Stylish new Radisson SAS hotel opens in Birmingham, the UK’s Second City
January 16th, 2006: The new Radisson SAS Hotel, Birmingham opens today in the city’s newest landmark building, bringing to ten the total of Radisson SAS hotels in the UK. The first class 211-room hotel is spread over the first 18 floors of the 39-storey, 400ft Beetham Tower – a stunning curved structure sheathed in turquoise and clear glass and the tallest residential building in the UK outside London.
“We are delighted to be opening this stylish new property in the UK’s Second City, which now gives us coverage in all the primary city’s in the UK and sees Radisson SAS continuing to strengthen its position as one of the significant players in the market within the region,” comments Christian Gartmann, Area Vice President, UK, Ireland and Iceland, for Rezidor SAS Hospitality. “The arrival of the brand in Birmingham is especially great at a time when the city is going through such an amazing renaissance and we are proud to be part of that.”
Floor-to-ceiling windows in the guest rooms provide stunning views of the Birmingham skyline. All the rooms, which are decorated in three distinctive styles – Fashion, Chic and Fresh – have both wireless and broadband internet access, which is complimentary to hotel residents.
There are seven suites and, on the 18th floor, a £700-per-night 80 square-metre Presidential Suite, featuring ‘Chic’ understated décor, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, a king-sized bedroom with matching en-suite bathroom, lounge, dining and kitchen areas.
A health and fitness centre, with gym, sauna and treatment rooms, is also situated on the top floor of the hotel, while down on the ground floor is an elegant lobby bar complete with lit-from-behind alabaster bar counter.
The first floor restaurant, Filini, furnished in contemporary style, offers traditional trattoria-style Italian cuisine featuring Sardinian and Mediterranean influences with a modern twist. A stunning showpiece wood-and-steel pineapple-shaped wine tower in the centre of the restaurant stocks the extensive, exclusively Italian range of wines.
The entire second and third floors are devoted to meetings and events, with five hi-tech meeting rooms and a pre-function area on each floor. The rooms have been chosen to reflect Birmingham’s rich industrial heritage: Lunar, Steam, X-Ray, Water, Light, Mini, Chocolate and Oxygen all represent an important slice of the city’s history, dating from the 18th Century to the present day.
The Birmingham hotel is Radisson SAS’s first in the Midlands area of England and already it is making its mark in a city that is going through a spectacular renaissance yet has not had a new upmarket hotel for three years.
A flood of advance bookings – with some travellers making reservations well into 2007 – confirms Birmingham as a fast-rising star in both the business and leisure markets. David Cameron’s reported plan to bring the Tory conference to Birmingham will raise the city’s national and international profile still further. Already Birmingham is now the third most popular UK city with overseas visitors, behind London and Edinburgh, according to the Office of National Statistics. The city is also home to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), International Convention Centre (ICC), National Indoor Arena (NIA) and Symphony Hall.
The city is now recognised as offering the best retail therapy outside of London, boasting a futuristic Selfridges department store, located within the £500 million Bullring redevelopment, and the Mailbox, which houses a host of designer label stores as well as Birmingham’s own Harvey Nichols.
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