Festive fun in second city

You know how it is, there is a place on your doorstep and you generally only visit for a day's shopping or a trip to the theatre. I'm talking about the second city – Birmingham.

We ventured out for a night in the big city, staying at the recently opened Adagio Hotel in Digbeth.

Birmingham has been transformed over the past few years with the Bullring shopping centre and the last addition, Grand Central. It is no longer recognisable from my younger days.

Digbeth is now known as the city's creative quarter – the rundown coach station and music venues a thing of the past. The Peaky Blinders – now well known after the BBC drama about the notorious gang – use to go about their business at popular watering holes in the Digbeth area.

Adagio Aparthotel is a stone's throw from the Bullring and you can see glistening Selfridges from the building.

It is also less than a 10-minute walk from Birmingham New Street station.

The aparthotel in the Beorma Quarter has 108 apartments, made up of two-person studios and one-bed apartments for up to four people.

There are only two Adagio Aparthotels in the UK – the other in Liverpool – and there are about 100 worldwide.

We stayed in a two-bed studio which was immaculate, contemporary with all mod cons within easy reach.

You couldn't fault the facilities with fridge/freezer, small dishwasher, microwave with grill, hob, kettle and coffee maker, cooker and all the utensils you would need whether your stay was for a day or weeks.

The decor in shades of red, white and beige made the room even more inviting.

The room could be summed up with the simple word – dinky.

You instantly felt at home. You could quite easily use the room as a base or staying in for the evening with LCD television with more than 35 channels and Wi-fi.

The general manager Dave Amans said that the aparthotel was geared up for long-term visitors, but was also ideal for those staying just the night.

The hotels are a partnership between Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs and Accor Hotels.

And they seem to have thought of everything, there is laundry and a dry cleaning service, a lounge area and if you are feeling energetic there is a gym with treadmills, weights and cycles.

You wouldn't even need to venture out of the aparthotel (apart from filling up on food stocks).

But, we did go into the city on the evening, wanting to explore for a while.

The German market had opened for business that week, so we wandered past the stalls, getting into the festive spirit. There were plenty of goodies and lots of gifts to fill up your Christmas stocking!

Then, we had a meal at Fumo in Waterloo Street. The restaurant was buzzing and I sampled a Bakewell Tart cocktail before enjoying the finest Venetian tapas around.

After a few drinks, we later returned to the aparthotel.

The following morning we had a buffet breakfast in the breakfast area, spacious and roomy with large windows overlooking the city streets.

A friendly member of staff explained how we could help ourselves – there was a wide array with a choice of hot breakfast, cereals, fruit and yoghurt and also pastries.

Our breakfast stocked us up for a day of Christmas shopping ahead.

Adagio Aparthotel would be ideal for a stay before Christmas to discover the delights of the city, whether you are shopping, eating, visiting the theatre or exploring the sights. This city has come such a long way and Adagio Aparthotel is part of the journey.

Travel Facts

Prices at Adagio Aparthotel start from £59 for a double room. There is a tiered pricing structure so it becomes cheaper after the fourth night – the longer you stay the better the deal.

Visit www.adagio-city.com for more details.