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Staying Cool at the Rotunda – reviews, photos

150 New Street, Birmingham B2 4PA, England
Hotel amenities
Staying Cool at the Rotunda
Ranked #2 of 140 hotels in Birmingham
4.5 of 5 stars 162 Reviews
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162 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • Apple mac(4)
  • New street(4)
  • Views are amazing(3)
  • Friendly and helpful(3)
Traveller rating
    129
    24
    5
    1
    3
Only show reviews for Family (20) | Couples (62) | Business (38)
Date Rating
Plymouth, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
“Great location and friendly staff......”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 February 2012

Booked one night here as had to travel to Birmingham for a business meeting, last minute. We had trouble finding it as our sat nav died and there were a lot of roadworks but we eventually found it and we're upgraded upon arrival to the 2 bed penthouse suite. Wow! First impressions were fantastic, great views over the German markets and all the town beyond. 2 en-suite bedrooms, large lounge and kitchen and a balcony. Unfortunately, it was probably one of the worst nights weather wise and the wind howled and whistled all night long but it wouldn't putnmeoff staying again. It was very futuristic in design but half the things didn't work, such as the apple system, coffee machine, lamps without bulbs and niggly things like that which would annoy if staying for a few days but didn't bother us as we were only staying overnight and we had not paid for the upgrade. What I did notice though was that other people had complained about similar and these items were still not fixed. We did enjoy our stay, the beds were comfy and the location was great and I would stay here again but not at full price without complaining but if a special comes up I would book as even with the things that were wrong, it still offered a great place to stay and very friendly staff. Great toiletries too, by the way, so don't take any with you!

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled on business
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask lovestotravel2230 about Staying Cool at the Rotunda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Tracey Stephenson, Owner at Staying Cool at the Rotunda, responded to this review
28 February 2012
Hello lovestotravel2230

I was really pleased to read part of your review (the wow factor when you arrived, the comfy beds etc) and dismayed to read the other half. We can't do anything about the weather but you certainly shouldn't have experienced problems with the appliances.

Since your stay, we have taken on an additional housekeeping supervisor to free up more time for appliance checking (something we tried to do at the tail end of last year but failed to find the right person). The coffee machines were a problem for quite a period and we had been testing new models to try to find a sturdier model but even some of these brand new ones failed! I'm crossing my fingers while writing but the problems seem to have stopped and all apartments have a fully working machine. There is a cafetiere in every apartment too as a backup or if you prefer filtered coffee. I can only apologise for any problems you encountered in December.

We have also just boosted our wifi system as we're finding more and more guests are running two, if not three, appliances at any one time.

Once again, I'm sorry for the niggly issues that you experienced - they shouldn't have happened.

Best wishes
Tracey
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Burgess Hill, United Kingdom
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“Brilliant location - great facilities, would happily return or recommend”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 February 2012 via mobile

Unbelievable location - right in the middle of the shops but high enough up no disturbance to sleep! Great arrangement with easy parking, apartment well equipped and ideal for shopping weekend or girls or city break with family. Short walk to train station and then only a few stops to lg arena - stress free and relaxing break!

  • Stayed February 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask helenmp40 about Staying Cool at the Rotunda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Tracey Stephenson, Owner at Staying Cool at the Rotunda, responded to this review
28 February 2012
Hello helnmp40

We were really pleased you enjoyed your stay. Yes, we're right in the heart of the main shopping district but you wouldn't know when you're in your apartment upstairs. Some guests say it feels like sleeping in the clouds which I think is a lovely analogy.

Hopefully we will see you again soon.

Best wishes
Tracey
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Derby, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
60 reviews 60 reviews
Reviews in 37 cities Reviews in 37 cities
71 helpful votes 71 helpful votes
“Not awe-struck”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Had a couple of nights here on business and whilst I had a pleasant stay, I was not as awe-struck with this place as some of the previous reviewers. Maybe the monthly draw for a free stay for those who have made favorable reviews sways it for some.
The views from the 19th floor are unarguably breathtaking and the memory foam mattress was very comfortable but you can get good wi-fi and other convenient features in lots of places these days. Memory foam pillows would be an improvement on the soggy offerings that are currently in place. The numerous light switches and dimmers were a pain in the backside and difficult to get set right. Got back to a cold room and had to switch the heaters on - several hours later had to get out of bed in the middle of the.night to turn them down. The coffee machine was over complicated and despite the provision of a manual, the thought of microwaving milk and faffing about when there was a Starbucks two minutes away was pointless. More user friendly versions do exist. The provision of oranges to juice was novel but realistically who wants to get up ten minutes earlier to make their own juice??? Shower was ok but the open plan arrangement meant that it flooded the floor and didn't drain away which was annoying. Was woken up one morning to the sound of running water as the shower seemed to burst on temporarily - possibly when a neighbouring room used their shower. Couldn't quite believe that the floor to ceiling patio windows could be opened on the 19th floor - something i didn't muster the courage to do!!! The restaurant and takeaway information in the manual needs updating after finding one place had closed down - very annoying to have been left out of date information. Maid service on second day extended to slinging the duvet cover over the bed but little else - would rather they hadn't bothered. Novel place to try if money no object and you don't mind ignoring some issues.

  • Stayed February 2012, travelled on business
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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See 4 more reviews by TheGourmetVeggie for Birmingham
Ask TheGourmetVeggie about Staying Cool at the Rotunda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Tracey Stephenson, Owner at Staying Cool at the Rotunda, responded to this review
28 February 2012
Dear TheGourmetVeggie

Thanks for feeding back about your stay and we're glad you had a pleasant time and enjoyed the room and views but we are obviously disappointed that we didn't live up to expectations on some issues.

Before I address these though, I'm very concerned about what you mean by the monthly draw to win a free stay for those writing Tripadvisor reviews. We ran a win an iPad' competition throughout 2011 for our fans on Facebook but I'm struggling to think of any competition for Tripadvisor reviewers to win a free stay? The exact wording included in our apartment guide is "Write a review of your stay on Tripadvisor. Our web page on the site is called Staying Cool at the Rotunda (hopefully that’s exactly what you’re doing right now! If not, then please do let us know so that we can put it right). The web address is www.tripadvisor.com and if you type in Rotunda, we’ll come up."

It concerns me greatly that there may be something in circulation that suggests we run a monthly draw (we certainly haven't given away any prizes) and I would be very grateful if you could let me have any further details.

Back to the issues you raised. Firstly on the bedding - as a nation we seem to be divided into those of us who like soft pillows (including me) and those of us who like harder pillows. We offer two soft and two firm per bed but it seems those who like a firmer pillow would like them to be firmer than our current offering and therefore we are replacing half of our pillows. We have tested our shortlist on on regular guests and a Visit Britain Quality Assessor and they should be in use by mid March.

On lighting, we followed the Tourist Board's advice and installed dimmers on some of the lights, to offer a range of light settings so I'm sorry if you found them complicated. The shower shouldn't just start on its own so thanks for pointing that out.

The coffee machines are a bit "marmite" in that for those who love an espresso only such a machine will do and to others it is just plain complicated. That's why we put in both a choice of the Gaggia/Francis Francis machines and a simple cafetiere. We're always reviewing our products so if you have a better alternative then please do let us know. We try to balance coffee quality with ease of use and durability as they have to take a fair hammering.

The fresh oranges and the juicer are incredibly popular with many guests (I know this because in house guests ask daily for the complimentary top ups) and I do think the juicer model we chose is very simple (we also get asked where we get it from) to use and also very quick.

I can only apologise about you having visited a restaurant that we recommended that had closed since the last update of our guide - I am assuming you are referring to the sad demise of the Great British Eatery? We routinely update and reprint the guides every three months which generally seems to be about right. Our guest relations team are more than happy to book venues for you and recommend new establishments that haven't made it into the guide yet.

Best wishes and many thanks for taking the time to post a review.

Tracey
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Birmingham, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
“Thrilling, spectacular, exciting, swarve, hip and cool!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 February 2012

Me and my girlfriend stayed on the 19th floor of this amazingly cool apartement complex on a thursday evening, on the 19th floor. Living in Birmingham all of my life, I had made trips into the city probably hundreds of times, and had always looked over the rotunda as this big waste of space building that seemed to tower over the developing areas of the city, i.e the new bullring. After speaking with the parents, I realised that this building had actually served a purpose as offices. Nonetheless, after hearing glowing reviews on the internet about peoples stays in the apartements, I decided to book the Thursday evening. All I could say as we first entered the building was wow. The room we stayed in/clubman was immaculately clean and furnished to a high standard. The views were intense, and upon realising that the huge glass floor to ceiling windows standing 19 stories up actually slid all the way open, I cant say I had to stand back for a while. Dont worry though there is a guard rail! Throughout our stay here, the views ceased to amaze, with birmingham city looking like an array of stars beneath the moonlight. Everything else was equally as impressive, including the ever so comfy king size bed and the large bathroom with a bath bigger than mine at home!
Upon checkout we both wished we could have stayed for longer. Being students however our budget was rather limited and our uni grants didnt stretch as far for two nights! We are hoping to return in the summer however and we honestly cannot wait. Thanks Guys for an awesome time.

  • Stayed February 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask sam m about Staying Cool at the Rotunda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Tracey Stephenson, Owner at Staying Cool at the Rotunda, responded to this review
28 February 2012
Hello Sam m

It's always lovely to read about locals coming to stay as Rotunda has been a part of the Birmingham landscape for such a long time and so many people have never had the chance to come inside until now. We look forward to seeing you again in the Summer.

Best wishes
Tracey
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Warwick, United Kingdom
Top Contributor
148 reviews 148 reviews
Reviews in 41 cities Reviews in 41 cities
145 helpful votes 145 helpful votes
“great weekend...let's not get carried away though”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

A romantic weekend booked in the romantic hotspot that is the West Midlands. Took the short drive from our city to this one where we spend a lot of our time. We prefer Birmingham to where we live.

Parked up in a nearby car park which we found to be cheaper than the one offered in the deal.


Walked up and checked in very smoothly. Got up to the room via one of the fastest lifts/elevators ever lol. 19th floor i think. A view on the opposite side of the Bull Ring looking towards the Mailbox.

We had booked through another site and a free bottle of wine was on offer. The site said we should tick our preference of red or white so we did and we ticked red but we got white. Oh well, the mum in law can have it.

There were supposed to be two boxes of cereals but they were missing. We popped out to do a bit of shopping and a meal and so we told the girl on the reception about it and she said she would get them put in which she did. Thanks. We probably were not even that bothered about the cereal but when you pay a good price for a whole package, if something is supposed to be there, it is supposed to be there. Simples.

After some food at the nearby restaurant Jamie's, we headed back and swiped in and got back up to the room. The room is simply efficiently modern (or something).
We were happy with the room and the view was good. i spent a lot of the time looking out of the windows and we didn't close the curtains at all during the stay. It was more fun that way.

Enjoyed the SKY tv and the books and there are a few board games and some music and toiletries.
Did not notice any spectacular night's sleep as some others have previously mentioned.
Then again, I felt lively and refreshed and had not one ache or pain so maybe it was better than I realised.

In the morning, I was going to make some coffee but guess what? There was no coffee. We were chilling out in pyjamas and were due to check out in two hours so we didnt want to bother getting some sent up. I have noticed on the previous review that the management had replied to a reviewer who had stated that a frying pan was not in their room by saying that an inventory check was done every time so it would have been there. Well, I am guessing the same checks were done in our room but we had the wrong wine, no cereal and no coffee. But we are all human or at least most of use are even in Birmingham so it was no massive deal to us. I just thought I should mention it in my review so i can give a fair review.

And...we had tea instead of coffee and the tea was lovely.

To round this review off, we had a fantastic weekend, it worked wonders for the two of us and a lot of thanks goes to the people who put this set up together. We would definitely return here. In my own opinion, I could get a more plush hotel experience for a similar price or even lower with breakfast included etc but the whole experience of being up there and the exclusivity of it makes it a winner.

I know my review may sound a little picky but believe me, we had a wonderful time here and it was a great experience and we are very happy we did it and we would return. :)

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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See 10 more reviews by rayraysworld for Birmingham
Ask rayraysworld about Staying Cool at the Rotunda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Tracey Stephenson, Owner at Staying Cool at the Rotunda, responded to this review
28 February 2012
hello rayraysworld

We were all pleased you had a great weekend at Rotunda and would happily return.

I'm sorry that you didn't get the wine that you wanted - I've checked your booking confirmation and it states that you ordered a bottle of Chablis - or at least that is what came through on the confirmation to us. We always say to guests that if something isn't right then do let us know at the time and we will try to put it right immediately (as happened with the cereals).

We've recently boosted our servicing team to try to eradicate annoying errors such as the missing coffee for which we're really sorry.

I'm delighted you really enjoyed your stay and especially the views - I still find them mesmerising even after four years. As a local, we hope to see you back in the near future. Try an apartment on the opposite side of the building for a different take on the city. We have regular guests who want to see the view from every apartment!

Best wishes
Tracey
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Additional Information about Staying Cool at the Rotunda

150 New Street, Birmingham B2 4PA, England
Price range (per night):* INR10,362 - 17,251

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