Mr & Mrs Smith

Staying Cool Rotunda

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Britain’s second city has had quite the makeover over the course of the last decade, shaking off its industrial past to become a cultural hub of cutting-edge design, high-end shopping and gastronomy. Where better to locate a collection of super-luxurious self-catering apartments? After conquering Manchester, Stayingcool have taken over the top two floors of Birmingham’s towering Rotunda in the city centre, opening 15 hip and homely apartments inspired by swinging-Sixties style and slick contemporary cool. Bespoke design pieces such as pink-patterened Lou Rota Polymorph chairs, sleek charcoal Naughtone sofas, and Nick Smith’s retro-style photo-portraits clamour for your attention, but when you’ve got horizon-sweeping views from floor-to-ceiling windows, it can be hard to focus on the decor.

Need to know

• Rates information Prices go up at the weekend, with a ‘Mini’ studio in the range of £129–£160 a night, a larger ‘Clubman’ at £155–£185, ‘two-bed Maxis’ at £245–£295, and the ‘Roadster’ penthouse suite costing £325–£375.
• Ideal for Urban adventures, alternative business breaks, summers in the city.
• Sleeps 2-4
• Property style Sexed-up Sixties apartments
• Grounds Even though Staying Cool’s apartments are in a 20-storey tower in the heart of Birmingham, there’s still room for green space – there’s access to a communal lawn from the second floor of the Rotunda, where a barbecue and deck chairs await.
• Minimum hire The one-night hire period is from 3pm to noon the next day, but check-out can be flexible, subject to availability.
• Children Babies are welcome, but the fully opening floor-to-ceiling windows 75m above the ground may be a worry if you have toddlers under five (there are guard rails, however). The Mini apartments are ideal for teenagers. More...
• Booking process Smith deposit taken when you book.
• Also Staying Cool apartments are non-smoking – there’s a £100 cleaning charge for rule-flaunters. Pets are not allowed.

Floor plan

• The eight Mini studios and four Clubman apartments each have one bedroom; the two Maxis and the Roadster penthouse both have two – great for families on city breaks.

• Bedrooms

  Cosy up in king-size beds with NASA-approved Ultimate memory-foam mattresses. The penthouse bedrooms include Mac Minis, TVs and balcony access too.

• Kitchen

  Staying Cool’s kitchens contain almost every imaginable culinary luxury; as well as a full oven, hob, microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge, there’s extra treats in the form of a Baby Gaggia coffee maker to satisfy those cappuccino cravings, and an electric juicer for vitamin binges. You’ll find a dish washer and a washer/dryer too.

• Living room

  The ‘Interiors Insight’ guide tells you the story behind the furnishings, each apartment is chock-full of cherry-picked design pieces and it can be helpful to know their provenance when you simply must commission yourself a Lou Rota chair or bag yourself a Tom Dixon felt lamp. Huge Nick Smith photo-canvasses line the walls, depicting Hepburn-ish women at various points in the city, and books and magazines are enticingly spread about the room. Entertainment comes courtesy of huge flatscreen LG TVs with Sky, with DVDs played by the Mac Mini and music from iTunes playlists or the Bose iPod sound system.

• Dining room

  Each apartment comes with a dining table that can comfortably fit four, but local restaurants might better fit the bill if you’ve rented several apartments and want to dine en masse.

• Gardens

  The Rotunda’s second floor opens out onto an urban garden area that overlooks the bustling shopping streets below. Curvy plastic loungers and a barbecue invite alfresco eating. The penthouse has a huge wrap-around balcony with loads of space, dizzying city views and a dining table for two.

• Private parking

  The vast Bullring underground car park is a few moments’ stroll from the Rotunda. Stashing your motor costs £16 a day, but Staying Cool is hoping to haggle the cost down for residents. Check when you book.