1. Chamberlink June 1-28.qxp_Chamberlink 28/05/2021 10:18 Page 11
Business News
Madeline bar
Grand will ‘put Birmingham back on the map’ By Jon Griffin he £45m relaunch of Birmingham’s Grand Hotel can act as a catalyst to help galvanise the city’s post-lockdown recovery, says general manager Peter Kienast. The new man at the helm of the Grade Two listed Victorian hotel in Colmore Row says the longawaited re-opening last month can help bring new prosperity to Birmingham after more than a year of Covid-19 restrictions – with the Grand at the heart of the action.
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The refurbished Grand Ballroom
“We are proud to be where we are, we are part of Birmingham’s landscape and we are also a hotel where businesses will be able to meet, welcome international guests and we can represent Birmingham as a national and international platform. “Birmingham is on the up and we will be on the up. At the end of the day, Birmingham has a great opportunity and a great offer and this is a great location in the heart of the city centre. “The BBC are moving here, Goldman Sachs are coming to the city, it is going through the same
Isaac’s, Grand Hotel’s brasserie-style restaurant
sort of phase as Manchester four or five years ago. Connections with London are brilliant – Birmingham has everything to be successful.” The re-opening of the Grand after nearly 20 years of closure marks a welcome return to the public arena for one of the city centre’s best-known landmarks dating back to its launch on 1 February, 1879, when Benjamin Disraeli was in his second term as Prime Minister and Old Etonians beat Clapham Rovers 1-0 in the FA Cup Final at the Oval. Peter said the ‘stunning restoration’ of the building had seen one of Birmingham’s bestknown buildings restored to its former glory. The renovation includes a huge facelift for the ornate Louis X1V-style Grand Ballroom, scene of lavish entertainment from the Victorian era through to the new Millennium. Meanwhile, visitors will be able to stay in one of the hotel’s 185 guest rooms and suites and to meet and drink in Madeleine, the
Grand’s glamorous cocktail bar, where afternoon tea will be served every Wednesday to Saturday, priced £29, including a glass of Champagne. When the hotel is fully open from 21 June, it will also include two bars and a brasserie-style restaurant, a gym, nine additional meeting and event spaces – and the newlyrefurbished Grand Ballroom. Until early September the Grand will be open Tuesday to Saturday while Madeleine will open from 3pm on Tuesdays and 12 noon Wednesday to Saturday, closing at 11pm. “We are subtle about service delivery and genuine about the warmth of our welcome. The hotel is part of Birmingham again. With its history and name, The Grand deserves the right to put Birmingham back on the map,” added Peter. • A Sleeping Beauty awakes – Jon Griffin talks to general manager Peter Kienast. See pages 20 and 21 June 2021 CHAMBERLINK 11
