Brummies are being asked the question - do you really know your
ICC from your Elbow Room?
Hip serviced apartment operator Staying Cool is appealing for
help from more than a dozen eagle-eyed local people who can
identify key city landmarks.
To help them with their task they'll be offered a free room with
a bird's eye view - at the top of the iconic Rotunda, hundreds of
feet above the city streets.
Staying Cool is creating a range of images of the city centre,
which will be displayed in each of their boutique apartments,
clearly indicating the key buildings guests can see from their
floor-to-ceiling windows.
The move is designed to help guests from around the world enjoy
their stay in Birmingham all the more by highlighting some of the
most important venues, landmarks and tourist attractions. They
include the International Convention Centre, Symphony Hall,
Selfridges, the Town Hall, Baskerville House and Birmingham
Cathedral.
Staying Cool managing director Tracey Stephenson said: "We're
looking high and low for eagle-eyed Birmingham experts who can help
us with this unique project. If you know the city landscape and can
recognise key buildings, we need your knowledge.
"Guests are always asking us about all the buildings they can
see as they admire the city-scape through their wall-to-wall,
floor-to-ceiling windows. So in response we have taken photos of
all the views - 15 in total. We want guests to identify the
important landmarks visible from every angle of our boutique
apartments so we can tell our visitors all about this great
city.
"So if you fancy lending a hand, and think you know what's what,
get in touch now. We're offering a free night's accommodation on
Sunday, March 27, in return for your expertise."
Contact hello@stayingcool.com or phone Staying Cool on 0121 285
1250 for more information. Rooms will be free of charge and on a
first come first served basis - there's also a little quiz to take
first.
Staying Cool has serviced apartments in Birmingham, Manchester
and Barcelona. It received Birmingham's first ever five star
accommodation rating for its one and two bed and penthouse
apartments on the top two floors of the landmark Rotunda.
Staying Cool opened in the much loved and iconic sixties
cylindrical tower in May 2008 to rave reviews from guests and the
media alike. The refurbishment of the former 1960s office block was
carried out by multi-award winning developers Urban Splash and
Glenn Howells Architects.
The Rotunda is much-loved locally and has been an integral part
of the cityscape since the sixties. The apartments radiate from the
natural curve of the building. Each has a wall of floor to ceiling
glass with fully opening French windows, giving great views of
Birmingham some 200ft up.
Lucky penthouse guests get their own, large open air balcony on
the top floor. Design-wise the apartments - all named after
Longbridge cars from the factory's heyday - combine contemporary
cool with swinging sixties style.
Lounges feature specially commissioned stylish sofas by fab Brit
furniture team, Naught One, in grey felt with bespoke coloured
stitching, as well as Pierre Cardin's colourful 1960s chairs.
Designer Lou Rota has produced Staying Cool versions of her
Polymorph chair - an environmentally friendly rework of the Robin
Day classic. Staying Cool also commissioned photographer Nick Smith
to produce a series of sixties-inspired fashion photos that invoke
the decade, to hang larger than life on the walls. Lighting is by
Tom Dixon and Artemide.
Guests enjoy free wifi, an Apple computer in each apartment, a
Bose iPod dock and Gaggia espresso maker with locally produced milk
and Fairtrade freshly ground coffee. A range of organic breakfasts
and drinks are available to order.
Staying Cool's reception and concierge service - which it
co-runs with Urban Splash - can help with theatre and cinema
tickets and advise on what to see and do. The apartments cost from
£99 up to £500 per night for the penthouses on special
occasions such as Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. Five star
quality at four star prices.