Staying Cool at the Rotunda

"Why can't all city centre stays be this cool?" The Times. Birmingham's best address. Staying Cool's apartments at the top of the refurbished iconic Rotunda offer amazing views of the city, just three minutes from New Street Station and next door to Selfridges. These stylish four and five star apartments have been designed with maximum comfort in mind. Each comes with bespoke designer furniture, a very well-equipped Poggenpohl kitchen, Gaggia espresso maker with organic milk and fresh coffee, oranges for the juicer, dining area, games, an Apple Mac, iPod dock, plus a king size bed with a pocket sprung and memory foam mattress for the very best night's sleep. Each apartment has floor-to-ceiling glass windows throughout that open just like French windows. Perfect in Spring and Summer. Free wifi. There's a 24 hour reception and concierge service until 10pm offering Staying Cool's renowned service. These Mini (small but perfectly formed) apartments have been rated as four star by Visit Britain. Staying Cool also has five star one and two bed apartments plus a glorious penthouse apartment - see separate Laterooms entry in the Birmingham hotel list (Staying Cool at the Rotunda 5).For a longer description read on.Everything seemed functional and well planned, as if I really was in a dream flat. There was plenty of room and a large, comfortable bed behind a partition. But it was the views that were the clincher. I never imagined that Birmingham could appear beautiful until I looked out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at a pink evening sky spread out beyond a cityscape of Bullring shops, Selfridges, St Martin's steeple, towers blocks and parks. I sipped my mint tea (free), read Wallpaper (free), and thought: why can't all city stays be as cool as this?, Mystery Guest, The TimesBirmingham's Rotunda needs no introduction. The cylindrical icon has defined the city's skyline for the past four decades. The building was stunningly refurbished last year by Urban Splash and Glenn Howells Architects and Staying Cool's apartments on the top three floors are its crowning glory.The apartments radiate from the centre of the building, creating a circle of different sized Trivial Pursuit style wedges. Each is individually styled with original artwork and specially commissioned furniture.Minis are studios on the 18th and 19th floors and are the most compact and bijou of Staying Cool's apartments but they still knock spots off a standard hotel room. A wall of floor to ceiling glass gives you great views of Birmingham life... and French windows that open fully at 75 metres up make it all that little bit more thrilling.Design-wise, Staying Cool has combined contemporary cool with swinging sixties style. The lounge features a stylish sofa by fab Brit furniture team, NaughtOne, in grey felt, with bespoke coloured stitching as well as Pierre Paulin's distinctive 1960's 'Tulip' chairs in a variety of bright colours. A series of fashion photos that invoke the decade hang (large) on the walls. Lighting is by Tom Dixon and Artemide.There's nothing retro about the sleek Poggenpohl kitchens, the pristine white bathrooms or state-of-the-art Apple computers. iPod docks and beautiful Baby Gaggia espresso makers complete the contemporary look.It's not just the apartments that have the wow factor - the new entrance to the Rotunda has more than just a touch of swish New York hotel style to it.Upstairs, the large circular lobbies with poured resin floors are pretty impressive too.And with Selfridges as your corner shop and New Street station a two minute walk away, you know you are perfectly centrally located.

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