Take the Mid-century modern architectural style, for which Coventry is famed, and throw in a touch of Rat Pack crooning and you can live out your Mad Men fantasies (if Mad Men was set in the West Midlands of course) in the heart of the City Centre thanks to the recently opened Telegraph Hotel.
The building, which was home to the city’s newspaper for over 50 years, has been beautifully converted into a unique 88 room hotel which combines plenty of the buildings former touches (the heavy glass doors with brass fittings and marble floors) with replica style furniture (and some originals we’re sure). The developers Complex Development Projects (CDP) have clearly taken the buildings heritage very seriously.
In our room on the second floor, walnut panelling lines the head of the bed and pale blue walls keep the feel of the room calm. The forest green furnishings finish off a complete colour palette of dreams. There’s plenty of space – a double bed, an armchair, sofa with a table – built in wardrobes and a dressing table as well as a Nespresso machine and kettle. A little blue Roberts radio is next to the bed and a large TV on the wall.
The shower room tiles are sparks of monochrome fun and The White Company’s orange scent toiletries are perfectly fresh and zingy to get you ready for heading down to breakfast after a night of cocktails in the hotel bar (see more below).
The window runs the length of our room flooding in plenty of light and has a view of Belgrade Plaza opposite. The hotel information is printed (of course) on a newspaper and beautiful collage-style printed artworks by Print Manufactory (based at Fargo Village), have created bespoke handmade prints combining images from the paper’s workers with popping pastel shades. Cov Kid supplies the mug designs for a perfect match.
Forme & Chase is the ground floor restaurant, bar and lounge which offers plenty of laid-back authentic ’50s glamour. Parts of original heavy printing machinery has been converted into large tables and the cocktail menu offers a selection of Coventry inspired choices. Try the delicious ‘Lady Godiva’ for their take on the Porn Star Martini or the ‘Covmopolitan’.
Dinner (and breakfast) is served in the glass-roofed atrium style restaurant where light floods through. Expect classic bistro style dishes for dinner with plenty of classic meat choices (Bangers & Mash, Fish & Chips, Slow braised beef short rib) and a great selection of plant based and vegan options (Pomegranate molasses roasted butternut squash, Plant based burger pretzel bun). The menu includes grazing, small plates, larger plates and grills.
After a day of art-seeing for City of Culture 2021 we went for the ‘grill’ option and had the Dry aged, local beef rib eye 8oz cooked medium rare (which was melt-in-the-mouth delicious) and the Lemon thyme grilled seabass fillets both were served with grilled field mushroom, confit shallot, baked tomato, watercress, fries and a choice of sauce.
The hotel opened mid May, just in time for the launch of Coventry of Culture 2021 and is operated by Bespoke Hotels, the UK’s largest independent hotel group.
The bedrooms and public space interiors have been designed by Squid Inc, highly praised for their work on Manchester’s award-winning Hotel Gotham. The company has taken inspiration from the building’s history as a thriving newspaper and printworks and surrounding architectural style.
The project is a flagship for the city’s drive to boost the tourist economy and one of the major physical legacies of 2021 and Coventry’s first four-star hotel since the Hotel Leofric, which was built in the rebirth of Coventry in the 1950s.
Thinking of heading for a visit? Here’s a few tips to make your stay even more enjoyable:
Generators, the Telegraph Hotel’s seasonal rooftop bar with a printworks-industrial theme, is a perfect place to plan your tour around the city over a spot of lunch.
The 2 Tone: Lives & Legacies exhibition at the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery is a comprehensive visual and sound history of the Coventry-founded musical movement. Taking in the origins of the label, stories of the bands and timelines of its trajectory the exhibition is beautifully designed with lots of great memorabilia, early sketched flyers, original outfits, and videos of performances.
Whether travelling to Coventry by Bus or not make a stop at the Pool Meadow Bus Station for a lovely visual treat from artist Zoe Power who has brought her eye-catching style to the city with an 90metre mural. And don’t forget to look skywards as you walk through Hertford Street and past the City of Culture shop (also go in and check out the very cool brutalist concrete colouring book by Uncommon) and see how Morag Myerscough has given the passage way a much-needed boost of colourful fun with her ‘Endless Ribbon Connecting Us’ installation.
Coventry’s famous cathedral will be hosting events as part of the City of Culture so you can see it in all its glory but even if there is nothing happening pop in and admire its beauty anyway. You won’t be disappointed.
Looking for the ‘old bit’ of Coventry? Take a walk along Spon Street and make your way to the oldest pub in the city; The Old Windmill (dating back to 1451) and order a pint of something tasty (they had a juicy Mango IPA on tap when we visited). Ye olde world charm, low ceilings, a good amount of Tudor style beams and some friendly conversation are all on the menu.
Look out for events popping up throughout 2021 for City of Culture over the coming months. Highlights include major new immersive art commission Observations on Being by Marshmallow Laser Feast; an exhibition of 7 multi-sensory installations that combine art, science and technology to trace the invisible line that connects the human experience to nature and the universe, inviting visitors to explore their relationships with the natural world through a journey around Paxton’s Arboretum and the heritage park at Coventry’s London Road Cemetery.
Also later in the year the third Coventry Biennial will take place from October 2021 until January 2022 across Coventry and Warwickshire in a wide range of artistic, heritage, business and community locations. Titled Hyper-Possible, referencing the radical nature of Coventry’s history, the Biennial will open to the public from Friday 8 October 2021. Commissions include work by: Ayo Akingbade, Ryan Christopher, Faye Claridge, Laura Dicken, Georgiou & Tolley, Grace Ndiritu, Alan Van Wijgerden, Melisande Varin and Duncan Whitley.
