Tony Elvin, general manager at Birmingham's luxurious Hotel du Vin with his suggestions for great '48 Hours in Birmingham'

Tony says of 'The Brummies' - "they are great at welcoming people from all over the globe, including people such as me". Tony hails from Essex.

 

Often asked by people to recommend places to go and visit in Birmingham, Tony and his team need to know all the best places, both within and close to the City.

 

Take Tony's article to read his suggestion for '48 Hours in Birmingham'. For other suggestions, take the project link below.

A great 48 hours in Birmingham

 

48 hours in Britain’s friendliest city. The Brummies are great at welcoming people from all over the globe, even people from Essex like me. As a hotel Manager in Birmingham’s finest hotel, my team and I need to know all the best places to go. I hope you enjoy my inside track on what to do . .

 

Arriving in Brum on a Friday afternoon with Hotel du Vin as your base, we’ve got a decadently extravagant couple of days planned.

 

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Hotel du Vin, Birmingham. Photo courtesy Hotel du Vin.

 

A glass of champagne in hand, relaxing in our Bubble Lounge champagne bar and tucking into a delicious Croque Monsieur as you contemplate the itinerary.

 

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Bubble Lounge Champagne Bar, Hotel du Vin. Photo courtesy Hotel du Vin.

 

Friday Afternoon

 

First it’s time for culture. Just a short walk to Victoria Square through the Colmore Business District’s impressive architecture you arrive at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Before you even enter the museum this is a stunning spot. Victoria Square housing the majestic Council House, Museum and Art Gallery, our Floozie in the Jacuzzi and the Birmingham Town Hall, one of  the world’s oldest concert halls, some 180 years old.

 

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Birmingham's Council House. Photo by Daniel Sturley.

 

Looking past the transformation of the Paradise development where cranes fill the sky blending modern architecture with grand old buildings, this is the ever changing face of Birmingham at its best. Transforming it’s identify on a seemingly continuous 40 year loop of redevelopment. Baskerville House nestled amongst the new developments of Paradise and the ‘Jewellery Box’ Birmingham Library sit under the watchful eye of the Lunar Men.

 

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Library of Birmingham. Photo by Daniel Sturley.

 

Heading into the Museum and Art Gallery you are welcomed to the Round Room Gallery by Sir Jacob Epstein’s Lucifer before taking in the Staffordshire Hoard, The Pre-Raphaelites and Baroque Art collections to name just a few. And if you need more champagne already then you can literally ‘Press for Champagne’ in the tea rooms where a glass of delicious Piper Heidsdeck Champagne will make its way to you by just pressing a champagne button . . how civilised!?

 

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Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Photo by Daniel Sturley.

 

On the way back into the business district location of the hotel we pick up a playing card from The Liquor Store clothes shop on Colmore Row. This intriguing card has a phone number on it. We might give that number a call later.

 

 

Friday Evening

 

Time for a cocktail? We’ve planned ahead and have a spot reserved at the most amazing cocktail bar you can imagine. With just 8 seats available, it is an incredible experience  at Smultronstalle on Union Street in the City Arcade. We’ve booked a tasting menu of 7 courses with paired cocktails for a two hour experience.

 

On the way back to HdV, we dial the number on the playing card from The Liquor Store and wait outside the clothes shop.

 

We’ll say no more and let you find out what happens when you dial the number.

 

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Birmingham skyline at night. Photo from Daniel Sturley.

 

We get back to the hotel and head upstairs for a restorative night’s sleep in a giant leather sleigh bed.

 

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Giant leather sleigh bed at Hotel du Vin. Photo courtesy Hotel du Vin. 

 

Saturday Morning

 

An early start and a hearty HdV breakfast before heading to the shops. Bullring, Selfridges, Grand Central. A shopper’s paradise!

 

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Selfridges, Birmingham. Photo by Jay Mason-Burns.

 

We pop into Loki Wines in the Great Western Arcade to do some more shopping, picking up a cracking bottle of Frog’s Leap Californian Cabernet Sauvignon as recommended by cheeky proprietor Phil Innes to take home with us.

 

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Great Western Arcade, Birmingham. Photo by George Daley.

 

Saturday Afternoon

 

An afternoon is spent sightseeing in the Jewellery Quarter, visiting the award winning Coffin Works Museum and the RBSA Gallery.

 

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We grab a bite to eat in 1000 Trades, and then jump in a cab to Moseley.

 

Saturday Night

 

A great night is had popping in and out of Moseley’s fine pubs finishing in my favourite, The Prince of Wales. Walking through the door you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. A tiny traditional old Pub with some fantastic cask ales . . but, head down the corridor to the back of the Pub to find this place is like a tardis. A huge covered and heated Pub garden, party music playing, everyone is singing along, there’s a Tiki Bar, A Cigar Shack, a Wine Shed and more.

 

We enjoy a Sabai Sabai before cabbing back to HdV for an Old Fashioned in the Bubble Lounge. Bed beckons.

 

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Hotel du Vin, Birmingham. Photo courtesy Hotel du Vin. 

 

 

Sunday Morning

 

We have a lie in, skip breakfast, check out and go for one Birmingham’s best Sunday Lunches. We don’t have far to go . . for the four course Hotel du Vin Sunday Lunch. Soup, French Market Table, Roast Beef and Tarte Tatin.

 

Could do with another sleep now but we instead pick up a coffee from Urban over the road before heading to our favourite cinema, The Electric on Station Street by New Street Station.

 

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We settle in for an old classic movie on one of their comfy sofas. Casablanca and zzzzz.