Holiday Inn Express Birmingham - Oldbury by IHG

The staff were a real bright spot during my 10-day work training stay. They were friendly and professional, and seemed to enjoy being there. Nasir deserves a mention: I started a playful prank on my friend, and Nasir kept it going over the weekend while I was away, then added his own twist. Little things like that made the stay memorable. Rooms are basic, though cleanliness was never an issue. I stayed in two rooms: one had a better shower, the other a slightly more comfortable mattress. The TV was a 32-inch non-smart model from 2011, which feels unacceptable now. Wi-Fi was fast and free, but I couldn't mirror my phone to the TV. I thought about bringing my PS5 for the second week, then skipped it because playing on that 720p screen would have been miserable and disrespectful to my PlayStation, lol. Breakfast and dinner were included, with a £25 dinner allowance. Breakfast was better than I expected, but the bacon was consistently overcooked and the juice had no discernible orange in it. Diluted Robinsons would have been better. Dinners were okay, roughly on par with Wetherspoons for price and quality. My top three were the caesar salad, lasagna, and chicken curry. I’ve mostly stayed in hotels for holidays or special occasions, and rarely in cheap ones, but the staff have often let those stays down. Here, the staff really stood out. A night here ranges from £50 to £180 in February 2026, when I wrote this.

The breakfast was excellent when I went between 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM, with great food and service. Outside those hours, though, it was disappointing at busy times: the buffet was empty about half the time and food took 20 minutes to arrive. Breakfast is included, and there's a handy bar for drinks and snacks. My room was small but manageable, and the bathroom was quite nice.

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the place was easy to find with plenty of parking. The room was spacious and tidy, with a big bed. The shower cubicle was large, with strong pressure and plenty of hot water. Breakfast was good, a hot basic cooked option alongside continental choices. I hadn't stayed here before, but I'd happily come back.

The rooms are spacious, but sparsely furnished, with no wardrobes or drawers and only a desk chair, which makes things hard to keep tidy. The road outside stays busy all day and night, and the nearby Ambulance HQ means lots of sirens, so it may be rough for light sleepers. The air conditioning and heating were unpredictable, swinging between too hot and too cold and cutting in and out.