Park Regis turns 10: a decade of success in Birmingham
Since opening in 2016, our flagship site Park Regis Birmingham has become an acclaimed addition to Birmingham’s hospitality scene (and skyline).
The team behind Switch has provided specialist revenue, asset and operational management services for the hotel from day one. 10 years later, it is delivering its highest ever RevPAR, growing market share against competitors, and continues to host a busy calendar of events each month.
Park Regis is a prime example of how our solutions-driven approach drives value for its owners year after year – with a decade of decisions on commercial strategy, capital investment, cost control and people, each measured against the return it delivers.
As we celebrate Park Regis’ 10th anniversary with record revenue figures, we’re reflecting on the strategies behind its success, and how these can be applied across wider asset types.
Outperforming the market
Situated on Birmingham’s lively Broad Street, just minutes from Five Ways and a short tram ride to New Street Station, Park Regis competes in one of the UK’s busiest regional hotel markets.
Under Switch’s management, the hotel continues to break performance records – having reported its highest ever annual RevPAR in 2025. Despite competitor occupancy falling, we also experienced a 5.1% occupancy increase, and 3.9% market share growth.
That momentum has continued into 2026. The latest Christmas period was the hotel’s most successful to date, and June 2026 recorded Park Regis’ highest ever monthly RevPAR: up 20.3% YOY, with no major events in the city to drive demand.
Meetings and events remain a core revenue stream too – year-to-date room hire revenue is up 6.1%, while average meeting value has risen by 3% YOY.
Behind these figures is a proactive sales team, and an agile revenue strategy. While the hotel is a go-to base for those attending major city-wide events – including competitors and dignitaries for the Commonwealth Games and European Athletics Championships – it has also accommodated high-profile bookings over the years, from Diana Ross to Tyson Fury and Floyd Mayweather.
Investing for Return
When Park Regis first opened, the 16th floor housed a Japanese-themed bar and restaurant, but against fierce competition within the city’s vibrant hospitality market, it was operating at a -16% margin. Rather than pursue a loss-making outlet, we identified a strategic opportunity to meet growing demand for a premium city-centre conference and events space.
The result was a £650,000 investment to create the 1,250 sq ft ‘Sky Loft’ space, with additional meeting rooms and breakout areas on the 15th floor. This took profitability of the space from a loss in its previous restaurant guise, to +32% as a meetings and event venue. Today, Park Regis hosts around 80 events a month and welcomes 75,000 delegates each year.
This is just one example of how we approach capital expenditure on behalf of the hotel owners – with an ability to identify where the market appetite is moving, redirect underperforming space towards it, and measure the outcome to demonstrate ROI.
Further investments have followed in a similar fashion. INDUS, an Indian restaurant launched in 2022, and the £15,000 refurbishment of 1565 Bar & Terrace in 2023 enabled us to bolster our catering provisions and enhance private and corporate hire options.
Market Resilience
Success over ten years has not been without its challenges. Throughout the Covid pandemic, we implemented a strategy that enabled Park Regis to remain open, moving from a full team to a director-only structure during furlough, and protecting cash flow without resorting to bank borrowing.
This cost discipline has been reflected through revenue growth. Over the last decade, we have reduced operating costs by 15%, and when energy prices climbed from around 10p to over £1 per kWh, negotiating a move to flexible energy contracts delivered annual savings of £50,000 – £75,000.
Bringing our finance function in-house from a previously outsourced model further cut reporting time by 35% and gave the owners clearer, faster visibility of performance.
People Power
At the heart of Park Regis’ performance is our people – a 180-strong team of hospitality professionals who bring our four core values of Integrity, Agility, Excellence, and Collaboration to life every day. Guest experience is the ultimate driver of success, and every individual has a vital part to play in creating elevated and unforgettable stays.
Importantly, we believe that staff retention is not just good for company culture, but is a commercial benefit too. It lowers recruitment costs, protects service consistency and allows our people to grow with the business.
With every single employee trained in-house, we are a proud advocate for internal development and empowering our own talent from within the business and the numbers speak for themselves. From April 2025 to March 2026, we achieved:
- 82% staff retention rate;
- 72% of our staff promotions were internal; and
- 54% of all roles were recruited in-house
As we encourage our people to be bold and think differently, progression is the norm at Switch. Our Hotel Operations Manager, Tej, initially joined Park Regis as Restaurant Manager in 2017, while Waqar who started as a receptionist in 2018 broadened his experience within the accounts team to progress to Accounts Auditor in 2024, before returning to front-of-house as Assistant Reception Manager last year. These are just two examples of the way we empower, nurture and develop our team.
Park Regis is also a keen supporter of the region’s future hospitality pipeline, using its position to make a difference for tomorrow’s talent. In addition to an active CSR programme, its partnership with University College Birmingham has seen more than 50 Level 3 Bakery students mentored over the last seven years, many of whom have gone on to join the kitchen on a permanent basis.
Reputational Excellence
By consistently delivering the ‘Switch gold standard’ across all facets of the business, we ensure that every guest has an award-winning experience.
Park Regis received Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025 an award reserved for the top 10% of listings worldwide and its Tripadvisor ranking in Birmingham has climbed from 36th in 2023 to 18th in August 2026.
Industry recognition has followed over the years too, with accolades including Best UK Hotel (M&IT) and Best Independent Venue (Conference & Hospitality Awards), demonstrating the hotel’s excellence on a national scale.
The Switch Approach
Park Regis is a leading example of how Switch Hospitality approaches every site across its portfolio:
- We direct a collaborative team of sales, marketing and revenue experts to develop a strategy that delivers commercial success
- We take on full P&L responsibility with centralised purchasing and contracts that reduce costs without compromising quality
- We control capital expenditure on behalf of the owner and direct it to where the return can be demonstrated
- We nurture and empower our people to pursue excellence, in turn driving success on the ground
Switch has now managed Park Regis Birmingham for a decade, and the hotel continues to exceed business targets and surpass guest expectations.
With a deep understanding of the hotel model and market, we will build on this momentum at Park Regis – and across our portfolio – to drive future growth and value, while being a business that our people are proud to work for.
To find out more, visit www.parkregisbirmingham.co.uk
For more information about Switch’s hospitality services, click here.
