Investment plans announced for Birmingham’s Grand Hotel

Plans have been announced to redevelop the hotel at The Grand, a Grade II-listed Birmingham building, 15 years after it shut down.

he redevelopment is expected to bring the hotel up to the standards of modern times while maintaining more than 120 years of history. The announcement revealed a partnership between building owner Hortons’ Estate and Principal Hotel Company, an owner and operator of 39 properties across the UK. Although Britain’s second largest city, the deal marks Principal’s first investment in Birmingham, and will offer 180 bedrooms and suites, a spa and rooftop pool, as well as extensive conference and banquet spaces.

Developed between 1879 and 1895 by the Horton family, the location has been home to shops and offices as well as the hotel, which was family run until 1969. Since the hotel’s closure in 2002, Hortons’ Estate has invested £25 million in restoration and remodelling, seeing the launch of new office and shop spaces in the area, but is particularly excited about relaunching the hotel.

“We have always believed that the restoration of The Grand would not be complete if it did not include a luxury hotel,” said Tony Green, chief executive of Hortons’ Estate. “We have chosen to work with Principal on the project because they share our commitment to creating the city’s finest hotel and because of their impressive track record working on similar buildings in other major cities.”

Located on Colmore Row in central Birmingham, The Grand is among Birmingham’s most recognisable buildings, and the team behind the redevelopment is hoping to establish it as a leading luxury destination. Having recently headed up the development of Principal’s flagship London hotel on Russell Square, with an investment of £75 million, similar care and attention to detail is expected at The Grand.

“Our ambitious plans for 2017 include the opening of our flagship hotel, The Principal London on Russell Square, as well as a second Principal Hotel in Edinburgh, with city-centre hotels in Glasgow, Cardiff, Liverpool, Leeds and Oxford joining Principal in late 2017 and over the course of 2018,” explained Tony Troy, CEO of Principal Hotel Company.

“This partnership with Hortons not only consolidates the strength of our newly launched Principal urban lifestyle hotel brand, it also illustrates the confidence of our partners and investors in the potential of what we have created.”