The Grand Hotel - A Birmingham Gem!

The Grand Hotel on Colmore Row was built between 1875 and 1879 in the French Renaissance style, and has undergone major renovation. It is Grade II* listed building.


The Grand Hotel is located on Colmore Row in Birmingham. Owned by Hortons Estates. Recently restored. 

The Grand Hotel (September 2019). Photography by Daniel Sturley

 

History of the Grand Hotel Birmingham

Built between 1875 and 1879 The Grand Hotel was opened on the 1st February 1879. It was build on land opposite St Philip's Church (not a Cathedral at this time) on Colmore Row. Also down Church Street with the back end on Barwick Street. Until the 1870s there was Georgian terraces surrounding St Philip's Churchyard. The leases on these began to end in the 1860s and they were demolished. The site was acquired by Isaac Horton, a major Birmingham landowner. His architect was Thomson Plevins. The hotel opened at the time with 100 rooms. There was also a restaurant and two coffee rooms. The hotel was let to Arthur Field, a hotel operator from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The hotel was extended in 1880 when the corner on Church Street and Barwick Street was built. By 1890 the hotel operator was running into financial problems and it was handed back to Horton Estates Ltd. In the 1890s the architects Martin and Chamberlain was hired to reconstruct and redecorate the hotel. The hotel was built in the French Renaissance style, so it wouldn't look out of place in Paris. Was even a room in Louis XIV style decoration. In the 20th century, the hotel was host to royalty, celebrities, politicians of the day, who would wine and dine in the Grosvenor Suites. The likes of King George VI, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Malcolm X etc attended functions or stayed in the hotel at the time. The hotel ran into problems and closed in 1969. Hickmet Hotels took over the lease of the hotel from 1972 until 1976. In 1977 Grand Metropolitan Hotels took it over. The architect Harper Sperring did some modernisation works in 1978. The lease passed to Queens' Moat Hotels in the 1980s and 1990s, but little was done to the hotel at that time. The hotel closed down again in 2002. The owner wanted to knock it down in 2003, but The Victorian Society stepped into save it. In 2004 the hotel was given a Grade II* listing protecting it from demolition. Restoration works of the hotel began in 2012. If circumstances allow, they hope to reopen during 2021.

Grand HotelThe Grand Hotel from Cathedral Square (September 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Grand Hotel BirminghamThe Grand Hotel Birmingham from Colmore Row (May 2021). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Shops, cafes and restaurants

Many of the new retailers opened at the restored units by 2016. Including: 200 Degrees Coffee, Cycle Republic and The Alchemist.

Grand HotelRetailers on Colmore Row at The Grand Hotel (September 2017). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Restaurants on Barwick Street

By at least 2017 there was two new restaurants at the back of the Grand Hotel. One of these venues was called Tattu.

Grand HotelTattu at The Grand Hotel (October 2019). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Close to Barclays Bank is Primitivio. From the Summer of 2020 a Parklet was installed outside of here on Barwick Street/

Grand HotelPrimitivo at The Grand Hotel (October 2019). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Restaurant on Church Street

Another new venue at The Grand Hotel is Gusto, with an entrance on Church Street.

Gusto Grand HotelGusto at theThe Grand Hotel (December 2020). Photography by Elliott Brown

Project dates

02 Apr 2019 - On-going

Passions

History & heritage, Construction & regeneration, Travel & tourism
Classic Architecture

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Contact

Your Place Your Space

Jonathan Bostock

0121 410 5520
jonathan.bostock@ yourplaceyourspace.com