Hi guys! This blog post is about our recent stay at Hotel Du Vin in Birmingham. It was so amazing that some of the attractions on our agenda got put on the back burner as we just wanted to enjoy the room! There is also lots of info about some attractions we have visited in the area. I had lots of questions about various things during our stay, and I’ve tried to answer them all below!
We always go to Birmingham by car as it’s under a 2hr drive from London and really convenient for us. I love driving and the kids are always so happy and calm in the car, so it’s just the best option for us.
WORLDS BIGGEST PRIMARK
The first stop on this stay was to the World’s biggest Primark! We parked at the NCP car park – Birmingham high street – which is only a 3 minute walk from Primark, and only a couple of pounds for a couple of hours.
The Primark is absolutely huge and is spread across 5 floors. Other than really fab clothing ranges (so much more than in your local store) there are things such as a beauty store, barbers and three dining experiences. Of course our main reason for the visit was the DISNEY CAFÉ – The first in the world outside of a Disney park.
DISNEY CAFÉ
I was expecting it to be packed as it was the half-term but it wasn’t too bad. We waited less than 5 minutes to be seated in a fab booth with an interactive screen built into the table. Jai loved it and kept us all entertained whilst we waited for our food.
You have to go and order at the till for your food and drinks. The only Disney things that I saw on the menu were the Mickey pancakes and waffles – so we ordered both! The kids meals were a decent price at £5, and the kids had pasta.
I would say that there is a certain buzz missing from the restaurant. The food is decent and fairly priced, the themed decor is fab and the Disney music is great – but the service really was lacking. It felt like the service you’d receive in a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s or subway. Whereas in a Disney environment you’d expect a really fun, bubbly and animated experience which we did not receive at all.
There’s quite a decent Disney range in the store too. Jai and Mila both picked a teddy. Mickey and Minnie ones of course!
By the time we finished at Primark, we decided to go straight to the hotel as it was time to check in.
HOTEL DU VIN
Just staying at this hotel, in the beautiful principal suite – named Penfolds Grange, was the highlight of our stay – and we couldn’t have wished for a better night sleep! This room is the kind of room that will make your jaw drop upon entering and will have you feeling like a real VIP. In the words of @Milaroseandme – I was like Mariah Carey in that suite! Haha!
Here’s the room tour:
The bed was just unreal. 8ft (so big enough for all four of us to sleep in and still feel like we had so much space!) The pillows were the comfiest I’ve felt and the Egyptian cotton sheets gave that extra added comfort too.
The main bedroom also has a lounge area with a large plasma screen. We enjoyed sitting in this part of the room, having late night room service whilst the kids slept.
The kids didn’t need to sleep in our bed, but they are so used to co-sleeping with us that they did. There is an adjourning twin room with a desk and TV, which was perfect for them. Even the single beds in there were unbelievably comfy, and they spent most of their evening in their watching telly and playing!
Another huge highlight for us about this suite was the bathroom. Twin roll top baths, a twin shower (which was so powerful!) and two basins too, meaning we didn’t have to fight over the mirror for once!
We could have a relaxing bath together (well not in the same bath, if far too large for that haha) but we were right next to each other, relaxing and sipping Prosecco. What a luxury!! And the kids were just next door, with our baby monitor helping us to keep a close eye as they slept. We had no worries and had the most relaxing hour.
The staff were all so lovely. Nothing was too much. Mila woke up unusually for a bottle at midnight, so I called reception for a bottle of milk. It was brought to our room in under a minute. I guess her screaming was heard loud and clear over the phone!
The room service we ordered was yummy. There was a £3.50 charge for the service which I thought was really reasonable. There is an extensive kids menu too with plenty of variety.
Breakfast at Hotel Du Vin
Our breakfast was gifted as part of our stay, and when you book a room at this hotel, there is an option to add breakfast. Definitely do! The decor within the bistro is stunning. It’s so traditional and in Jai’s words “posh” haha. You get to chose a cooked breakfast, and we both went for the avocado on toast. Samirs was with poached eggs, and when I told the waiter that I was basically vegan, he suggested adding the vegan sausages to my breakfast. They were delicious!
The cooked breakfast was really yummy but the highlight was definitely the country table that offers freshly squeezed juices in glass bottles, cereals, baked pastries, fresh fruit, natural yoghurts and crunchy granola. This is all included in the price of your cooked breakfast which is fab!
If you love the look of Hotel Du Vin as much as we enjoyed staying there, click here for more info.
Sea Life Birmingham
This was our second time visiting this sea life centre and we really love it there. The layout is really fun, and there is lots to see and do.
The first area is the penguins and this is always a huge hit for the kids. They spend about 20 minutes here watching them dive in and swim really close by.
There are lots of areas where you can go underneath tanks and get up close to the different sea creatures. They also make for some fab photo opportunities!
There is also a cinema, you can listen to talks and watch feeding times and our fave – the ocean tunnel – filled with sharks and huge turtles!
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTRE
Located a couple of minutes walk away from sea life, these two attractions make for the perfect day out! We didn’t actually go on our last trip as didn’t have time – but we last went just 4 weeks ago. So here’s what we got up to!
This place is a must for any Lego fan. There are so many areas filled with thousands of Lego pieces and the kids can just let their imaginations run wild and build away!
There is a Lego duplo area too – fab for the littler ones like Mila! It includes a play house with slide, and large Lego blocks, amongst other things.
There’s also two really good rides. I had no idea there were any until we arrived and I really think they are so cool! The first one is a lazer themed ride, where you and your family ride around in a car and shoot with your lazer guns! It is similar to the buzz light year ride at Disneyland which is Jai’s absolute favourite, so he loved this ride!
We also thought MINILAND was really cool. There are lots of landmarks made from an impressive 1.5 million Lego bricks and there’s lots of interactive areas, such as boat racing!
There’s also a café right in the middle of the discovery centre, and they do a really cool Lego lunch box meal for kids. (You can take away the lunch box and reuse at home!)
There’s also a 4D cinema playing and a soft play area – so there’s plenty of things to keep them occupied. There is also a new under 5s club – and on certain days there is special storytelling and workshops for the little ones too!
You can save money by booking sea life and LDC together. You have 90 days from using the first ticket, to visit the other attraction, so doesn’t have to be the same day. (Although like I’ve said it’s super convenient to do so, as they are opposite each other)
You can click here to book!
OUR LONDON LIFE 