Burlington reopens after two-year refit
The Burlington Hotel in the centre of Birmingham opens its doors today after a £5.5m transformation which has taken two years.
Hortons' Estate, the developer of the property and the Victorian arcade in which it is situated, hopes it will now become the city's premier four-star standard hotel, sweeping away its previously mixed reputation.
Prior to its closure at Christmas 1994, the hotel, then known as the Midland, was best known for its real ale bar, Atkinson's.
"The previous hotel had no leisure facilities, poor meeting rooms and was technically dated," said Robert Wilson, Burlington's marketing manager.
The new-look property has switched emphasis away from drink towards the business market and food. "Birmingham is changing. Visitors are more sophisticated," Mr Wilson said.
The 55-seat Berlioz Restaurant is designed to exploit this change and put the hotel on the map by establishing a good reputation for food.
Heading the kitchens is executive chef Charles Anderson (People, 17 October 1996), charged with looking after both Berlioz and the banqueting business.
Despite the huge investment in the refurbishment, just one extra bedroom has been added, taking the total to 112. Instead of extra rooms, the building work has enabled existing rooms to be enlarged and conference space, with a capacity for up to 450 delegates, to be added.
A new leisure club, equipped with spa pool and fitness equipment, has also been built. Management of this club is being outsourced to leisure specialist Curves.
The Burlington's opening marks the start of a year in which the UK's second city will benefit from a number of hotel developments, particularly in the budget sector.
Plans include two sites on Broad Street - a Travelodge (News, 28 March 1996) and a £12m scheme by Riverdale Securities, owner of the city's Chamberlain Hotel. The latter project, for a 450-bedroom hotel, is scheduled to open in spring 1998.
