Help please-recommend a nice hotel in central Birmingham for a girls weekend

[theladylovescupcakes]

Looking for something central, ie near the shops and nice pubs. Not too pricey, and if it has a pool, all the better. Having a girls weekend, 4 of us including my best pal who moved away and I don't see very often.

Also, any sights to be seen in Brum? Or just shopping? Thank you!

[theladylovescupcakes]

Bump

[MrsBucketxx]

I like the Burlington

Quite nice not too pricey and right in the thick of things.

[thebestnamesaregone]

We stayed at the Hilton at Brindley Place on a recent girls weekend. Good location, pool etc. £65 per room per night incl breakfast. Recommend a cocktail at Marco Pierre Whites Bar at the top of the Cube. Amazing views of Brum. We took a canal trip plus shopping and a tour of the BBC studios - surprisingly good fun.

[Bluestocking]

Either Hotel du Vin or Malmaison. No pools but the Mal has a nice spa if you're that way inclined. Brum's not really a sightseeing city but make sure you stroll round the city centre. H du V is right opposite Urban Coffee, a Kiwi-owned coffee shop that does the best flat white in town.

[thebestnamesaregone]

Sorry, just remembered - no pool at the Brindley Place Hilton - but we spent too much time drinking red wine and catching up to miss it!

[IceNoSlice]

Never stayed in a hotel here, sorry, but lived in Brum for 8 years (now 30 mins away). Hotels.com, last minute.com, Expedia?

If you stay centrally but don't get your pool, Bannatynes in Brindleyplace has a nice pool and does spa day packages. Also nice lunch options nearby including Carluccios, Wagamamas, Pizza Express, Cielo, Bank, Piccolinos.

Shopping: mailbox for upmarket, bullring/new street for high street stuff, Digbeth has a few nice vintage places but a bit out of the way.

Would recommend the jewellery quarter for evening rather than broad street if you fancy a bit more of an upmarket night out. Nice restaurants there include Pasta di Piazza and Andersons.

HTH.

[IceNoSlice]

Yes, Urban Coffee is great

[theladylovescupcakes]

Ooh thanks everyone, that's great. Keep them coming! Only ever been to the Bullring then back to the station, so not really sure about what's considered to be the "centre", or what else there is to do.

[PrincessOfChina]

Oooh, my specialist topic :)

Hotel du Vin and the Mal are both lovely. The Hyatt is also nice and has a pool. Hotel Le Tour is the newest hotel and looks lush. My group of friends are having Afternoon Tea there in a few weeks time and it's reasonable.

For things to do there's the Bullring for shopping, as well as lots of more independent shops springing up in the arcade just behind House of Fraser.

A wander round the Jewellery Quarter is always lovely, and the museum there is worth a look. Not sure what's on at the main museum at the mo but that's sometimes good.

There's a new Marco Pierre White restaurant at the top of The Cube - drinks there is a good plan as the view is gorgeous. There's also Gingers up on Newhall St which is good for interesting cocktails and dinner - it's owned by Glyn Purnell.

Keep away from Broad St. It's a shit hole.

[MrsBucketxx]

If you like live music the jam house in st pauls is a must, jules hollands place.

[Bluestocking]

Broad Street on Friday or Saturday night is only a good idea if you have an anthropological interest in observing the mating rituals of young Brummies. Complete with vomiting into one's own boots, fighting over kebabs and so on.

[senioroafdog]

It's already been said, but would also recommend hotel du vin, great hotel with lovely spa in good location- really nice curry place nearby which I will attempt to remember name of and post!

Good choice for a weekend away

[DoItToJulia]

Hotel du vin is lovely. But hotel indigo at the cube is amazing. It is in the mailbox, so you can shop, drink and eat on the doorstep. It is a stones throw from Brindley Place, which is canal side and nice. The hotel houses the Champagne Bar and Marco Pierre White Steak restaurant and both have the most stunning views.

It also has a 5 star food hygiene rating!

Enjoy Brum!

[MrsBucketxx]

We had a meal just before Christmas at hotel du vin, and it was amazing.

I would go there just for the food.

[IceNoSlice]

senioroafdog- was that curry restaurant called Asha's?

[PrincessOfChina]

I don't rate Asha's (an do heard it only has a 1 star hygiene rating - but Lasan on St Paul's Square was the winner of the Gordon Ramsey restaurant programme thing. Was v nice.

[theladylovescupcakes]

Thanks everyone, have been googling these hotels today, they look v swish, especially Indigo.

Any more suggestions?

[DoItToJulia]

No more recommendations, but advice to STAY AWAY from ANYTHING on the Hagely road.

[theladylovescupcakes]

Thanks Julia. Why's that then??

[DoItToJulia]

They are hostels dressed up as hotels mainly. The actual hotels (and there are a few are out dated, not well equipped, out of the way - it would mean a taxi every time you wanted to go out or come back, and generally dirty).

I am a food inspector, so see lots of hotels etc behind the scenes......

[theladylovescupcakes]

Interesting! Any restaurants to avoid (like the plague!)??

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I like Cafe Blend, just outside the Mail Box for coffee. Nicer coffee than Urban Coffee Company imho. :)

If you want a curry, you're better off getting a taxi to the Stratford Road and going for a 'proper' one rather than a poncy one. Lassan's have a cheaper 'Eatery' there.

For posh Italian, I like Cielo in Oozel's Square near Brindley Place.

If you're there early on a Friday evening, check out the cocktail bar in Selfridges for special offers on champagne cocktails.

[DoItToJulia]

Check out //www.food.gov.uk/ratings, or download the app. Avoid any below 3. We have plenty of high rating restaurants!

[theladylovescupcakes]

Thanks guys, will have a look.