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Hey Owlets,
One of the little things I love about travelling is getting to stay in so many places, see how each brand has chosen to design their hotels and getting to wake up in a different environment - but I have to admit I do love a bit of luxury. Last week Radisson Blu invited me to explore Birmingham with them before the launch of their new breakfast, so of course I had to give you a sneak peak while I was there!
Radisson Blu Birmingham is a modern 4 star hotel based 5 minutes away from just about everything - in the area around the hotel you can walk to the canal, visit Mailbox for dinner or go shopping at Bullring, and the New Street train station is only 5 minutes from the hotel so you really don't need a car to get around the city.
Radisson Blu offer a variety of rooms from standard doubles to suites - I stayed in a premium room which offers all of the amenities of a standard room but with a little extra space which is great if you're staying for a little longer, although even for one night it was a nice treat. Every room has incredible floor-to-ceiling windows but the larger rooms are placed on the corners of the building, meaning you get incredible 180º views across the city. Half of the windows are covered with the pattern that goes across each corner of the building, but I personally liked this as it provided a little extra shade.
Other than space and comfort, one of the things I love most about staying at luxury hotels are the little touches that would usually be forgotten. At the base of the bed are a selection of magazines, both offering you information about what to do locally as well as general interest magazines such as National Geographic. In the wardrobe you'll find bathrobes and slippers, they provide complimentary water for the duration of your stay and in the bathroom there is just about everything you could possibly need - even down to hand cream and bath salts. When I came back from exploring the city I found my room had been turned down, the curtains were closed, there were chocolates on the pillows and they'd laid slippers out next to the bed ready for the morning. No detail was considered unimportant and absolutely everything was done to perfection - they'd taken such care in thinking of everything that there were some things I didn't even spot until the next day.
After an excellent night's sleep I headed downstairs for the most important meal of the day, which at Radisson Blu is more of an event than a necessity as you try to wake up. The breakfast menu has recently been given an overhaul in conjunction with nutritionist Sophie Bertrand from Sophie's Healthy Kitchen and features up to 100 items at each hotel so you can pick and choose to create the perfect breakfast. As well as offering more ingredients to choose from, Sophie has created a series of set breakfast options that are cooked to order; each plate is balanced and offers all the nutrition you need, depending on what you plan to do for the day. When you arrive at breakfast these menus are displayed to help you make the best choice, but you can also choose whatever you'd like from the ingredients. Pictured above is avocado and poached eggs on an English muffin, sweetcorn fritter with bacon and chilli jam, and vegetarian eggs Benedict with mushroom and spinach replacing the ham.
As I was visiting as part of a media event they brought out a selection of breakfasts for us to look at, photograph and taste and I was originally a bit concerned that I wasn't going to have anything to eat because everything that arrived had gluten in it, however I needn't have worried - in fact it was the total opposite. While designing the breakfast menu Sophie has taken care to cover just about every food intolerance she could think of, meaning that there are actually multiple options for everyone regardless of what your dietary needs are. Above is a vegan full English breakfast which (apart from the bread) is totally gluten free - it comes with seitan bacon, beetroot black pudding, carrot sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and tofu. Being a meat eater I wasn't entirely sure I'd like it, but Sophie said it was created to give guests who want to eat less meat alternative options, and honestly it was great - I would absolutely order this next time I stay at Radisson Blu.
As well as the a la carte menu you have the option of both a traditional full English breakfast and a continental breakfast - yet again both of these are amplified and fully cater towards dietary requirements with full information available on each ingredient. As well as the meat and cheese there's a full buffet section of different breads with preserves, fruit, cereal and yoghurt so there really is something for everyone.
Another thing to mention is that Radisson Blu try to as much as possible to use sustainable sources and local suppliers to minimise impact on the environment, so they really have thought of every possible concern you could have.
I love to treat myself when I'm eating breakfast at a hotel so I opted for fruit, followed by avocado, salmon and poached egg on toast. One thing to note is that it doesn't actually say they have sliced GF bread on the cart with gluten free alternatives, but when I asked they said they have it but keep it in the kitchen so it doesn't get contaminated which is great if you're more sensitive to gluten than me. I have to admit I did have concerns that they were perhaps trying to do too much at once and the quality might slip a little as a result, but absolutely everything was faultless and the quality of the ingredients were great too.
Whenever I write hotel reviews I try to be extra picky so I know I've given you the best information possible and you know everything before you book, but I genuinely couldn't find fault with anything throughout my stay. The Radisson Blu team have thought of absolutely every little touch to make the room perfect, and as someone with dietary restrictions who's used to being the awkward one I was happy to find myself spoilt for choice at breakfast. I love that Sophie has put so much work into balancing each item on the menu as well as making it accessible to everyone - it really has paid off. If you're staying in Birmingham or just looking for a city break I would definitely recommend booking into Radisson Blu.
Love and Feathers,
The Owlet 💜
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