Best hotels in Birmingham: From luxury stays to budget self-catering

With Birmingham having hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games, it’s placed itself on the map as a UK city break destination to contend with London, Edinburgh or Manchester. If anything, it’s a better snapshot of modern Britain, with a swish, trendy hotel scene to match.

This is a real locals’ city – living, breathing, thrumming with creatives and entrepreneurs who demand a dining, shopping and nightlife scene to match. This is evident from its five Michelin-starred restaurants – the most of any UK city outside London – not to mention major arenas for touring artists, and a smattering of smaller indie music venues.

After you’ve strolled the city’s unique canals, you’ll want to stay in style: enter a raft of boutique, city-slicker and stylish budget hotels to choose from. Whether you’re after Peaky Blinders-themed cocktails in Art Deco surrounds or a spa break in a futuristic glass tower, Birmingham has the bolthole for your bang-on-trend city break in England.

The best hotels in Birmingham are:

Neighbourhood: New Street

Reflected in the shiny steel façade of New Street Station, this Victorian hotel retains much of its old charm. Its rooms have period features from its Midland Hotel days, but the decor, beds and bathrooms are all thoroughly modern. Famous guests have included Laurel & Hardy and George Harrison, but this was also where Enoch Powell delivered his infamous “Rivers of Blood” speech.

Neighbourhood: Bull Ring

If any Birmingham building can be called iconic, it’s the 1960s Grade II-listed cylindrical tower known as The Rotunda – and this quirky apartment hotel sits right at the top of it. In keeping with the swinging Sixties vibe, the funky serviced apartments are named Mini, Maxi and Clubman, after those other locally made icons of Birmingham. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer unrivalled views of the city’s vast sprawl, while the shops and restaurants of the Bull Ring and Selfridges are right on your doorstep.

Neighbourhood: Colmore Business District

Formerly a Victorian eye hospital, this beautiful redbrick building is now home to one of Birmingham’s swankiest hotels. Standard rooms offer sprawling mattresses with fine Egyptian cotton sheets, while luxury suites boast freestanding roll-top baths and even a private mini-gym. There’s a vaulted underground pub, a champagne lounge and a bistro to explore too.

Neighbourhood: St Paul’s Square

This gem in the Jewellery Quarter overlooks Birmingham’s last-remaining Georgian square, containing the 18th-century church frequented by industrial titans James Watt and Mathew Boulton. Rooms at St Pauls House are contemporary and casual with a free mini-bar, but there’s a public bar and a modern European restaurant on site should you wish to emerge at some point. And you will, because it’s located in a beautifully serene spot between the hectic city centre and the unique buzz of the Jewellery Quarter.

Neighbourhood: Broad Street and Convention Quarter

Ideally situated for Birmingham Symphony Hall, Convention Centre, Repertory Theatre, Library of Birmingham and National Indoor Arena, this glimmering glass tower is a key feature of the Birmingham skyline. As well as dramatic views of a resurgent Birmingham and its canals, its 300-plus rooms offer all the comforts you’d expect; but there’s also a spa and pool, not to mention a fine contemporary British restaurant (Aria) and traditional English pub.

Neighbourhood: Jewellery Quarter

Inspired by Japanese capsule hotels, this Birmingham-born concept offers innovative design and sleek, compact rooms without the frills and fuss associated with traditional hotels. So, you’ll get a comfy pocket-sprung bed and a nice bathroom, but the wardrobe and trouser press go out the window – provided your room has one, that is. Apartment rooms have a kitchenette – handy, since there’s no restaurant on site – but there’s also a diverse range of nearby eateries.

Neighbourhood: The Mailbox and canals

This slick boutique concept sits at the heart of Birmingham’s rejuvenated canal network. Perched atop the atomised biscuit box known as The Cube, rooms are super stylish, with natural light pouring in from all sides. A terrace breakfast offers fine city views, which become more alluring after dark at Marco Pierre White’s place on the 25th floor.

Neighbourhood: Digbeth

Serviced apartments replete with kitchens, dishwashers, LCD TVs, big bouncy beds and lots of arty prints of narrowboats are the order of the day at the Adagio Aparthotel. Its location at the top of Digbeth High Street, and is a perfect base for all the bars and venues in the area, not to mention the Institute, Digbeth Dining Club and Custard Factory arts complex. This is the old stomping ground of the original Peaky Blinders gang, so Adagio makes for a bright and cosy refuge after a gritty Peaky Tour.

Neighbourhood: John Bright Street

Cheap, cheerful, but oh so convenient, this is the perfect budget choice if you’re popping into Birmingham for a show, a gig or a night on the town. Rooms are basic, clean and snug, while John Bright Street offers an array of refreshments at Cherry Reds Café Bar and The Victoria pub – and New Street station is only a stumble away.

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