With our prime city centre location, just a stone’s throw from Birmingham’s Irish Quarter, we couldn’t miss out on the St Patrick’s Day Parade even if we wanted to. This year it takes place on Saturday 11th March (yes we know this isn’t St Patrick’s Day) and we can’t wait!
So you’ve got mushy Valentines out of the way and the chaos of half term, but now it’s the 18th of March, what are you going to do for Mother’s Day??? Well I’m thinking, a day shopping in the Bullring, followed by Afternoon Tea at Browns Bar & Brasserie in the newly developed Spiceal Street. Or maybe a couple of cheeky cocktails in Selfridges Moet Bar and Gallery Restaurant? Followed by a chance for Mom to put her feet up with a relaxing evening in, watching a DVD in one of our comfy Two Bedroom Apartments. Sound good? Best book early because I can see them going fast! Prices start from £99.
It never really feels like spring until Easter arrives and we’re all Chocolate mad at Premier Apartments! Everybody loves Chocolate and everybody loves Easter, so we thought why not combine the two in a special way this year. Stay with us here at Premier Apartments Birmingham and visit Cadbury World during their Easter Eggstravaganza to enjoy the wonders of the Cadburys World tour and some extra special Easter treats…
Our fantastic Chocolate Heaven package includes two nights accommodation in one of our fabulous Birmingham city centre apartments, continental breakfast and tickets to Cadbury World – the perfect family treat if you’re visiting Birmingham this Easter. Prices are from only £159 total for 2 nights stay for 2 adults + 1 child sharing a one bedroom apartment with extra bed or upgrade to a two bedroom for a small supplement. If you require any extra tickets at discounted rates please email me (Sophia) at sales@premierapartmentsbirmingham.com
For all our fantastic special offers and deals follow Premier Apartments Birmingham on Facebook, signup to our newsletter or check-back on our website regularly!
Happy New Year All! It’s 2012 and already Birmingham’s social calendar is full to the brim with exciting things to do. Cinderella has returned to Birmingham Hippodrome and will be rolling out performances of the popular Pantomime until the 29th January. As we are perfectly located just a short 5 minute stroll away you can treat the family to a night out at the theatre with an overnight stay in one of our fabulous 4* Birmingham city centre apartments.
Birmingham also said goodbye to the Frankfurt Christmas Market for another year on the 23rd December but if you’re wondering around the City Centre aimlessly looking for something to do and new foods to try, why not check out Spiceal Street – Bullrings latest addition. The renovations were completed late November 2011 to include 3 new restaurants adjacent to the St Martin’s Church entrance to the shopping Centre. This new social hub is now home to Browns Bar & Brasserie, Handmade Burger Co. and Thai banquet-style ChaoBaby. I recently visited one of the restaurants after a hard day Christmas shopping and not only was I not disappointed, but it also didn’t break the bank….Bonus!
Last, but most certainly not least, this year marks the Year of The Dragon and we can’t wait for the Chinese New Year Celebrations on Sunday 29th January in Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter. As one our neighbours within the Southside District of the City Centre, we have the pleasure of being right in the hub of it all. From 12.30pm – 5.30pm the day’s events will include an extravagant dragon and lion dance, fireworks and captivating acrobatic and cultural displays. Don’t miss out on the fun, book your apartment now from £59 per night.
P.S. Don’t forget to visit our website and Facebook page to hear about all of our special offers and packages for 2012.
The outdoor Frankfurt Christmas Market as now arrived back to the Heart of Birmingham for its 10th Year running, this year it’s bigger than ever with an extra 10 stalls. Remember the market is only here until the 23rd December so get your overnight stay booked now…
Our luxury serviced apartments are ideally situated in the centre of Birmingham and make a great base for families and couples, rest your heads after a hectic day of Christmas shopping, why not make a night of it, maybe a pantomime for the kids or visit the large selection of bars and restaurants 2 minutes walk at the Arcadian Centre.
Don’t know how to celebrate New Years Eve? Why not come to Birmingham to welcome in the New Year 2012 – book now whilst we have availability!
Visit our website for our special Christmas in Birmingham Packages, why not get booked early for our Serious Sales Shopper Package starting the 26th December.
Get those woolly hats and mittens ready, the UK’s largest outdoor Frankfurt Christmas Market is back for it’s 10th year running! The market is centre piece of the city’s Christmas Event Calendar.
We are ideally situated and make a great base for families and couples. Rest your heads after a hectic day of Christmas shopping. Why not make a night of it? Maybe a pantomime for the kids at Birmingham Hippodrome or visit the large selection of bars and restaurants 2 minutes walk at the Arcadian Centre!
Visit our website for our overnight deals and Birmingham city breaks including excellent 3 and 5 night saver deals just right for that festive Christmas escape.
Action packed for the forthcoming months of 2011:
- Birmingham hosts the Liberal Democrat Party Conference this week, 17th – 21st September.
- We welcome back Lee Evans who is performing back in the city this weekend coming 22nd September – 26th September.
- For all those planning their special day for 2012/2013 the NEC hosts the famous National Wedding Show 7th – 9th October, 1000’s of exhibitors for excellent services and ideas to make that day an extra special one
Why not check out our overnight Birmingham deals on our website, excellent 3 and 5 night saver deals for that last minute city break before the hectic Christmas celebrations kick-in!
Once again Birmingham will be celebrating for 10 jazz packed days. The official Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival runs from 1st July right through till Sunday 10th with over 200 performances taking place in 50 venues across the city and the best news is almost all of them are free!
Performances are popping up in some of the most unlikely places including bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. There is already a great buzz about the events and some of our top recommendations include: Sarah Savoy & the Francadians at Star City. On Sunday 3rd July for a unique blend of food and music; the inspirational Carol Sudhalter gig; or Ricky Cool & The Hoola Boola Boys at Chamelon on Thursday 7th.
Also up around the same time is the independent Mostly Jazz Festival weekend from Friday 1st July – Sunday 3rd. The open air festival takes place in Moselely Park (catch number 50 bus from outside the apartments on Digbeth High Street, frequent service runs about every 10 mins and journey time is just 10 mins) and celebrates the best of contemporary jazz, funk and soul. Some great acts are headlining the festival including the Cinematic Orchestra, Matthew Herbert Big Band and Booker T. Last year we took a picnic and had fantastic afternoon out in the sun and hoping for great weather again this year.
After eating through the competition we’ve come up with a definitive list of our top restaurants in Birmingham. The city is famous for the diversity of our population and this has also bought some wonderful restaurants. We’re lucky to have one of the very best Indian restaurants in the UK less than 2km walk from Premier Apartments. Itihaas serves innovative interpretations of authentic Indian cuisine in elegant surroundings.
We all love a good pizza and are lucky to be spoilt for choice with Italian restaurants in Birmingham. For delicious food made from market fresh produce you can’t get better than San Carlo on Temple Street. From pizza to pasta to risotto you can’t go wrong but try the “Medaglione Alla Crema Di Tartufo” (beef medallions wrapped in parma ham and truffle sauce) for a special treat.
If you’re looking for a quick bite the the Chinese restaurants in Birmingham could be of interest to you. Our favourite is the Golden Pond which conveniently is located just 500m round the corner on Ladywell Walk right in the heart of Birmingham’s Chinatown. Each dish is cooked freshly to order and the dim sum are the best I’ve ever tasted.
Although there is perhaps limited choice of Thai restaurants in Birmingham the quality is amazing. I love the Thai Orchid on Bennetts Hill, just off Victoria Square so only 10 minutes walk away. Still family owned, the food is fragrant and fresh and the service typically Thai. They also have some wonderfully imaginative vegetarian options including the red curry Kaeng Pak.
Another fantastic option to explore are the Greek restaurants in Birmingham and for a taste of the Mediterranean I’d recommend Bar Estilo next to the Mailbox. Stylish and sophisticated, this Wharfside Street venue is equally perfect after a hard days work or shopping for relaxing with friends for a couple of drinks and bite to eat. As well as the delicious ala carte menu (if you’re in for lunch you can’t beat a nibble on their spicy chorizo sandwich) they serve excellent tapas dishes.
Recently the choice of vegetarian restaurants Birmingham has on offer has vastly improved. For fresh, organic vegetarian and vegan dishes you can’t beat the Warehouse Cafe in the Birmingham Friends of the Earth building just 400m walk on Allison Street. Drawing on international influences, the eclectic menu changes regularly to make the most of seasonal produce and all are great value for money.
Our Muslim guests may be interested to know there are some great Halal restaurants in Birmingham including Lahore Karahi on Ladypool Road (under 10 minutes in a taxi). It serves great Halal Chinese and Pakistani food in a friendly, relaxed environment.
We’re often asked what our Top 10 restaurants in Birmingham list would look like but I think its impossible to rank them like that. Each has its charms and it depends on your mood and fancies. I hope you’ll enjoy visiting some of these as much as we do and if you have any suggestions for us to try we’d love to hear them.
One of our favourite hobbies has to be shopping in Birmingham! The city is home to such a fantastic abundance of stores selling everything you could possibly want (and a few things you didn’t know you wanted till you went in) and every time we go out we fall in love with the city all over again.
Within the city centre there are several shopping centres, each with its own character. Each of the centres are only a few minutes walk from one another and as Premier Apartments is at the heart of it all you won’t have too far to carry all those bags!
Round the corner from Premier Apartments you will find the iconic Selfridges, part of the Birmingham Bullring. The redeveloped Bullring is home to many other style icons including the Apple Store, Karen Millen, Mamas & Papas and Debenhams. There are some great cafes and restaurants for spot of lunch but we love the Mount Fuji sushi for a quick, healthy and delicious lunch .
The Mailbox Shopping Centre is all about names. Here you can find international luxury lifestyle store Harvey Nichols, prestigious designers including Hugo Boss, Armarni, Jaeger, Bang & Olufsen to drop just a few. Down on the canal side, lunch at Zizzi or Caffé Gusto or celebrate a day well-shopped with cocktails in Crystal Rivers.
For something a bit more affordable you can’t beat Pavilions. Located adjacent to the Bullring it is home to top high-street favourites including Marks & Spencer’s, Monsoon, Evans and La Senza. On the seventh floor you’ll find the Pavilions Food Loft with some lovely places to stop for a snack or light lunch. Vegetarians will adore Natural Choice for an entirely meat-free menu.
The best bargains can be found in the Pallasades shopping centre over New Street Station. Here you will find great value stores including New Look, Peacocks and Argos.
If you’re looking for something a little more eccentric or fabulous fresh produce a visit to one of the Birmingham Markets should be at the top of your list. The Birmingham Bullring has three markets in one location:
- Bullring Open Market – open Tues – Sat for fashion and textiles, music and vinyl or books and furniture
- Bullring Indoor Market – Mon to Sat for market fresh produce, meats and fish
- Rag Market – Tue, Thu, Fri & Sat whether dressing the family or dressing the family home you’ll find it here
With over 100 specialist shops in the Jewellery Quarter you won’t find a better selection of fine gold, silver and diamonds anywhere else in the country. Seek out the perfect ring or love token or commission a bespoke item from one of the artisan workshops. If you need a restorative cappuccino there are some lovely coffee shops and cafes in the area to choose from.
Everyone loves a bargain and if you are looking for excellent hotels in Birmingham for your next shopping trip why not upgrade and stay with us for no extra cost.
No matter which country you’re from we know most of you won’t want to miss a single game of this summers World Cup. The first few matches have been thrilling and we can’t wait for England’s match this evening against Algeria and in preparation we’ve decided to review the best world cup pubs in Birmingham.
England supporters are flocking to The Victoria next door to the Alexandra Theatre. It’s only 10 minutes walk from the Apartments and one of our favourite pubs in town. Every England match is shown on the massive 8ft screens upstairs (as well as all the other key matches) and the crowd is friendly and enthusiastic. The Victoria is a traditional style bar with great choice of specialty Ales and beers. They serve good, traditional pub grub till 8pm daily and in honour of England’s manger have created the “Feelin Fabio” pie especially for the World Cup. Our General Manager Claire went along last Saturday and gave the bar (and pie) rave reviews – her comments about Green were not quite as positive though…
If you fancy the atmosphere of a big match then the O2 Academy is the place for you. They’re showing all the England matches on giant screens and big sound system (if you can stand the vuvuzelas). For groups we’d recommend reserving one of the VIP areas but the venue is huge so shouldn’t have any trouble getting a spot with great view.
For a more relaxed bar try the Flapper down by the canal, about 2km (20 minutes walk) from the Apartments. Even if you’re not going to watch a match it’s still well worth a visit as the beer garden is the largest in the city centre and the perfect place to relax and soak up some sun next to an unspoilt section of the canal. Inside the game is shown on all the big screens, they also have great DJs playing in the evenings (really helps the party atmosphere and celebrate those wins!).
If you’re not supporting England, or looking for a (slightly) more neutral venue, Aussie bar Walkabout could be the perfect place for you. They show every big match on the massive screens and have good choice of beers and snacks to keep you sustained through the games. I got New Zealand in our office world cup draw so will be heading along again on Sunday to cheer them on but win or loose always have a great time here.
We hope you enjoy watching the matches and find our guide where to watch the world cup in Birmingham useful. If you’ve any recommendations to share we’d love to hear them – leave us a comment here or our Birmingham Apartments Facebook page.
At Premier Apartments we want to take the stress out of travelling and we know one of the biggest worries at the moment is caused by the threat of volcanic ash disruption. To help reassure you that we will look after whether you have to extend your stay with us or are unable to travel we have created our new volcanic air charter.