored upholstery of the writing desk chair, the grey blue carpets and the artwork depicting a Birmingham Canal and a sketch of a bridge in the city.

The flat screen TV offered regional channels, BBC24 or Sky News. There was no dedicated intern. business channel.

The mini bar was stocked with typical beverages, like Coca Cola (3.50 GBP / ca. 4.50 Euro / ca. 5 USD), water (2.50 GBP / ca. 3.25 Euro / ca. 3.60 USD), wine (5.50 GBP / ca. 7.10 Euro / ca. 7.90 USD) and liquors at 6.50 GBP (ca. 8.35 Euro or ca. 9.30 USD).

There were also tea/coffee making facilities and included a wide choice of Twinning’s Teas.

The bed was very comfortable and it was difficult to get out of it the next morning.

The full 24 hour in room dining was available via the TV.

The free WIFI internet access was fast.

The bathroom was large with a bath/shower combination, toilet and a sink. The bathroom amenities were by Portico (Verbena) Spa, made in Canada. We like the products, but they are a bit difficult to squeeze out of the bottles. Either I had too much or nearly nothing.

The public spaces have changed too. There is now a seating area near the reception. It is thoroughly contemporary and has also a small Shakespeare library.

Trees and shelves are used as dividers and Aria, the bistro, is in the center of the atrium. I will write a review about our dinner too, coming up soon.

There is also the spa and the Gentleman & Scholar Pub.

The club lounge offers breakfast Monday to Friday from 06.30 hours to 10.30 hours and on weekends from 07.00 hours to 11.00 hours. There is an evening service between 17.30 hours to 19.30 hours with canapés, desserts and a wide selection of wines.

During our evening we had the choice of stuffed zucchini with cheese, cakes, savory tarts, salads, olives, crackers and cheese.

It was a taste of what Aria had to offer, as the lounge staff explained to us.

Breakfast had a good choice of cereals, milk and soya milk products, eggs, cold cuts, bakery items, juices tea, coffee and much more.

We checked out soon afterwards, because we had a lunch reservation at Purnell's and a different hotel for our next night.

The concierge stored our luggage until our return from lunch.

We enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies of the hotel, the dinner, club lounge, friendliness of the staff and comfort of the room.

When going back to Birmingham this will be our go to hotel.

©2016