Saint Paul’s House and restaurant is one of Birmingham’s newest boutique hotels which opened in March this year. It sits proudly in St Paul’s Square, Jewellery Quarter Birmingham, dazzled by exterior lighting and oozes charm and sophistication. Over the next couple of weeks I have so many exciting hotel opportunities coming up, so I already feel incredibly lucky to have slept inside one of the stunning 34 rooms at St Paul’s this Bank Holiday weekend. Most of my night away consisted of being tucked inside a luxurious white dressing gown and bathing in a perfect monochrome shower – my absolute dream come true.
A large section of the building is still covered in scaffolding which I can only assume means they’re going to unveil more rooms – but this is yet to be confirmed. Upon arrival through the main entrance, we sat down at a quiet table and ordered a couple of drinks from the bar. The place was fairly quiet which I thought was unusual since it’s Pride weekend and I expected the place to be heaving with groups. The bar service was quick and after a three hour drive back from a weekend break in a B&B in the countryside, I appreciated the fact my Peroni glass had already been placed inside the fridge, ready to be filled with refreshingly cold lager.
It was a little confusing to find the reception area at first as there was no obvious sign directing people towards the hotel. We soon found it tucked away around the side of the bar. The staff who checked us in were pleasant and happily welcomed us with a complimentary ‘comfort suite’ room including breakfast and handed me a key card. Our room was situated on the 2nd floor and I really admire the unique appeal of having cinema-esque style room numbers placed on top of every door.
At a first glance, it’s obvious the owners pride themselves on guests having the best experience possible. The carpets still smell brand new and snugly white gowns are provided. Also great for people who want to use social media until their heart’s content, the hotel offers ‘oodles of wifi’ as well as luxury bedding, a coffee machine, flat screen TV, magazines and we were encouraged to enjoy the complimentary drinks and snacks inside the mini bar (water, juice, milk, chocolates). I appreciate how luxurious the room felt and it was perfect for taking photographs. The hotel staff had left a hand written welcome message which is always a bonus.
Our room was outward facing towards St Paul’s Square which became a little noisy around 11pm as people were still outside but the overall room was exceptionally snug and airy. It was a little chilly when we first arrived as the air conditioning was left on but this wasn’t an issue as we cranked up the heating from the wall panel. The room was clean to a high standard and the double bed was exceptionally comfortable with crisp white sheets and an array of squishy pillows. I rate hotels highly on their beds as that’s where I spend most of the time. I certainly couldn’t knock them for their efforts as we slept so well.
Not long after settling in with a cup of coffee and juice at around 6pm, I jumped straight under the waterfall shower which I had already seen various times on the St Pauls Instagram pages. It was honestly one of the best showers I’ve had in a hotel and although I felt the water pressure could have been increased a little, I stood in there for the best part of 15 minutes using the Duck Island products which, by the way, smell absolutely delicious. I loved the lingering smell of the shampoo products after getting out the shower. Albeit a tiny bathroom, the one thing I would suggest is for a few hooks to be placed on the back of the sliding door. I wanted to bring my dressing gown in with me but had no where to put it.
On the night after venturing out for Italian food, we came back to meet a friend at the bar. I was really looking forward to seeing what St Paul’s had to offer drinks wise and although pricey, (an average cocktail costs around £9) – I’ve heard nothing but praise since it’s renovation from the original Ropewalk pub. I clocked onto the fact the bar service became slower as more people stumbled in but also noticed the hotel designers have made the most of the building’s history (which was a former rope factory) and have decorated the place with various rope features around the bar and restaurant area. They’ve encapsulated the Jewellery Quarter’s old heritage with old brickwork and beautiful hanging light features. It’s such a quirky yet beautiful place to drink and would definitely recommend it for a few beers or cocktails with the girls.
The restaurant has a modern feel with wooden decor chairs, tables and there is also a beautiful terrace covered in vine leaves and lights with a separate bar (with air conditioning) for the summer nights. I further discovered that the sofa covers are made from old West Midlands metro bus seats – how bizarre! There’s plenty of seating areas for large groups and parties dotted around the bar. Near the entrance, there are more beautiful leather seats and bounded books on the walls just to add to the pretty decor.
Late check out is 12:30 noon but I remember them saying you must pay a small fee if you wish to leave after 11:30am. Breakfast is served between 7 – 12 on weekends which is fabulous if you are nursing a hangover. The breakfast area has a selection of cereals, pastries, jams and juices and when we were seated a waitress took our order for two English breakfasts (£8.50 each). If a fry up isn’t your thing, they also serve various sandwich, vegetarian and steak options if you’d prefer something a little bit different with your morning cuppa.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Saint Paul’s House and fell in love with the tiled walls in the bathroom. If I were to alter a few things I would have liked the bedroom to have a guide on how to use the coffee machine as I couldn’t get the water hot at first. The toilet is also perched right next to the radiator which might not always go down too well either. My biggest regret was not ordering room service but after seeing the £7 charge we also gave that a miss. I would highly recommend Saint Paul’s House if you are after a comfortable, yet luxurious hotel with a comfy bed and a fabulous cocktail bar. It’s certainly the perfect place for celebrating special occasions or a birthday as the rooms alone cost £99 for a 1 night stay.
Please note: We were invited for a one night complimentary stay with breakfast. Opinions are 100% honest and are my own.
15-20 St Paul’s Square, Birmingham B3 1QU
www.saintpaulshouse.com
It looks like there are a lot of lovely little touches. It’s so nice when you have the personal touch from a hotel.
Lisa | Not Quite Enough
Little touches like a hand written note can make your stay feel so much more personalised. I really loved it there, fabulous.