'It's a dream': Inside the Grand Hotel five years after £50m revamp

With its intricate facade dripping with Victorian splendour, for decades the imposing Grand Hotel in Birmingham was the only place in town for the rich and famous to stay.

Winston Churchill, King George VI, Charlie Chaplin and the Beatles all passed through its doors, the band chased by dozens of screaming teenage girls at the height of Beatlemania.

By the early 2000s, though, the shine had fully worn off. Crumbling brickwork, plaster and decor left the once magnificent building an empty and depressing shell.

In 2002, it closed its doors to guests and among the only people entering amid the scaffolding over the next 10 years were camera-carrying urban explorers, desperate for a glimpse of what was.

It took almost 20 years and £50m for the hotel to open its doors again, by which time the global Covid pandemic threatened its future.

Now, five years since it was back in operation, bosses are celebrating its incredible success with the Grand cemented once more as one of Birmingham's historic gems.

Celebrities have visited again - Tom Cruise famously stayed while filming for the Mission: Impossible franchise - but it is the local visitors hoping to reminisce that are really striking a chord with staff.

"We've had people in their 60s, 70s and 80s saying 'can we come and look round?' They'd had their wedding here or celebrated their anniversaries here - and so we'll do the walk round with them and they'd have tears in their eyes," said James Higgins, the hotel's people, development and culture manager.

"That has really stayed with me."

After years of wrangling over planning permission, hundreds of experts from engineers, stonemasons and plaster specialists were involved in bringing the Grand back to life.

The painstaking restoration has won industry awards, with one set of judges saying the hotel was one of the "best surviving examples of Victorian architecture".

By early 2020, the 185-bed hotel was ready for its first guests. But then news of a strange new virus started to filter through from China.

"We had a soft opening - the fridges were stocked, we'd got the food in - and then suddenly it felt like the Blitz and we were all waiting to hear what Boris was going to say," said Higgins, who grew up in Kings Heath.

"And then the announcement came and we were like, 'well, let's have one more drink' and we closed down the hotel and had to mothball it for months."

Hospitality was one of the hardest hit industries during the pandemic, with 1.6 million workers furloughed during 2020 and 2021, according to government statistics.

As the fledging team at the Grand waited for lockdown restrictions to ease, they had no idea what the reception would be when they reopened again.

They need not have worried.

"It turned out the world was desperate to be out and to be normal and have food cooked for them - plus we were reopening this incredibly old building, so we were doubly slammed," said Higgins.

He's been involved in the opening of 14 new hotels, but said nothing has felt like the rebirth of the Grand.

"There's such a wonderful link to the city's history. We want to be Birmingham's favourite hotel, but there's no arrogance," he said.

He cites inviting local food bloggers in for a sneak preview before more experienced critics as an example of their unpretentious approach.

"We're very proud of what we have achieved here - but saying 'we're the best' is not our tone."

Like the city's Town Hall or museum, the hotel, which has a cocktail bar and US themed restaurant, has become a key location for visitors from inside the city and beyond.

Arguably Birmingham's biggest champion, comedian Joe Lycett brought all the US delegates that took part in his United States of Birmingham series to the Grand for afternoon tea.

The hotel also doubles as an art gallery, with Leamington Spa-based Elegant Clutter commissioned to create bespoke pieces that point to the city's history.

Exhibits pay homage to Birmingham being the birthplace of the first domestic vacuum cleaner in 1905, the local joiner credited with inventing the first stand alone cooking stove around the late 18th Century and Malcolm X's visit to nearby Smethwick in the 1960s.

General manager Johan Scheepers joined in 2023 after being at the helm of the Kimpton Charlotte Square, in Edinburgh.

Originally from South Africa, he was spotted by a British hospitality manager as he served her tea in Johannesburg in the 1990s and was convinced to come overseas for work. He's since enjoyed three decades of working in UK hotels.

Over the past three years he has fully immersed himself in Brummie life and the hospitality and business community.

"The Grand is such an asset to the city - really important, part of its fabric and there's a legacy to it," he said.

He oversees 250 staff, including seasonal workers. One of the reception team is keeping it in the family because her mother used to work there in its former life, he said.

Scheepers is also heavily involved in championing the wider Birmingham hospitality industry, which has been facing a fight for survival amid a string of closures.

Michelin-starred Simpsons, in Edgbaston, was the latest casualty. Scheepers is working with a number of steering groups that are helping to ride out the storm, as well as being co-chair of Birmingham Hotel Association.

"The sector is definitely facing a lot of challenges and there is a limit to what people are able to pay," he said.

"It's a difficult balance and we've definitely been lucky here [at the Grand]," he added. The venue's unique mix of high-end accommodation and nostalgia has helped it to navigate tricky times.

He thinks the future is positive, though, with the industry working more closely together than ever to bolster the night-time economy.

Going forward, the hotel is continuing its partnerships with local organisations, such as fundraising for Edgbaston-based Edward's Trust, which supports bereaved families.

To mark the anniversary, students from University College Birmingham took part in a competition to make a signature cocktail to be served at Madeleine's bar.

Handcrafted artworks from the city's Charles Pedone Art Collective have been displayed in recent weeks, and other collaborations are taking place with Birmingham Book Club, the Chocolate Quarter and Kings Heath's Harvest Skincare later in the year.

People coming to the city should "prepared to be surprised" at what is has to offer, said Scheepers, who says he loves Birmingham's diversity, friendliness and pride.

That he works for one of the jewels in its crown is not something he takes for granted.

"I am so proud to work here, it's a dream," he said.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.