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Individual. Independent.

We set up Staying Cool back in 2005 (we being two friends, Paul and Tracey). We both worked away from home a fair bit and thought there had to be a better alternative to a boutique hotel (great design, but small rooms and a hefty bill) and a serviced apartment (cheaper and more spacious but badly and blandly furnished). So we came up with the concept of Staying Cool: individual apartments for the more independently-minded among us.

Paul Taylor & Tracey Stephenson

Great cities

We started with three apartments in Manchester and one in Barcelona. We now have 14 apartments in Manchester, the same lovely bolthole in Barcelona and 17 stunning apartments in central Birmingham on the top two floors of The Rotunda, in partnership with our favourite developers, Urban Splash. We've also just launched Staying Cool by the Sea with a wow penthouse in Devon. We've grown but we're still small enough to offer that all important personal service.

Great design

Each of our apartments is individually designed; a one-off. Choose from Space, Egg, Mini, Maxi, Swish, Lulu or Loft to name but a few.

‘...ours has more than a touch of retro decadence, with its white fur rug, Barbarella-style light fittings and moulded plastic chairs. There's nothing retro about the free wi-fi, Apple Mac, wide-screen TV and espresso maker, however. The bed is huge and inviting and the shower packs a punch. In short, it's perfect.’
Joanne O'Connor, Travel Editor, The Observer, on Space

Great reviews and ratings

We were the first apartment company in Manchester to receive five star ratings; all of our others have been rated as four star. In Birmingham we've just been given the city's first ever five star rating for the larger apartments at Rotunda. We've had some great media reviews and our guests write pretty nice things about us too.

"...it was lucky I had a room at Staying Cool. The name seemed to work immediately. It was also slick in a 'contemporary cool with swinging Sixties style' - the product of Urban Splash, the increasingly well-known city centre 'reinvigorators', and the design-conscious Staying Cool team... Everything seemed functional and well planned, as if I really was in a dream flat. There was plenty of room and a large, comfortable bed... I sipped my mint tea (free), read Wallpaper* (free), and thought: why can't all city stays be as cool as this?"

Mystery Shopper, The Times, on a Mini in Birmingham

Bespoke service

We're passionate about great service. Not about people carrying our bags or serving us breakfast in bed (although that can be nice at times!) but about trying to anticipate your needs and giving you all the basic tools to enjoy your stay with us – independently. No knocks at the door here for a bed turning down service when you're just getting into the shower.

We try to be as flexible as possible when we can – check-in and check-out times are a good example – and to respond to your requests quickly. In short, we try to treat you how we would like to be treated ourselves.

Comfort and the little things in life

We've spent a lot of time (and money!) carefully choosing the basics. A good night's sleep is high on the priority list so beds are pocket sprung with memory foam. Our mattresses are called the Ultimate - we always say you'll know why in the morning... We love great coffee so we've put in really good espresso makers and commissioned our own ethically sourced coffee (plus Fairtrade peppermint tea for night time). We're also a bit Apple mad, so there's a Mac in every apartment. We hate the world of rip-off wifi so obviously that comes free. Oh and we also hate those little UHT milk things so we put in a pint of fresh organic or locally sources milk, depending on where you're staying.

Form and function

Guests always ask where we get our furniture from. We're producing style guides for every apartment (you can see the first two on our photo pages on Flickr here) but the simple answer is from all over the place.


We've essentially turned the hotel model on its head and blown the fit-out budget on each apartment, not on the lobby or on lots of reception staff. We also make sure that the space works well from a guest's point of view. Function and form we hope.

Great design doesn't have to cost the earth...

We're passionate about a lot of things. We all care about the environment and are trying to apply our good green credentials at home to the business. We're an accredited Green Tourism Business in Manchester, we've converted to green electricity with Ecotricity and we are increasing our recycling efforts all the time.

We try to source regional produce using local delis and have Waitrose as the back up plan. We always buy organic, Fairtrade or ethically sourced produce whenever available. We commissioned our own pretty right-on bathroom range which is free of all things bad and full of aromatherapy and other natural oils. We donate all our ex-stock to Men and Women's Direct Access – two shelters for the homeless in Manchester. We're currently seeking a Birmingham-based charity so if you have any ideas, let us know.

Complaints

We can't claim to get it right all the time and sometimes, no matter how hard we try, things do go wrong... On the rare occasion this does happen then we're at the end of the phone 24 hours a day and we're never more than 15 minutes away from an apartment. If we can't resolve a problem then we make sure we deal with your complaint fairly – as we would expect to be dealt with ourselves. 

We really value guest feedback and use all your comments at our monthly meeting where we discuss new ideas. Some of our best ones have come from guests. Email tracey@stayingcool.com or phone Tracey on 0121 643 0815 with your feedback.

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About accessibility

As a design-led company we want to share our passion with anyone who appreciates our sense of style and love of good service. We've produced access statements for each apartment so do get in touch for a copy (or download below). We're equally happy to talk you through each apartment and discuss how we can make your stay with us as easy as possible.

Phone 0121 643 0815 (for all destinations) or email kim@stayingcool.com

Accessibility Statements

You can download accessibility information for our apartments in PDF format by clicking the links below. 

Birmingham

Clubman
Maxi
Mini
Roadster

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‘On Sunday morning, the apartment really comes into its own as an alternative to a hotel break, as we lounge and natter over a relaxing breakfast from the well-stocked kitchen.’ The Guardian

‘New. Stylish. Cutting-edge. Not necessarily expensive ’ Sunday Times

‘Compact, slick and functional, it felt like we were staying in the apartment equivalent of an iPod nano. ’ World Travel Guide

stylish serviced
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the hip alternative
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