Hotel La Tour

Hotel Latour is one of the most modern I have ever stayed at. It is a very beautiful contemporary hotel with a lot of detail considered. We stayed at this hotel for over a week and here are the pros and cons:
Pros —
–restaurant (everything is absolutely delicious)
–best complimentary breakfast ever
–very clean
–fantastic location
Cons —
— restaurant (we waited 20 – 30 minutes for the check after table was cleared, and even then it never came… if they don’t bring the check, that means the meal is free, right?)
— uncomfortable bed and pillows (really though? As much effort that was put into everything else could have been shown in the main reason you come to a hotel)
— hospitality can be poor, whether it be being ignored in the restaurant, being called down to the front desk to pick up your room service, or not being called at all about arriving packages
— room stays hot, no matter what temp is set. The min on the thermostat is 18 degrees but their 18 is really 22. We keep our house at 20 all the time and we were pretty uncomfortable, especially at night.
— shower has no door, and no matter how careful you are, water always finds a way to leak out and pool in the bathroom

I have been a regular visitor here since it opened and to date, it has been a clean, modern, to some extent funky hotel with a good bar, restaurant and rooms. Sure it had four very irritating self check in machines to test your patience on arrival but as the hotel is in a handy location and reasonably priced, the negatives far outweighed the positives.
However things have changed and I write this after my most recent stay there in late January 2016 …
The irritating self check in machines have been reduced from 4 down to 2. Not a problem per se save that both of the remaining two machines were out of order …
So the receptionists had to do some work and check me in. I arrived at getting on for 10pm and, feeling the need to fill the awkward silence I was asked if I had any plans for the night. Sleep came the reply and thereafter the conversation died …
The room was pleasant enough … Until I saw all the finger prints over the toilet flush button and I wondered what germs might have been left by the last occupant and the inadequacy of the cleaning. The lump in my throat settled soon enough …
Disappointingly the hotel has gone down the route of introducing a «celebrity» chef menu. I shan’t name the said «celebrity» (although he will be more underwhelming than you might be hoping for) but I am pretty certain that he won’t have been anywhere near your food and that despite his alleged talent which has led to him being a «celebrity», unless you are impressed with a faux celebrity making fish and chips, you are likely to be underwhelm and wonder why he didn’t just stick to flogging stock cubes …
Anyway, in the morning I tried to use the facilities in the bathroom. No water in the sink taps … The toilet cistern hadn’t refilled so no flush … The shower ran dry after about 5 seconds …
At check out the room was already paid for so I brought the water shortcomings to the attention of the receptionist. First of all I was doubted and then when I clarified that it was the toilet, taps and sink, I wasn’t offered an apology or a refund. I was asked if I would like to see the duty manager and I wondered if the point was that he or she would take me aside with a bucket of warm water and wash me down, but as I had a train to catch and had already resigned myself to a three hour onward journey as part of the great unwashed, I declined. So I was handed a VAT receipt for the full amount and bid a good day.
I accept that issues happen but this hotel had three in one go and offered terrible customer service. Effectively they provided a dirty broken hotel room and kept all the money I had paid in the expectation of a clean room that would enable me to shower and use the toilet …
Not good …

I’ve always wanted to stay here since I heard about it. I was fortunate to get a fantastic deal through the app hotel tonight resulting in crafty geography and a coupon.
Location wise it’s still central but away from the hustle and bustle of broad street and those around new street. It’s entrance is down a pedestrian only walk way but there is a small slip road for cars to pull in too.
I had booked a city room, the standard room and when you walk on you’ll compared to other hotels (not all) you’ll think your doing pretty well for yourself.
The staff were really friendly and I could leave my luggage there before check in time.
There are 5 floors to Hotel La Tour with the first and second being largely bar, restaurant, reception and gym etc.
Everything feels spotlessly clean and contemporary — just the way I like it.
We did have a point where the fire alarm was set off, we trundled down the stairs with everyone else outside but there seemed to be nobody directing us and we milled around outside. I do believe the fire point is elsewhere…
The bar and particular outside patio area is very pleasant. We had a chat with a new employee named Sam who appeared genuinely friendly to us.
The bathroom… Wow!
The shower takes up the space of a bath tub with a waterfall fitting. Complimentary water even in the city room as well as a safe and tea and coffee facilities. A wall mounted 32″ TV directly in front of the bed and you can play music through Bluetooth on your phone to the TV. Unfortunately the speaker that should be working in the bathroom wasn’t.
We ordered and orange and a cranberry juice in the morning. As I had my credit card connected to our booking I was prepared to pay that way. When they were brought up I was informed it was on the house.
Very pleasant stay and I will definitely be visiting again — even just for drinks.

You can’t get more quintessentially British than a traditional afternoon tea on a summer’s afternoon. In recent years with the rise of all things retro, ‘high tea’ is more fashionable than ever with everywhere from hotels to corner side coffee shops offering their take on cake based luxury. Never one to say no to an afternoon nibble, when invited to a bloggers event, I clicked my heels and went along to Hotel LaTour Birmingham to see what all the fuss was about.
For £19.99 pp (£29.45 with Champagne) the afternoon tea menu at Hotel LaTour includes a wide selection of tea and coffee, (everything from bog standard English Breakfast to loose leaf jasmine) collection of finger sandwiches, homemade scones with jam and cream alongside a platter of tea cakes an desserts.
Beginning with a cool class of fizz on arrival our journey to the centre of cake coma began with a pot of welsh rarebit and crisp breadsticks to dip. Always a fan of cheesy delights, I really enjoy welsh rarebit on toast, particularly with bacon so this unusual addition to the afternoon tea platter was definitely welcomed by me. It was a good texture and complimented the sandwiches well but ideally I’d have liked it to have been a little warmer (no one likes Luke warm melted cheese.)
Tea wise I opted for Earl grey which was served in a generous size tea pot and complimented the meal just nicely. The sandwiches were a standard selection but not a disappointing one, I was quite a fan of the smoked salmon and cream cheese and for someone with a savoury tooth it was good to have a sizeable quantity to get my teeth into.
Sweets wise the scones were soft enough to rival any Devonshire crème tea and it was a nice touch to have the choice of both sultana and plain. when it comes to cakes, thanks to working close by to London’s Hummingbird bakery I’ve grown into more of a cupcake fan but the pretty gateaux and pavlova style miniatures complete with chocolate filled macaroons formed a cute confectionary platter to satisfy any sweet tooth. A common problem with dining at hotels is that outside of the rooms they can seem to lack character and ambience. This is where Hotel LaTour ups it’s game– the lounge area with it’s grand piano makes it feel like an afternoon in a Soho jazz club and any singer that bangs out a bit of chilled down Whitney and Fleetwood Mac always gets my vote…
In all while Hotel LaTour’s take on afternoon tea isn’t a unique one, staying clear of themes and gimmicks means that the end result is one that’s done well. It may be no mad hatters tea party but if traditional high tea with a contemporary twist is what you’re after look not further and if you fancy stretching your tea along into the evening I’d certainly recommend staying for a glass of pink — as a fickle rose drinker the fruity notes played just the right tune!

I was invited along to Hotel La Tour to sample their afternoon tea. It was a bloggers event so therefore unlikely to be a true reflection of regular service. However, in fairness the food was excellent. The afternoon tea gets served in lovely stands, with a choice of teas (and/​or bubbly). There is a vegetarian option available (though I failed to ask if they covered other dietary requirements).
There was a chorus of approval for the Hotel La Tour version of Welsh Rarebit (made as a dipping sauce with toasted dippers). The sandwiches selection was colourful, and some thought had gone into offering a variety of fillings. I don’t think there was anything particularly out of the ordinary with the fillings though. They were nice enough.
The scones were brilliant. Crumbly, light, yet rich. I also found that the accompanying cream, and jam was very good (and a decent portion too — I hate it when there isn’t enough cream/​jam). The cakes were delicious; sweet, light, with a range of textures from macarons through to sponge.
The setting was lovely, with live music being a regular part of the Hotel La Tour offering.
I didn’t get a chance to try an espresso martini here as I was driving. But hopefully on another visit, I’ll be able to report back.

I’d recommend this quite nice & exceptional hotel to anyone.
Having stayed here and booked a room very recently, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the hotel and the guest facilities.
A large room, (bed larger than expected) and a great rainfall type shower, clean hallways, stylish surroundings and lifts that work! The buffet breakfast in the morning has a huge variety of food stuffs available, and being veggie, I didn’t fail to fill my plate. The waiters kept filling up my cup with hot tea, and also made an effort to ensure the hot food breakfast trays were kept full for those after a full English.
The service was great and attentive, and I was easily helped with all my enquiries without any glitches. I liked how the smart-​operator phone in the bedroom allowed me to control everything from a touch of a button; to room temperature, lighting, and even setting an alarm for the following day.
The hotel doesn’t disappoint, is a great addition to the Birmingham scene, and leads by example. Welcome to Birmingham, Hotel La Tour!

We were in the bullring, it was less than 2weeks to christmas, it is busy, we are hungry, we walk 4or 5 minutes, and to be honest after the dry heat of the bullring it was a nice fresh blast of cool air, result, no crowds, no queues, no shoving, pushing, pinching or moaning, instead our waitress Karen, a charming young thing, friendly and chatty, tells us about her new baby, and gives us plenty of time to peruse the menu, we went in for afternoon tea, we will have to try that again as we ended up with winter cocktail of egg nog, dirty martini and club sandwich, super speedy delivery of fresh food, the club sandwich came with a tiny bucket of chips and a small salad, drinks were lovely, service was faultless, don’t be a fool, if you need to eat or drink in the bullring and it’s busy, step away from the bullring, there is a world of excitement in Birmingham.

I was invited to sample from the new Grill La Tour menu.
So I wrote my serious blog and here’s my Unilocal one.
I’ve not been invited to blog dinner before and it was quite a fun experience. It kinda helped that I knew the other bloggers. Oh and a large glass of Prosecco on arrival soon helped me relax.
The new menu was much more straight forward than I’d expected it to be. I’d been feeling a little intimidated by the surroundings as it is a sleek and modern hotel with well turned out staff and an air being rather nice!
I tried a Italian cheese and tomato salad for starters. And then my main was… STEAK AND BRUMMIE ALE PIE!!! Yes you read that right! I’ll type it again BRUMMIE ALE!
The Ale was actually from Two Towers Brewery which I’m sure is on my to-​do list. But the pie itself was flipping huge! The Sommelier (That’s posh speak bringer of drinks/​drinks expert) brought me a shot glass filled with Two towers ale! And then a whole bottle of it after he saw how excited I was.
You must try this if you visit for dinner!
I had a «Jaffa Cake» for my pudding! It wasn’t a jaffa cake at all but it was the elements that make up one. including a pot of melted chocolate!
Well worth going to if you are looking for somewhere intimate or to impress a group! I was very impressed!

So I chose this hotel based pretty much purely on the fact that other Unilocalers had recommended it. It’s a modern looking hotel right in the city centre (about a 2 minute walk from the Bullring). I found the staff to be cheerful and helpful, and the rooms were good quality (a solid 4* in hotel speak). Not especially quirky, but modern, clean and definitely did the job. Rooms were also fairly cheap when I booked them, and I therefore found it good value for money. Ok, boring stuff over. The cocktails here are good. I went for a mojito. Several times. The breakfast here is expensive (15.95 per person), but seriously worth it. Amazing buffet. I gained weight as a result. Enough said. It was worth it. Be sure to check out the on-​site gym, which is open 24 hours, because I sure as hell never made it there!!!
As an aside, I was in town for an event at the NEC arena. If you’re looking for a hotel in the city centre, which is easily driveable out to the arena, this is your one. There is free hotel parking (limited, make sure to get there in time before it «closes» at 8pm ish). The drive to the NEC is about 20 minutes, even in rush hour traffic.

A Super cool hotel right in the centre of Birmingham. We used the Hotel Tonight app that morning as we are from Manchester and wanted to stay in Birmingham for the night, there was a few hotels to choose from but decided on this lovely looking hotel.
We arrived at the Hotel which is around a 10 minute walk from Birmingham New Street Station, or a 2 minute walk from Moor Street Station, it looks really modern from the outside and looks newly built, as we entered the lobby from the cool revolving doors the atrium strikes you with its beauty. its all very modern looking, there is a little check in desk and a few do it yourself check in kiosks, all the front desk staff was really friendly and courteous.
Our room was allocated on the 3^rd floor, everywhere is really secure and you have to use youre key card to access the corridors and youre room.
Our room was a city room and it was at a good size with a large bathroom with a huge shower (no bath) a huge bed and the rest of the room looked great! the only issue i had with the room though was the confusing buttons to control the rooms lighting, also there was only one plug socket on one side of the bed? what about the other side? i don’t understand why they don’t have a plug socket at each side of the bed so that each person can charge there phone up through the night, but not a big deal.
The hotel also has a lovely bar and restaurant on the 1^st floor, we didn’t eat in the restaurant but the bar was lovely with huge chairs and sofas to sit on. it was all very cozy and romantic.
So if youre looking for a modern hotel right in the city centre of Birmingham then this is a good choice!

Went for a traditional afternoon tea with my French friend who had never tried it! The atmosphere was very relaxed. The waitress was attentive. We were served quickly but weren’t rushed. There was ample food, but we weren’t over-​faced. The tea included a choice of hot and cold teas and coffees, with the option of champagne at an extra cost; selection of sandwiches, scones, macaroons, panacotta and lemon cake! Well worth a visit!

Stayed over a Saturday night. Overall excellent stay. Very attentive staff, great location and price.
The hotel looks brand new and modern. All areas very clean and tidy. Lots of hi tech features from self serve check in/​check out stations to touchscreen telephone in room from where you can control lighting and you can even check the weather.
City room is well sized. Did not eat or drink at the bar or restaurant but they appeared to be quite popular.
As a bonus there is private parking adjacent to hotel for £10 per day.

I’ve tried afternoon tea at a few places in Birmingham now, but rarely does anywhere do it as well as a good hotel. With that in mind, my hopes were high for La Tour, especially as I already know I love its modern but-​almost-​retro-​20s look and its very nice cocktails.
I took my sister as a birthday treat and I think I did well! We were directed to two armchairs with enormous backs, from which we could just see the guitarist and pianist who both (separately) entertained us that day (I think live music is weekends only but I might be wrong). Perfect sound level so we could easily talk.
The cocktails on the afternoon tea menu were all perfectly suited, light and fresh. I ordered an 1889 because I’ve never had one and the barman brought it over and described how it’s made (a gin cocktail with ginger and lime which they serve as a foam in old champagne glasses). That was lovely, if not slightly expensive, but hey!
The tea selection was ok, there were a few to choose from but it was of the fairly standard teabagged type.
The three tier tray was filled with lovely food: sandwiches and a Welsh rarebit dip with bruschetta type dippers, plain and fruit scones with cream and jam, and the most beautiful tier containing trifle, mint macarons, very gingery mini carrot cakes and tiny meringues.
We were full at the end but after over 2 hours we did manage to finish!
Would love to come back and try Aalto restaurant soon.

Merely popped in to enjoy a cocktail and finally check this place out. Visually its very pretty– a faux deco grandeur and muted colours– but it has large spaces that look like a design oversight. But I’m probably being picky. My bugbear was the service. It took over 10mins to have a caipirinha and a martini bought to us. The presentation was not good. My sisters drink was served in a glass so shallow it spilled everywhere and my Martini has more debris in it than a warzone. Plus the olive was the size of my eye. I was not impressed. I will visit there again just to ensure this was a one-​off, but so far, not so good.. Malmaison and Champagne bar at Hotel du Vin (where we relocated to) has nothing to worry about.

I knew I was in for a treat when I decided to book high tea with the girls after hearing great things from friends. The hotel is located in the city centre, close by to Moor Street and New Street train stations.
There were a variety of teas to choose from and I took the opportunity to try something different — white tea with pomegranate. There was also coffee available and cocktails.
The high tea was served on three trays — sandwiches and Welsh rabbit on one, scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam on the other and Victoria sponge cakes, macroons, lemon cheesecake, and strawberry shortbread on the bottom tier. Where to start I asked myself!
The experience was made even more special with a lady playing the piano while we chatted and indulged in the individual delights of heaven. I was so stuffed I ended up taking a doggie bag home!
The waiter and waitress service was superb and they all made us feel at home, making sure we had everything we needed.
A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in plush surroundings. I will be returning.

Having been invited along to this swanky new hotel with the lure of coffee cocktails, I was entranced by its warmth and glitz. With soft lighting and beautiful, luxurious décor, the welcoming environment offers a real treat for an evening out, or, indeed, lunch time cocktails (I tried both, so I know!).
Alvar Bar is open and spacious, with plenty of comfortable seating, posh and tasty bar snacks and lovely drinks. The Wilson’s Cocktail, whilst no longer on the menu, is worth a special request, if you enjoy coffee. The regular coffee is good too!
I’ve not yet made it to Café Ezra, yet hear great things and fully intend to go soon, when I shall of course update this review!

Incredibly well placed hotel that makes you feel just a little but decadent. The décor is luscious and the food/​drinks are top notch. Even the standard rooms are spacious and stylish. The only problem (besides being a touch on the pricey side) is the bathrooms. The showers have been designed in a way that the water trickles down the shower screen lip and floods the bathroom and leaks out into the bedroom. It’s a shame because it really lets the place down spending half an hour mopping up water isn’t my idea of fun times! Staff must know about the fault because despite staying for 4 nights, they said ‘ok’ and promptly ignored me.

Hotel La Tour is the newest arrival on the Birmingham smart hotel scene, joining Hotel du Vin and Malmaison in the list of desirable city centre stopovers.
The building is striking, with pristine white walls and an interesting shape. It is a stone’s throw from the Bullring, making it an ideal base for a weekend of shopping. It is also conveniently close to Moor Street Station.
Once inside, everything is very calm and chic. There are some plush velvet chairs in the otherwise stark white lobby. There is also a very eye-​catching spiral staircase, festooned with oversized bubbles of black and silver. The reception desk is very understated and small.
A minor gripe (aimed more at hotel interiors in general than specifically Hotel La Tour): I don’t get the enduring interior design appeal of red, black and grey. These colours remind me of my parents’ home office during the late 80s
The rooms are modern, stylish and reasonably priced considering the quality and central location. There is a well-​stocked hotel bar, a very smart restaurant (with a menu inspired by Marcus Wareing, no less) and a coffee shop.
I’d highly recommend Hotel La Tour as a base for exploring Birmingham.

I was invited to High Tea at Hotel La Tour and it was delicious. Served up in the lovely surroundings of their Alvar Bar (all subtle grey tones with deep flashes of plush red furnishings and large over-​sized lampshades) we chose to sit right up in the corner of the tinted floor-​to-​ceiling windows (the hotel has a unusual pointed glass frontage more noticeable from the outside) giving us a view of the length of the café.
Granted the view of the roadworks outside wasn’t great but there was plenty to look at when the 3 trays of food arrived! Especially while sipping a little Prosecco.
On the top shelf of our 3-​tier tray we had delicious skinny sandwiches with salmon and cream cheese, Coronation (we think) chicken and ham salad. The inside-​out cucumber rolls were a great take on the traditional great British afternoon cucumber sarnies but the super-​tasty bit was the oozing Welsh rarebit served as a pot of gooey cheese with crusty bread to dip in — YUM!
The next tray was for the scones. Wholemeal and regular served with Jam and Clotted Cream (although we pretty much used up all the cream on 2 scones).
And finally the sweet tray. A take on a walnut whip and a jaffa cake were served with a treacle tart (all in 2-​bite size portions) however my favourite was the Eton mess — it was like eating a cloud; a light, fluffy, sweet that melted away in my mouth.
This was topped off with a pretty fine selection of teas or coffee, and if you wanted, you could also choose from a selection of cocktails (Gin & Tonic served with cucumber /​Earl Grey Martini /​Glass of Veuve Clicquot).
The High Tea costs £15.95 per person and the cocktails are extra. I’d say it is well worth but my top tip is just DON“T EAT BEFORE. There is a lot of food to get through. I’d say this is ideal for girls that lunch, a birthday, hen weekend or a treat for your mom.
High Tea is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons and Bank Holiday Mondays. Pre book at

Having a passing interest in hotels (it’s all about the customer service); I first visited the hotel the day after it opened. The scaffolding was still up but I wouldn’t have known that the minute we got inside. Greeted by a smiling face, I’m directed to the coffee shop but offered a tour first. I take up on this offer and I’m shown the restaurant and bar upstairs, with its exquisite brand new menu expected of a four star hotel. The menu designed with the help of renowned chef Marcus Wareing includes a modern take on Knickerbocker Glory! (There are main courses as well!).
After all this I decide to take me coffee downstairs, which the newly recruited barista agrees to put into a take-​away cup for me — my preferred vehicle when working on a laptop.
I sit working way, feeling thoroughly inspired by my surroundings.

The hotel is completely new and the rooms are well-​resourced with everything you need like King size bed, TV, Wlan, safe, hair dryer and a water boiler with tea, coffee etc. Unfortunately, there was no minibar. But all in all a nice hotel with very friendly staff!