Royalty visited one of the Birmingham’s newest hotels last week as His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester, formally opened the city’s Park Regis Hotel, the brand’s first in Europe.
Accompanied by Mr Simon Topman MBE DL, Deputy Lieutenant representing Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Dr Keith Bradshaw, High Sheriff of West Midlands and Councillor Carl Rice, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, His Royal Highness visited the city centre hotel on Wednesday (23 November) to mark a formal opening and unveil a commemorative plaque, as well as receive a tour of the £50 million hotel which opened its doors to guests in March.
Distinguished guests joined The Duke for a celebratory toast while enjoying live music from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. A qualified architect with a keen interest in conservation, His Royal Highness was given a tour of the former 1960s office building Auchinleck House, which was transformed into the four-star Park Regis Hotel.
Named after Second World War Hero Field Marshall Claude Auchinleck, the building was converted under permitted development rights from an unused and tired site to the modern hotel, with the addition of an all-glass sky bar onto the building’s roof.
The Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard unveils a plaque to commemorate the official opening of Park Regis Birmingham alongside general manager Robin Ford
Preserving the history of the building, a bronze statue of Claude Auchinleck was repositioned from within the former Five Ways shopping centre to a prime location on Broad Street, in front of the hotel’s reception.
Robin Ford, General Manager at Park Regis Birmingham, said: “It was fantastic to welcome The Duke of Gloucester to the city and to the Park Regis Hotel. Despite having been open to guests since March, it was a honour to welcome royalty to the hotel to provide us with an official opening. The stunning marble plaque that he unveiled will be hung proudly in reception for guests to enjoy.
“As a qualified architect and someone with an interest in construction, it was brilliant to be able to showcase the hotel to His Royal Highness as such an important piece of the city’s transformation. The building is almost unrecognisable from its former self. It is a truly standout structure and The Duke was impressed at the transformation.”
