Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Redditch by IHG

Breakfast was delicious, and the sheets and bathroom were clean. The room itself looked a bit worn, with old stains on the carpet and sofa. It was much too warm, and the air con seemed locked, so we had to open a window even though it faced the road. The pillows were very flat. We don’t normally sleep with two each, but needed to here. For a budget stay, it did the job.

A pleasant night in a convenient spot. The buffet breakfast was generous and included in the stay. No complaints, it was what you’d expect, with a good shower and water pressure, and the temperature was right.

The staff we encountered were polite and pleasant, and the main lobby was clean. Our room was another story. There was a huge stain on the carpet outside it, marks on the room carpet, stains on the bed base, a broken bed, a broken light fixture, and broken shower tiles. For a cheap hotel, that might be what you expect, but it’s disappointing from Holiday Inn. The cleaning staff could use better training. Breakfast wasn’t worth it either. There wasn’t much choice, the bacon tasted like cardboard, the sausage had no flavour, and the hash browns were soggy. The beans looked dried out, and there were some tomatoes. The scrambled egg was the best item and just about edible. Staff were also taking pastries and putting them in a bag. Overall, not a good stay, and we won’t return to this Holiday Inn.

Breakfast had a lot to choose from: hot dishes under silver domed covers, including really good sausages, bacon, hash browns, beans, scrambled egg, and tomatoes. There were cereals, tea, coffee, fruit juice, jams, honey, and a toaster that worked on the first go. Our room was 103, with tea and coffee, a small wall-mounted LCD TV, and air con for heating or cooling. It was cold in mid-February, so we used the heat. Check-in was welcoming, and the young man at reception explained the hotel, gave us the key card and WiFi code, and went over breakfast. There’s a small bar, though we didn’t use it, with Wetherpoons and other pubs only a few minutes’ walk away in the town centre. We left our AirPods in the room and arranged with the staff to keep them there until I sent a prepaid envelope and booked a Royal Mail pickup. Communication was good, and they were very helpful. Thanks, Holiday Inn Express Redditch.