I spent 2 nights here, and the only thing that let it down was the location which was slightly desolate, the civil engineering works going all through the night didn't help.
On first sight the outside was a bit shabby and uninspiring and was right next door to a 24 hour McDonalds, but as soon as you entered the lobby it felt welcoming. The staff were attentive and check in was quickly sorted.
Due the high number of foreign visitors, all signs were pictorial which was a nice touch.
I was on the 3rd floor and the corridor was not inspiring, it looked very much budget and council flat inspired so I wasn't expecting much from the room.
But the room was large, airy, bright and clean.
The bathroom was a bit of a shock, it was a prefab built offsite and installed as a single unit, despite the feel of being in a caravan, the vanity was large with plenty of space for toiletries, make up, etc. The shower was large, the water hotter and more powerful than I have experienced in some so-called 'premium' hotels.
Soap and shower gel were supplied and the towels with the thickest, fluffiest and softest I think I have ever had.
There was 24 hour food service, the menu dependant on the time of day or night.
There was an airy bar on the ground floor, but the prices seemed very high, but this is probably standard for a hotel in the UK, a bottle of Cava was £23. There is a Morrison's supermarket 10 minutes walk up the road, so I bought sandwiches and a bottle of Cava (£5) there for my dinner.
St Andrews football ground is a 5 minutes walk away too, so the hotel is very handy if you are attending a function there.
The hotel was very quiet overnight, this is probably due to it not being right in the city centre, there was no-one running up and down the corridors, shouting and banging doors.
Free wifi was available in all areas of the hotel, something that other hotels could take note of.
All in all, I enjoyed my stay at Bordesley Circus, and should I have cause to visit the area again, it will certainly be my first choice of hotel.
This weekend I stayed at the Ramada Hotel at The Mailbox in Birmingham, and I was a little disappointed, both with The Mailbox itself and the hotel.
The Mailbox seems to be the place to be in Birmingham so I was expecting a little more from a hotel in it.
It is a beautiful walk up from across the canal and over the footbridge where lovers and couples have placed padlocks signifying their love but the hotel entrance was pretty difficult to spot.
I had booked an executive room.
This was my view.
Admittedly it is unusual these days to find a city centre hotel in the UK which does have opening windows, so that was a bonus.
The hotel was quiet, less so the other clientele. I was awake most of the night thanks to the next room who seemed to feel necessary to make as much noise as possible at 11pm, 2am and 4am. The noise outside started about 5am. As soon as my alarm went off at 6am everyone went quiet.
There is free wired internet available in the rooms but wifi is only available downstairs in the public areas of the hotel.
I would stay here again, but it would not be my 'go to' choice of hotel.
The Novotel is a 4 star hotel situated right on Broad Street in Birmingham city centre. It is a short walk from both the ICC and the NIA as well as all the bars on Broad Street itself.
The foyer is light and airy, there is plenty of seating available, a play area (this seems to be compulsory these days wherever you go), and the reception staff are friendly and efficient. Check in was dealt with very quickly, you have the option of 1 or 2 keycards for your room which is a very good idea.
The corridors are clean and brightly lit, there is a shoe shine machine on each floor.
I had booked and paid for a single room, but was given a room with a double bed, the double sofa bed had also been made up meaning that as well as not being able to use the sofa, the space in the room was reduced.
The bathroom was bright, however the sink drained very slowly due to the strange shape, I prefer proper bowl shaped sinks but that is just personal preference. The shower screen was a bit narrow which allowed some of the spray to escape onto the floor. However, there was plenty of hot water and the shower was easy to use compared to some places I have stayed.
The toilet was separate and did not look like it had been updated since the 70s, but it was clean and fit for purpose, there was also an energy saving light in there which didn't really reach full brightness until you were just about to switch it off.
There were the usual tea and coffee making facilities along with the added benefit of a mini fridge, which I imagine was originally the mini bar. Unusually for a UK hotel, there was also a safe.
The television was fantastic, better than my home set, there was the option to plug your ipod/iphone into the set if you wanted to listen to your music.
My main concern was the interconnecting door with the neighbouring room with what seemed like quite a flimsy lock, it was opposite the bathroom. I am not an easily scared person, but there is something about interconnecting doors in a hotel which I do not like.
Breakfast was served from 7am which is fantastic for early risers. There was a central island with all variety of cereal, fruit and fruit juice.
On a counter along the side of the room, were various cold cuts of meat and cheese, there was also buffet style hot items if you prefer a Full English breakfast. Unfortunately, these items were lukewarm at best.
Coffee or tea was made on request and brought directly to your table.
Overall, it was a well appointed, clean and friendly hotel. Would I stay there again? Yes, but only if the price was right and I would eat breakfast elsewhere.
This hotel is just off Broad Street and is ideally situated for the ICC and the NIA. And it is big!
The Copthorne Hotel is the white right angled building to the right of the image, the building covered in circles, looking a little too much like a sewage plant, is actually the new library.
It is listed as a 4* and back in the day, it probably was, but it is looking a bit tired these days. This is reflected in the price, it cost me £47 for a night in a standard room. This was room only, breakfast was an additional £14 or £17 if I wanted to eat in my room.
This was the view from my room.
This was the bed.
As you can see, it is two single beds pushed together, which isn't a problem, however, the room was obviously originally designed as a double room. There are no bedside cabinets but you could see where they had been attached to the headboard unit, the holes left by the removal were clearly visible.
No bedside cabinets meant that I had to either balance my phone and glasses on the backboard, or put them on the floor. Worst of all, no cup of coffee in bed!
The bathroom was a triangular shape, the positioning of the toilet roll holder meant that you really needed to be a contortionist to be able to reach it from the toilet. But there was a full size bath with shower over.
The hotel was very well soundproofed from noise INSIDE the hotel, not so much from noise outside. The bedroom floors were solid and carpeted, so you couldn't hear people walking about. There was a party in one of the function rooms and I couldn't hear anything from that either. Noise from outside pubs and clubs could be heard, but may be less so in different rooms.
Check in and out was very easy and the staff very helpful.
Car parking was a bit pricey, £12 for 24 hours, but then it is in the city centre, you may be able to get cheaper but probably not locally. There is a fitness suite too.
Wifi is chargeable, which I think is a bit ridiculous in this day and age, particularly for a 4* hotel in a major city.
It wouldn't be my first choice of hotel next time I stay in Birmingham, but I wouldn't discount it completely.
This hotel was until about a year ago a Holiday Inn Express, it is now an Ibis Style Hotel.
It is very conveniently located for Broad Street and the city centre, however you don't want to be staying there over the Birmingham Half Marathon as you will struggle to get out, especially by car.
The reception staff are friendly and efficient, checking you in quickly. You can choose to leave a deposit in case of any incidental purchases, (the hotel offers dry cleaning) I didn't take this option as each visit was only for one night.
On the ground floor, as well as reception, there is a small child's play area, a small bar and seating area and the breakfast area.
Breakfast is self service, but there is always a member of staff about and food is replenished regularly. You can help yourself to as much as you want from fruit juice, tea, coffee and chocolate; cereals, fresh fruit, cooked breakfast items, toast and rolls.
There are free daily newspapers available too.
Some of the rooms are equipped with wet rooms with seats in the showers for wheelchair users. These rooms have more empty space around the bed and other furniture too.
There are adjoining rooms available too.
Each floor has a different colour theme. The bedrooms all have large flat screen televisions, bigger than the one I have at home.
I would recommend that you book in advance, I paid on average £45 per night, however the walk up price that was displayed by the entrance and behind reception, varied from £69 to £129 per night, depending on the time of year and what was going on in the city centre.
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