• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Paradise Street and Queensway reno for old HBSC Building

The other HSBC building on the corner of New Street / Stephenson Place is being coverted into a Premier Inn budget hotel! Last I saw of that one, they had remove the old windows.

This is it at the beginning of Feb 2013




Is this the building you are referring to?

 
Thanks for posting the photos Ell. I remember reading about this conversion several months go. This hotel will give the old Britannia Hotel across the road a run for it's money. I imagine that it would have been too costly for Whitbreads to start from scratch and build their new Premier Inn on this site. Visitors will be spoiled for choice of hotels
in the city as several are being opened. Can't say I like the idea but I think it will look ok when it's finished. New windows and some exterior clean up will sharpen up the building no doubt.
 
Seems cheaper to convert an old '60s office block into a hotel, than build one from scratch!

Several on Broad Street are now hotels (not budget ones though). Last year Hampton by Hilton opened (Cumberland House).

Another Hampton by Hilton is being converted from a previous building near St Pauls Metro Stop (on Constitution Hill).

Snow Hill Plaza is being converted into a Holiday Inn Express.
 
Cumberland House used to be a government building (e.g. Dept of Employment in the 1970s) Weird to think that hotel rooms have replaced all those Civil Servants beavering away at their paperwork!! Viv.
 
There used to be a "Quango" on St Philip's Place opposite the cathedral (Government Office for the West Midlands) but the Coalition Government had it closed. Think it's been replaced by something else (not sure what).

Yeah is a bit weird that old office blocks are now hotels! But probably makes sense for the way the areas they are in now.
 
ellbrown said:
Seems cheaper to convert an old '60s office block into a hotel, than build one from scratch!

Several on Broad Street are now hotels (not budget ones though). Last year Hampton by Hilton opened (Cumberland House).

Another Hampton by Hilton is being converted from a previous building near St Pauls Metro Stop (on Constitution Hill).

Snow Hill Plaza is being converted into a Holiday Inn Express.
Click to expand...
Company I worked for sold their head office off for development into a hotel, the Savoy in London was situated next door and more than doubled its size.
 
When looking at the latest progress pictures for the paradise development you can see this building (I think it's the same one) on a couple of the shots.

As far as I can tell it has had scaffolding around it continuously for nearly 10 years now and still isn't completed (whatever they're doing). In that time across the road numerous buildings have been demolished and two brand new buildings have been completed and a third not far off.

I'm not saying it's right but if this is the time frame to convert/refurbish a building for another use you can understand why developers demolish and rebuild.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top