This is a relatively new addition in a former office block on St Philip's Square (front rooms get a…read moreview of the Cathedral). Location wise, it's around five minutes from New St or Snow Hill stations and very central. It's as close as you get to a leafy spot in central Birmingham. The reception is stripped down, with self check-in and an assistant to help. Breakfast and dinner are provided in the adjacent Beefeater (named "Bar & Block"). The rooms are pretty standard, but quite well soundproofed, and I didn't suffer from external noise or that from other rooms. Free wifi was perfectly adequate for email and messaging. The beds are very comfortable, though neither the 'soft' or standard 'hard' pillows quite do it for me. The problem for sleeping, however, was the noise of the heating/cooling unit fan - an irritating whine which meant I had to turn it off to go to sleep and then awoke at 4am too warm. There was also a peculiar, intermittent watery noise, which I presume was someone flushing or washing elsewhere in the building, though it may have been the air-conditioning. Breakfast was ok, a fairly standard buffet, though Europeans would bemoan the lack of cheese and cold meats. I returned from getting a second cup of coffee to find the waitress clearing away the toast I had just buttered, although she apologised and offered to get me another. So, ok for the price (£118 including breakfast on a weeknight) but not outstanding value given the imperfect sleep.

Premier Inn is considered to be a budget chain hotel. However, having stayed at several of their…read morehotels in the last year, I have to say that I'm most impressed. The website is clear, comprehensive and it's easy to compare several nearby hotels to choose the most suitable one. My family and I stayed at this Premier Inn in Birmingham city centre earlier this year to attend the All England Badminton finals at the National Indoor Arena. The hotel is perfectly located in the city centre, close to all the shops and restaurants but only 20 minute walk along a pedestrianised route from the NIA. There is some metered parking outside the hotel but for longer term parking, it's best to use one of the many public car parks nearby. We used the Brunel Street car park which is a 5 minute walk away and cost around £8 for 24 hours on a Sunday. Check in is a funny affair with self service machines to enter your details but with very eager staff hovering to help. This hotel is very well staffed with helpful people and I'm not really sure why they don't just use a traditional check in system. The rooms were big and like other Premier Inns I've stayed at, quite modern and updated. There was a problem with the shower door in one of the rooms but we were given a new room immediately. The beds were comfortable. There was a nice looking on-site restaurant but we chose to eat out. This hotel satisfied both the CTG (Chinese Thrift Gene) and the CQG (Chinese Quality Gene)!

A beautiful cocktail bar in art deco style, totally reminds me of the sets of movie The Great…read moreGatsby.The opulence and over the top style is really fitting with the building and the area it is in. The cocktails and afternoon teas here are sublime, cocktails can end up being expensive but really quirky. Service is always really good too. Incredible value for money with what you get with your afternoon tea. I was taken here by a very good friend for a pre-xmas treat. The Edgbaston has a lovely menu of different flavoured teas. Before our tiered platter of finger sandwiches and mini cakes arrived, we were presented with an aperitif of elderflower and apple, served in a glass within a bowl of dry ice which then had apple & elderflower juice poured around it to "awaken our smell" senses. Sorry to ruin the surprise! I couldn't smell it but loved the drama and theatre of all the dry smoke pouring out of the bowl on to our table. The sandwiches were lovely (they catered for my friends dietary requirements too), the cakes were scrumptious, especially the salted caramel puff was simply delicious, and then we were served scones some with and some without raisons and jam & cream. Quintessentially British in a very trendy setting i'd say. Thoroughly enjoyed it and at £20per person (this was the no alcohol option) I thought it was very good value. I will definitely go back and sample the alcoholic option :)

I have had this place bookmarked since I moved to England 10 months ago. When I heard about the…read moreFestive Afternoon Tea I knew it was time to try it. We booked in for the last day of the Festive Tea. From the moment I walked in, I was blown away by the sheer beauty of this place. We were seated promptly and each given an explanation of the menu. We each went with the Moseley Serve which is the afternoon tea with all the trimmings plus a fancy cocktail (£32 each). As they were still in the festive spirit, they were offering Christmas cocktails. I had In A Pear Tree which was the sweeter of the two offered, with gin, honey, and pear. It was garnished with two slices of dried pear. Great start to the afternoon. As many have mentioned, the china used is beautiful and ornate. It accompanies the dining room perfectly. Even the sugar bowl was visually appealing with cute little bird claw tongs. Everything looks very vintage and was in pristine condition. I was pleasantly surprised at the amuse-bouche that was brought out prior to our cakes and sandwiches. I've never seen anything presented like this at an afternoon tea before. It's a pretty special presentation. It made me feel like I was dining at a Michelin starred restaurant! Now for the food. There were 4 types of sandwiches. I can't remember exactly, but pretty standard sandwiches that you would expect. The cakes, however, were truly exceptional. We were told they were all made in house. They were so pretty I didn't want to eat them. There were a few flavored meringues, macaroons, a mince pie and a boozy rum tart. Very festive and quite good. This is the first time that I ever had afternoon tea and actually enjoyed ALL THE FOOD! Scones (plain and fruit) were brought out last for us with the cream and jam served in adorable but hard to scrape out jars. We were told to dig in as they were nice and warm..but our scones were not warm at all. None the less they still tasted great. The only reason I refuse to give this place full on 5 stars is the service. For the price point and atmosphere I expected top notch service. Our hot water ran out in both tea pots and we were never offered a top up although the menu mentions unlimited hot water top ups for tea. Dirty dishes and glasses were not cleared so our small table was over crowded. It also seemed odd that there wasn't a coat check. Our baggy winter coats were left shuffled next to me on the bench seating. Despite this, everything else was fantastic. They have a fantastic looking cocktail menu. I am hoping they come up with a new seasonal tea soon so I have a reason to try The Edgbaston again!

This hotel is amazing. The details at the bar, in the lobby and rooms is well thought. The staff…read morewas very helpful and polite and the cocktails at the bar were great! The rooms are very clean, spacious and the beds comfortable. The key to this hotel is the location, which is located adjacent to the mail box and a lot of restaurants, bars and shopping. There was no issue finding somewhere to eat and have a few drinks. Fantastic property and staff!!

Clean, convenient and friendly…read more Just steps away from the jazzy vibe of this revived area of B'ham. The rooms are clean, the views are lovely and drinks at the bar are strong. If you need something, there is a Tesco express just down stairs. Easy parking in the building around the corner too. There are some noise issues on the weekends since this is a social-gathering area. If you're bothered by the noise, just strip off those PJ's, put back on your party pants (trousers) and get out there and join the fun. Restaurants in the area are mostly good. The best ones have a wait-time during peak times. If you don't want to wait, stroll down the canal, have a few pints at one of the local pubs and maybe grab a bite there. My only regret is that although it was August when we visited, it rained a lot and was a little miserable because of that. Oh well, better than the massive heat wave that was on us just a week prior!

Breakfast Review: I…read morehad a breakfast meeting this morning and couldn't believe my luck when my colleague suggested Hotel du Vin - a venue that I hadn't considered for breakfast before? Breakfast was great, service was excellent and very prompt. Coffee was good too. At £16.95, its the most expensive I have eaten in Birmingham - but this does come with access to the pastries and cereals too - so its still expensive though, compared to others locally. Breakfast consists of eggs, (I had 2 perfectly poached ones), 2 bacon, a flat mushroom, half a tomato, black pudding, (not great - a bit crumbly) and a tiny sausage. Its a shame about the sausage - it should have been bigger or another should have been added to the breakfast. Would I go back? Possibly. There is some great competition in Birmingham

I haven't stayed at Hotel du Vin, but I visited recently for an event and I'll review based on…read morethat. First off, this is a beautiful building! A former eye hospital turned hotel, it is a great big hunk of Victorian red brick right in the middle of Birmingham. Outside the building has plenty of nice features and the interior is even more opulent. There's a rather grand entrance hall with the bar off to one side and the bistro to the other. The event I attended was a film screening held in the courtyard, which is just off the entrance hall, in the centre of the building. At one time this area would have been open air, with a gallery running around the outside. Now, though, there's a clear roof above and it serves as a dining area. The space would make a nice venue for a party or similar gathering, and worked well for the film screening. The hotel staff were on hand to serve food and drinks. After the screening my friends and I went into the hotel bar for some drinks. Although the drinks aren't cheap (as to be expected), there is a very good selection and the staff provide complimentary bar snacks. The bar is quite intimate, with painted walls and low lighting. I'll be heading back for a drink for sure, as the atmosphere was nice and relaxed.

I was here for a conference and I also stayed at the hotel. It was my first time here and I was…read morepleasantly surprised. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the meeting space was very good, not large, but just right for our conference and meetings. The breakfast buffet was pretty standard fare and the restaurant staff was great. Lunch at the conference was also good. The bartenders were good, but they have a very limited selection of whiskey/whisky, which was surprising. It's also a cashless hotel. There are other shops and restaurants not too far away.

This is a new hotel located on a business park in Solihull and part of the Village Hotel chain…read more Walking into the lobby, it is airy and spacious and there appears to be plenty going on. Check in was very speedy and the staff were welcoming. We were located on the second floor and there are stairs or one lift. I would imagine that waiting for the lift may present difficulties during busy periods, but it was fine when we were there. The bathroom was modern and well equipped with bath and shower and separate shower attachment. Complimentary shower gel/bath gel and soap was provided (Arran Aromatics). The bedroom was very nicely fitted and the bed was comfortable and had additional pillows located in the wardrobe. There was a flat screen TV and a writing desk and an iPod docking station. There was also tea and coffee making facilities. The temperature control was great. We had a bed and breakfast rate of £38 per night for a double room (brililant value) and the breakfast was lovely. There was a choice of fresh fruit, fruit salad, juices, pastries, cereals and full English breakfast. All nicely cooked and hot. If you fancied a quick coffee, there is a Starbucks located in the main lobby where you can get a snack and a coffee. There is also the Pub where you can get pub food as well as The Verve Grill for dinners. They have some excellent value deals on meals. One of the offers in The Pub was their Friday night "Burger Me" deal where you could get a burger for £1. The hotel also has a fully equipped leisure centre with pool and use is included in the price. We had a lovely stay and wouldn't hesitate in recommending this hotel to anyone visiting the area.

I stayed at the Norwood for a week while moving my daughter from New York to University. Right from…read morethe moment I made the reservation the hospitality at the Norwood was evident. The rooms were clean, the breakfast and service was excellent and the location and garden were perfect. Our hosts, Mark, Julie and Eloise never tired of answering our many questions. They provided a stress free environment for what could have been a very stressful week. They were very helpful and we considered the Norwood home base while we settled her in. We always looked forward to ending our day with great conversation at their in house bar while watching a game on their TV. Finding the Norwood made all the difference in our stay.

In a word: Outstanding! From the moment I arrived the personal, family friendly service from Mark,…read moreJulie, Eloise and the staff set the standard for others to emulate. I spent three weeks at the Norwood and thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the B&B. Breakfast each morning was great and my room was quite nice and spacious as well. Being I was working in the City Centre my commutee was about 25 minutes each way, so that would be the only caution. Northfield is a bit of a drive rom the City Center, but it's very close to Cadbury World, a must see!

We were here for a book signing and that part of the event was lovely, but when we tried to have…read morefood downstairs, we had to wait TWO HOURS for food, and they threatened to charge us if we left to actually get food elsewhere. When we complained that we were starving, the manager disappeared and refused to speak to us for over 20 minutes until they magically produced the food, which wasn't even correct, and barely apologized. WORST SERVICE EVER and absolutely zero customer service. They did not care at all.

Really close to the train station, bit of a concrete monstrosity from the outside, but nice on the…read moreinside. My room was some kind of 'pod' thing, with a really comfy 3/4 size bed, some fancy modern art on the walls, a plasma screen tv and a compact but clean and modern bathroom. Really enjoyed my stay here even though it was for business - the food was good and everything was reasonably priced. There's a convenience store less than 2 minutes' walk away for those who get the munchies late at night.

We recently went to a party and instead of getting a taxi home decided to book into one of the…read moresmall hotels/guest houses in the area. The one we chose was The Bunbury Hotel, for no other reason than this was the closest one to the party and we wouldn't have to stumble too far. The double room we were given was spotlessly clean with clean, fresh bed linen and had obviously been cleaned prior to our arrival. There is plenty of storage in the wardrobe and chest of drawers, although we were only staying for the one night so just had a single change of clothes with us which ended up being 'put away' on the floor anyway! Breakfast was served in a lovely little dining room downstairs; we had a choice of cereals and fruit plus a delicious English breakfast was brought to us a few minutes later which was beautifully cooked and just what I needed after all the vodka I'd downed the previous night. Coffee was plentiful too, for which I was grateful! The couple who run The Bunbury Hotel are very approachable and seemed to want to make our stay a good one, they're under no illusions that this is a small out of the way hotel so were keen for us to tell our friends about it as presumably it's word of mouth that keeps this type of place going.

A good size room as I was given an end room so loads of space. It's a shame I was only there for…read moreone night as it was a good space to relax in, but one night you sleep wake up and your gone. Nice art work on the walls and all the amenities you would expect at a hotel, WiFi, ironing board, kettle, mugs, tea coffee etc etc. The staff on reception were helpful and got me checked in quickly. I was there for a days conference so we also used a meeting room. The coffee machine played music as your coffee was made, a nice touch. There was a little faff getting the laptop connected to the screen but once connected all was good. Nice break out area. The bar staff were quick and efficient with plenty of staff working not just behind the bar but on the floor as they are still operating table service. I might have gone 5 stars except for my experience with breakfast the following morning. As part of our package we were able to use our meeting space for breakfast. I was under time pressure and was reassured breakfast would be with us shortly, I heard this for an hour and as I left they arrived with breakfast Other than that I liked the hotel, it's location is great and the staff were good. I will definitely use again.

Excellent hotel right by two malls. There's also a Starbucks in the lobby. Lobby area is somewhat…read moresmall though, although there are some seats. There's also stairs that lead up to the bar/restaurant. Room service is also available but I don't remember the hours. The rooms are spacious and very nice. Comfortable beds and nice amenities including a towel warmer, USB outlets right by the bed, and plenty of snacks and a mini bar. There's also a Spa here and meeting rooms. An indoor parking garage as well. I would definitely stay here again.

This review is solely based on my experience of going into this place for coffee yesterday (not an…read moreovernight stay) but I have to say this was distinctly average. The place itself looks the part with modern fixtures and fittings and is a well laid out space but that sadly is as far as my compliments are going to go this time around. I ordered my coffee forgetting I had no cash on me and was told it was a £5 minimum payment....ok sometimes this happens.....so I thought I may aswell have a second and asked if I could start a tab.....I was then told they dont do tabs either and the guy serving me could not even offer the information as to where the nearest cash point was (there is a bit of a lack of them in the JQ area). Eventually I was allowed to leave my card to have a second coffee but the whole experience was far from ideal... Upon going back to the counter the tab situation confused my waitress and took a while to sort out....finally ending on me asking for a receipt being an issue and the staff not being sure how to do it. On the bright side the coffee was ok and the food coming out of the kitchens did look like it was well presented. The table next to me had nothing but good things to say.....I have to base this review on the afternoon I had which was far from as perfect. Ill have to give this place anohter go in a few months....maybe there are still a lot of teething problems.

We have liberally just walked in whilst waiting for 40 St Paul's to open - and it sure has a wow…read morefactor! What used to be the tatty Ropewalk, has been transformed into a swanky eatery, bar and hotel. Today, they're showing the football, but it's not bothering me (a non footie fan!) The restaurant menu looks delish, although we've not tried it today. Open from 8am for brekkie, I'll be back!