Park Regis, Birmingham

This week’s Birmingham Focus is Autograph Events in conversation with Park Regis Birmingham.

We spoke with Ryan Doyle (Group Director of Sales at Switch Hospitality Management) and found out all about plans for reopening the hotel in 2021, and what the future looks like for the business.

The Park Regis in Birmingham is a four-star luxury hotel situated on the famously known ‘Broad Street’ of Birmingham. Boasting 253 bedrooms which are mix of luxury suites and comfortable guest rooms, the Park Regis is the perfect location for exploring all that the city has to offer. The hotel has a beautiful outdoor terrace within the confines of the 1565 restaurant and can be enjoyed all year round. The Park Regis also offers numerous meeting spaces that can be completely catered to your every need, whether that be for corporate meetings, training sessions or conferences.

Adapting to change and overcoming the hurdles that the pandemic has thrown at the hospitality industry has meant that the way we keep customers safe is more imperative than ever. At the Park Regis in Birmingham, many hours of planning and much preparation has gone into ensuring that upon welcoming customers back to the venue, they will be able to feel safe and welcomed whilst still adhering to covid-safety measures.

One of these procedures is heavily focussed around the 9-step Covid-Secure document that the venue has designed and put into practise. This document includes all the relevant information on how to keep their guests and their team safe when returning to the hotel. Analysis of the venue in all areas has been thoroughly completed, meaning that throughout the hotel all zones have been reconfigured to make social distancing much easier. Protective screens, sanitiser units, directional signage & air purifiers have also been introduced as increased safety measures.

For guests’ peace of mind, enhanced cleaning, and certification of the hotel to protect guests has been incorporated. In addition, a new food and beverage app is currently in development, so it is simpler than ever to eat within the confines of your room or the restaurant with minimal contact with others in the process if you wish to do so.

For those guests that still wish to soak up the atmosphere of the 1565 restaurant once government restrictions allow, alterations have been made here too including a heavier focus upon utilising the outside terrace. Furthermore, all tables and areas within the restaurants will need to be pre-booked for track and trace purposes, as well as table service being provided for guests too.

Whilst having a chat with Ryan we asked him what he is looking forward to this year and he said this… “Getting back to face to face live events are the thing I look forward to the most. As event professionals we are social and creatives creatures, being sat behind a desk communicating via an electronic device is not where we flourish. The return of face-to-face events will allow knowledge and relationships to thrive more in both a business and personal capacity, as well as kick starting business back into our fantastic hotels. Our team are longing for meeting rooms to be full, bedrooms to be occupied and the bar to be bustling once more”. We totally love his thinking!

With meetings and events, a priority at the Park Regis, amending their meeting room facilities was essential to delivering the high standards that their delegates expect from the venue. These changes have included enhanced AV systems to allow a ‘hybrid’ solution by live streaming between multiple meeting rooms. As well as Zoom technology being incorporated into the Executive Boardroom to provide two screens and an additional lounge area to comply with social distancing.

As one of the first venues to sign up to the Quality in Tourism ‘Safe, clean and legal’ accreditation, this only speaks volumes of the fact that employee and guest safety is paramount to the Park Regis. This accreditation has been created by Quality in Tourism and the HBAA to install confidence into people hosting events following the pandemic. This accreditation is purposefully designed to focus on cleanliness and hygiene of venues, as well as the wellbeing and safety amongst delegates, guests, and staff.