On May 18th, 2026, The Grand Hotel Birmingham is celebrating five years of its newest chapter after reopening following a £50 million restoration, ending nearly two decades of closure.
Over the last five years, thousands of guests have enjoyed a stay in the grand-dame hotel’s 185 bedrooms. The Louis XIV-style ballroom, which features double-height windows, ornate ceilings, and original Art Deco chandeliers, has hosted grandiose celebrations. The French Renaissance façade remains a striking presence on Colmore Row, overlooking St Philip’s Cathedral and anchoring the city’s bustling business district.
The hotel employs hundreds of people, who act as architects of their guests’ special occasions, from birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and events. 13 of the staff have worked at the hotel since the reopening, making The Great Hotel a reliable and significant cornerstone of the Birmingham hospitality sector. The Grade II-listed Victorian masterpiece was originally opened in 1879 and designed by Thomson Plevins, spurred on by the Second Birmingham Improvement Act of 1861.
Almost 150 years later, The Grand Hotel remains a key driver of the city’s growing reputation. In the hotel’s previous era, it hosted guests from Hollywood royalty, such as Charlie Chaplin, Bob Dylan and The Beatles, to actual royalty, such as King George V, the great-grandfather of King Charles. Over the last five years, The Grand has continued to be the choice hotel of the stars and has delivered world-class hospitality to guests from across the pond and further away.
Paying homage to its past, the in-house restaurant, Isaac’s, is named after Isaac Horton, who spearheaded the development of the landmark. Furthering the reverence of its history, Downstairs At The Grand has launched, which sees Isaac’s transform into a late-night sophisticated speakeasy. During nights of secretive bustling, the Grand invites guests to take a further dive into the past with Club 1879, a night where no phones are allowed.
Celebrating half a decade of breathing new life into the Victorian landmark, the hotel has launched five carefully curated cultural collaborations that reinterpret the Grand experience for guests and the city alike. Through the first partnership, handcrafted artworks from the Charles Pedone Art Collective are adorning the walls of guest suites throughout April-June. Throughout the year, other collaborators will include Birmingham Book Club, the Chocolate Quarter, and Harvest Skincare.
The hotel partnered with University College Birmingham to host a cocktail competition for their students to submit a cocktail recipe that best represents The Grand and its legacy. The winner was announced on 13th May, World Cocktail Day. Five Years In Bloom, a delicate mix of London dry gin, elderflower liqueur and honey syrup, balanced with a sharp hit of fresh lemon juice and topped with champagne, was crowned the winner and is available on the Downstairs At The Grand menu for the remainder of 2026.
Since reopening, The Grand Hotel has received several awards and accolades, from Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence, Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards, The Sunday Times Best Places to Stay 2021, TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice and more. Johan Scheepers, General Manager of The Grand Hotel, said, “Reaching the fifth anniversary of The Grand’s new era is such a monumental occasion for the entire team.
“The hotel has always been more than a place for guests to rest their heads since it opened, and that has continued into our new chapter. With our fifth anniversary celebrations, we’re celebrating not just the last few years but also the longstanding legacy that we’re contributing to and the future of this iconic institution that we’re building.”
