Holiday Inn Express Birmingham - Snow Hill by IHG

My kids really enjoyed the stay, and I’d definitely recommend this hotel. We had an amazing experience, from check-in through breakfast and the hospitality throughout. I especially want to thank Bella, Ell and Chloe at reception for their kindness and wonderful service. I can’t imagine how the service could have been better.

My Birmingham vacation was badly disrupted by this incident, and I have little confidence in how Holiday Inn Express Birmingham – Snow Hill handles guests’ belongings or customer service. I strongly advise future guests to think twice before trusting the hotel. I had a booking for 2-3 January. On 1 January, before travelling to London, I called to ask if I could leave my luggage ahead of check-in. The hotel manager personally said yes, so I left my bags there and went to London. After a two-hour train ride, I arrived back at about 11:00 PM on 2 January, checked in and showed my luggage tag. My luggage couldn’t be found. Staff said they suspected it was locked in the manager’s office, but nobody on duty had the key. They asked me to return in the morning. I was left without clean clothes or my belongings, with no clear reassurance that my luggage was secure. I waited over an hour while staff tried and failed to contact the manager. I had more travel planned the next day, so the situation caused a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety. There was no apology, reassurance or meaningful effort to resolve things that night. When I called reception after waiting, I was again told the luggage couldn’t be located and that I should speak to the manager in the morning. I asked why the matter couldn’t be properly handed over, especially since handover logs are standard practice. The staff member abruptly hung up on me mid-conversation. That was rude, dismissive and wholly unprofessional. The lack of urgency and accountability was shocking. Telling a guest to simply come back in the morning after they’ve lost access to their luggage is beyond unacceptable. It seemed very unlikely I’d get it back that night. This is one of the worst hotel service experiences I’ve had, and the difference in service standards from other reputable hotel brands is glaring.

I’d never stayed at a Holiday Inn before and was impressed. Breakfast was amazing, with as much as you like and every breakfast item you could think of. The pancake maker was a particular favourite, and the food was delicious. The hotel is in a great spot, about a ten-minute walk from New Street station and under five minutes from the city centre. Our room was spacious, though it’s a shame there wasn’t a fridge for drinks. I’d highly recommend staying here.

The front desk staff member Bash did his best, and I appreciated it. The room was as expected apart from the heating and cooling. There was no heating or air conditioning, which I believe has been an issue for months. With sealed windows, that could be a real problem in summer. I got no reply to my advance email and, as an IHG member, had no room allocated ahead of time. The coffee in the morning was bad, though the budget breakfast did the job. It seems like the franchise owner has given up or won’t spend what it takes to run the place to IHG standards.