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The Grand Hotel Birmingham

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The Grand Hotel Birmingham project aimed to resurrect a former city centre hotel property with significant history and heritage, bringing it back to a landmark hotel for the region.

Drees & Sommer were engaged as Client and Tenant Representative, Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, Principal Designer, and Clerk of Works. Drees & Sommer also led due diligence exercises both prior to the development of the scheme, and again for the purposes of potential divestment during the construction phase.

Carefully restored heritage features such as the impressive Grosvenor Ballroom, function suites, bars and the grand stair have been complemented with contemporary and stylish bedroom suites and other modern features including a bespoke restaurant. The hotel provides 185 en-suite bedrooms of varying size and finish, including an impressive luxury King Suite set over two floors.

After an initial enabling works package to remove asbestos and lead materials, the main works contract (approx. £35m under a JCT modified Design and Build contract) spanned approximately 2 years, including the final stages working through the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project involved extensive engagement with client investor and operator teams, the building’s longstanding landlord Hortons Estates, Birmingham City Council as part investors, as well as planning and conservation officers. And of course, a huge amount of work with the design and delivery teams for both the client and principal contractor, both pre and post contract. We were at the heart of this, leading the team throughout pre and post contract stages.

Drees & Sommer led a due diligence exercise to establish the viability of a scheme on behalf of the Employer. We then led the design process with the client design team to revise a previous scheme to suit the new client and operator’s needs.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/25097288222/in/photostream/

The team had to strike a balance between heritage conservation issues and modern building control requirements, as well as the commercial implications of both. Ultimately the team retained as many of the key existing features as possible to provide a hotel full of character.

The project team, led by Drees & Sommer, have overcome considerable technical and commercial challenges to deliver what will be a flagship hotel for the city and region, offering an unrivalled style of facilities in Birmingham.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/23405190770/in/photolist-BEeHMU-P94N7V-8PXaqk-U7HP2T-dTD8dz-dTJTRj-2k72PaU-2j3ao2D-q7wE4s-q6hKns-VX6mgU-2kcqoLe-KPLJgJ-21ERXLe-2kiuhsN-68Ka8s-2htTUoi-GV3Fha-bwuWBK-EbSdZL-V4tDxU-C8w5Vk-tgmQwm-qtu8Jt-qtAwQ7-CLiJWv-CjbqRs-qc7ee5-bwuWFt-ec6vHC-bwuWxa-qrnYnG-2jp7LNk-5G9Bdb-28Ed2Ct-eXkVim-25U9bC9-2jMyKzu-26JjnRo-EyMDva-2iTcMvZ-HzTkWp-2kbdnqZ-dTD8DF-2k183eY-2k1eEqx-2k1b5Tc-QBCmLK-2k1c1xC-2k1ckVS

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