It’d been a few years since I was last in Birmingham. On that occasion I stayed in a budget hotel on the outskirts of the city. This time, Kat Offord and I had been invited to attend an awards ceremony for Birmingham’s Young Professional of the Year, which was hosted at the prestigious ICC. I was staying in a serviced apartment in the city centre, which is a ten minute walk away from Birmingham New Street train station. The location was in the middle of everything we needed, and that included shops, restaurants and transport links. Although we didn't really need a shop or a restaurant, as there was both in the reception area.
Staybridge Suites have thought of most things. The lifts were secure and could only be accessed with a key card, so nobody could get any further than reception, unless they were staying there. When I entered the apartment on the 12th floor, I was greeted with a great view looking out over Birmingham. The contemporary one bedroom apartment had a kitchenette with a dishwasher and plenty of utensils, crockery and glassware. The living area was big enough to house a sofa and an armchair, with a HD TV in the corner, beside a coat stand. The bed was incredibly comfortable, which also had another flat screen TV on the wall. I swiftly logged onto the wireless internet and lay on the bed to catch up on my life, as the Wi-Fi is open to all guests.
An embarrassing part of the stay, and one that should be remembered, was the moment I set the building’s fire alarm off by leaving the bathroom door open whilst I was taking a shower. The steam had drifted out in to the bedroom and, before you know it, the alarm was sounding. The receptionist was there within minutes, knocking on my door, to make sure I was okay. They also had to wait a while for me to open the door, as I had my mp3 player blaring out of the system they provided. On the morning we were leaving, we were told we had free access to a fitness centre, but it wasn't suitable for the way we were feeling the morning after the ceremony. It’s the little things that Staybridge Suites remembered, like toiletries, iron and ironing board, and tea and coffee, which made us feel a little more at home – even if we didn't take full advantage of what was on offer.
We have a wide range of other serviced apartments in Birmingham too; give SilverDoor a call to chat to one of our client managers who'll be delighted to find the perfect location for your next visit.
