Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Gay Scene
(
&
0121/6226-1718;
www.nightingale
club.co.uk), with five bars and two fren-
zied dance floors. The cover varies but is
often around £5. Open Monday and
Thursday to Saturday 9pm to 4am. Good
resources include www.gaybrum.com.
Birmingham has a thriving gay and les-
bian community, with more than a dozen
gay venues in the “gay village” in and
around
Hurst Street,
just south of the
city center. One of the most popular
venues is
Nightingale,
18 Kent St.
12
Digbeth also contains some of the city's best nightclubs, including the
Factory
Club
(
&
0121/772-2094;
www.factoryclub.co.uk) and
The Medicine Bar
at the
Custard Factory on Gibb Street; and the hangar-like
Air Nightclub
on Heath Mill
Lane (www.airbirmingham.com), the current home of dance institution
God-
skitchen
(
&
01789/739-989;
www.godskitchen.com) on Saturday nights. One of
the newest additions to the scene is megaclub
Gatecrasher Birmingham,
at 182
Broad St. (
&
0121/633-1520;
www.gatecrasher.co.uk).
Finally, the
Oceana
complex in Hurst Street (
&
0845/402-5390;
www.oceana
clubs.com/birmingham) is like an entertainment resort with seven themed rooms (2
clubs and 5 bars) from the futuristic Icehouse to the Aspen Ski Lodge and a 1970s'
New York disco. Usually open Thursday to Saturday 9:30pm to 3:30am (and some-
times Mon for student nights).
Where to Stay
EXPENSIVE
Mint Hotel
A favorite of business travelers, the former City Inn has been
given a comprehensive makeover. Rooms are now stylish and very sleek with a whole
roster of high-tech amenities, floor-to-ceiling windows, power showers, and a library
of CDs and DVDs; they can be a bit like peas-in-a-pod, but are always well kept and
comfortable. The on-site
City Café
is one of the best in the city for hotel dining.
1 Brunswick Sq., Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HW. www.minthotel.com.
&
0121/643-1003.
Fax 0121/643-1005. 238 units. £99-£145 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £13.
Amenities:
Restaurant;
bar; gym; 24-hr. room service.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, iMac multimedia entertainment system,
Wi-Fi (free).
Novotel Birmingham Centre
In the city center, this is a well-run chain hotel
that offers good, comfortable rooms that have a bit of style. Bedrooms, midsize for the
most part, are in the motel style. The on-site brasserie serves affordable food made
with fresh ingredients, and the bar is a popular rendezvous. All in all, especially con-
sidering the reasonable prices, this isn't a bad choice.
70 Broad St., Birmingham B1 2HT. www.novotel.com.
&
0121/643-2000.
Fax 0121/643-9786. 148 units.
£109-£143 double. Children stay free in parent's room. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant;
bar; exercise room; Jacuzzi; room service; sauna.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (free).
Staying Cool at the Rotunda
These chic serviced apartments occupy
the restored and iconic 1960s' Rotunda in the city center, with suitably awe-inspiring
views from the top three floors it occupies. Each apartment has floor-to-ceiling
windows, Apple Mac computers, an iPod player, and a full kitchen. The apartments
combine contemporary design with a cool Brit 1960s' style, and come in four sizes—
small, medium, large, and extra large. Amenities are the same in all guest rooms, but
