I’m averaging at least one hotel visit every two weeks at the moment. The hotel obsessive in me gets excited to show people the best places to stay in Birmingham and you wouldn’t believe the amount of DM’s I receive saying “Where is good to stay at for a reasonable price?”. When it comes to The Rotunda, the view from the top is spectacular, and even more gorgeous when the sun sets and you can see across the Midland’s landscape. I’ve walked past this place hundreds of times so I obviously had to add this one to my list…

As far as views from a hotel goes, this place knocks the ball right out of the park. The rooms don’t have air conditioning, so you’re able to slide open the double doors for fresh air – and to get the full panoramic experience! A gate is put in front of the slider in case you somehow accidentally fall out of the window. The cosy-cocooned apartment on the 16th floor faces out towards the Bull Ring and Grand Central, so you really couldn’t be any closer to the city centre if you tried. The shape of the building also means the rooms aren’t the usual box shape, so it’s a great stay if you fancy something a bit more quirky and stylish!

The Kitchen

The apartment is more spacious than I thought it would be. The clever design of the rooms means the kitchen area is separate from the bedroom, so if someone wanted to grab a glass of water in the night, you wouldn’t have to turn on all the lights. I loved the clean, minimalist feel of the decor and everything in the kitchen area is white, I swooned hard! The Rotunda provides breakfast cereals, green teas, proper coffee(!), kitchen utensils, knives, a microwave, an Illy espresso machine, stove, milk and fresh oranges for juicing – the lot! If you were on a business trip and didn’t fancy leaving your room, you could quite easily prepare a whole meal here, it’s all been carefully considered to accommodate the working business man.

The Bedroom

The king-size double beds have memory foam matresses which is something I rate highly, I had the best night’s sleep! Maximum comfort for guests always pays off, especially when you’re asked to give feedback at the end. I wasn’t completely sold on having the bed right next to the wall, so I made Josh sleep there. I like to be able to walk round both sides! A positive feature of the room is plug sockets next to the bed, this will always get my vote. There’s nothing worse than running out of phone juice and having to stand next to the wall whilst it charges. USB’s and bed plugs are the future, people! Be aware that cupboard storage is minimal but you’re provided with a hanging closet with an ironing board and hangers, the bare necessities!

 The Lounge

A small open plan area, perfect to accommodate two people. We were provided a TV with Sky, a Blu-Ray DVD player, speaker dock, a game of Scrabble, some books, a glass kitchen table and a sofa. I found the seating area fairly small, so it meant Josh and I couldn’t sit on the sofa at the same time however I’ve been told they provide bigger sofas for the large apartments. The sofa material is scratchy so a blanket on top would have been ideal! I really love the fact you’re provided with an array of Birmingham produced magazines upon arrival. I snuggled up in bed after taking a relaxing hot shower and caught up on all the Brummie news… what a fantastic concept!

The Bathroom

If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know I rate hotels highly on their bathrooms. Unfortunately our mini apartment didn’t have the space for a bath but noted that large rooms do accommodate them!The space is used effectively and is functional! You’re kindly provided with a selection of aromatherapy spa products and I remember reading on the bottles you can buy the whole set if they take your fancy. I only found out whilst reading the room guide that the bathroom is designed for wet room functions, meaning the shower floor can get wet and you don’t have to feel guilty about it. A lot of people might not like this concept, but at least you don’t have to worry about soaking the floor. Just don’t fall over afterwards.

Blackout curtains are there to be used if you hate waking up to the sun blaring in your face but I was adamant to fall asleep overlooking the twinkling Birmingham lights and to wake up to natural light. Bear it in mind that the apartments are situated next to the railway line so you will hear them go past on the odd occasion. Josh made us a pot of coffee and squeezed some orange juice just before we had to grab our taxi. Although parking is not on site, you are able to park in the shopping car park just a 2 minute walk away. They say good things come in small packages and I agree when it’s stated the ‘Mini’ apartment is the best designed studio apartment in Birmingham. If you’re looking for a bit of luxury at a relatively affordable price, I would highly recommend the Rotunda, not only for the spectacular scenery but also a great night’s sleep.

Staying Cool at the Rotunda gifted me a complimentary one night stay. Apartments are available from £95 per night. Lower rates are available for longer stays. For more info, click the Staying Cool at the Rotunda site.