Aparthotel Birmingham

The apartment was clean, modern and in a very convenient central spot, with easy access to transport, shops and key parts of Birmingham. Check-in was straightforward, and the property seems well maintained and professionally run. We stayed in a Family Studio. For a short visit it worked well, though I’d give the rooms 3.5/5 and the overall stay 4/5. The main drawback was the self-catering setup for anyone staying longer or cooking regularly. There wasn’t much food-prep space, the pans weren’t non-stick so food stuck and burned easily, and there was no proper spatula or turner. We had just one cloth for drying dishes and no ceramic bowl, such as for salad, so ended up using a pan instead. Storage was limited, with few or no drawers. There were a couple of other comfort issues: the Philips TVs seemed low-definition and poor quality in practice, and the toilet seat was unusually high, so shorter people might not be able to rest their feet comfortably on the floor. With some basic kitchen tools, better non-stick pans, another drying cloth, a bowl and more storage, this could be an excellent long-stay option. As it is, it’s better for shorter visits. Service: 4/5. Location: 5/5.

Two nights here, and the bed kept jolting whenever a door shut somewhere in the building. Even impacts from several floors away sent vibrations through it, and I felt this happen at least ten times in one night. It went on day and night, constantly. At 2 a.m. I was still wide awake. Earplugs usually help me sleep, but they made no difference here. For anyone who needs sleep, the room feels uninhabitable. The partition walls and floorboards seem incredibly thin and poorly built, which you can see in the cheap interior finish. Every slam or small vibration travels straight to the bed. It was like a little aftershock every time a door closed, and the experience was dreadful. To be fair, the property is new, the bedding is fine and the service acceptable. But I was extremely disappointed, and getting sleep here felt completely impossible.

The room was brilliant, with a lounge and kitchenette that had all the mod cons: hob, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge and filtered water. There was a TV in the lounge and another in the open-plan bedroom, separated by a wall. The bed was immaculate with crisp sheets, the sockets and light switches were where you’d expect, and the thermostat was unusually easy to use for a hotel. The shower room was spotless and had Rituals products. Everything smelled brand new, and check-in was a doddle. We booked an overnight stay for an Asian wedding shopping trip, which was made pleasant by the place. It’s right in the centre on a main road, with plenty of parking. We paid about £16 for the full night at the aparthotel-approved car park, which was clean and felt safe, just a two minute walk away. I’ve stayed in hotels around the country, and this place changed my mind about aparthotels. It’s hard to beat for the money. Any time I visit a city with an aparthotel, they’ll have my custom. Bravo. P.S. I hated the wedding shopping, lol!

The coffee machine in the room was broken, and the clothes hangers were flimsy and broken. The location is great, but the customer service was absolutely appalling, and I wouldn’t recommend staying here. We’d booked and paid extra for a room for three, but at 10:30 p.m. we had to go to reception to ask for bedding for the sofa bed. Half an hour later someone came to the door to ask what we needed again. They then said the hotel was fully booked and it would be difficult to find anything. That shouldn’t be the customer’s problem, and being busy doesn’t excuse not providing what was booked and paid for. Eventually he brought a single duvet with a separate double duvet cover for us to put together ourselves. We also didn’t get the extra towel we’d requested, so there were just two towels for three people. Check-in had already been a fiasco. We’d booked and paid for a 12 p.m. early check-in, but arrived at 1:30 and were told they were busy and the room would take another hour. We didn’t quietly accept that, since we’d paid for early check-in for a reason. We agreed that one of our two rooms would be ready at 2 p.m. They seemed to treat not charging for early check-in as compensation, when they simply hadn’t provided the service. I don’t understand why those rooms weren’t prioritised. They said they’d bring the key for the other room up as soon as it was ready, but, as you might expect, we had to go down and ask for it.