Charlotte Horler wants Birmingham’s Grand to become an icon of the city

The hotel manager at Birmingham’s Grand has used the hotel’s ‘pockets of uniqueness’ to develop the guest experience. Emma Lake reports

You joined the hotel a year after its 2021 reopening, which followed a 20-year closure. How has Birmingham responded to its reawakening?

We have been so lucky to bring this part of Birmingham’s history back to life and I am personally honoured to have been a part of it. The Grand has become, once again, a part of the community within the city. From welcoming royalty to rockstars, hosting banquets and afternoon tea and celebrating special occasions with our locals, we have loved every moment of being back in the UK’s second city.

Can you tell us about the service and guest experiences you’ve developed?

We are fortunate within our iconic building to have little pockets of uniqueness across all aspects of the Grand. The most opulent being our Grand Ballroom, which hosts awards nights, banquets, conferences and weddings. We are proud of the Madeleine Cocktail Bar, a Parisian-chic bar with tasty cocktails and an impressive afternoon tea offering as well as Isaacs, a New York meets Brum conceptual restaurant with its own graffiti-style entrance. Grabbing a New York hot dog in the centre of the Grand will always be a selling point for me!

You’ve primarily worked in London and Birmingham. How do they contrast?

I am a country girl and I grew up in and around the beautiful Cotswolds. I absolutely love the London hospitality scene, but I found the bustling city life was a far stretch from my usual environment and adjusting took a lot of time. Here in Birmingham, I feel I have the best of both worlds. I live outside the city and still enjoy the country life when out of work. Birmingham is an underrated city with excellent culture, art, history, attractions and incredible food and beverage offerings that I am proud to be part of. As an honorary Brummie, I am proud of the hospitality scene I am part of and I’m striving to put our city further on the map as an excellent hospitality location.

As the Grand is set to embark on its third year, what are your strategies to maintain its position as a destination in Birmingham?

I am so excited that we have found our feet now and we have so much fun planned for 2024. With our accommodation, ballroom and food and beverage outlets performing consistently well, we will strive to make more of these outlets and opportunities. We will have experience-led offerings this year, such as our new partnership with Aktar Islam at Opheem, so we can provide a more diverse wedding offering, as well as package partnerships with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, jewellery brand V by Laura Vann, the Birmingham Hippodrome and Merlin Attractions.

As well as this, we are dedicated to becoming deeply integral within the Birmingham community by actively supporting local partners including Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Cathedral, just opposite us. As we continue to strive for excellence, we hope to remain an employer of choice and an iconic and diverse Birmingham venue.

You’ve supported the industry throughout your career – not least in two star turns in Springboard’s panto. How have these experiences benefited you?

I have absolutely loved the opportunities that have come my way as I have made my way along my hospitality career journey, with the Springboard pantomime being one of the highlights. Bringing together eclectic characters within the industry – not just for some Christmas cheer, but to raise money for such a worthy cause – was something I am still so proud to have been part of.

Other highlights include winning the Acorn Scholarship and achieving an Acorn Award, both of which set me up for success. The exposure to talent, mentors, friends and like-minded, passionate, career-hungry people has given me many more opportunities, which I’m incredibly grateful for.