Crowne Plaza Solihull by IHG

Anca made us feel welcome as soon as we arrived for breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Solihull EHG restaurant. She was kind, approachable and professional, with great attention to detail, and really set a positive tone for our morning. Excellent service, she's a real credit to the hotel. Thank you, Anca. I'd highly recommend the place because of her friendly, professional manner.

My partner and I had a wonderful recent stay. The beds were comfortable, the room clean, and the amenities were great. Everyone was incredibly friendly during dinner. I had the amazing steak, and Caitlin, my waitress, was so attentive and kind. We'll definitely come again when we're visiting.

The check-in was warm, and I had no trouble using the club lounge. After driving from Manchester and arriving around 6:30 pm, I dashed to the nearby shopping centre, then came back to the bar and restaurant. The restaurant was empty and there was nobody around. After about 10 minutes, someone appeared; I asked about meals, was handed a menu, and then she disappeared. Nobody came back, though food was suddenly being served to a table at the bar. I was completely ignored, so I got no dinner there. I tried room service later, but when I dialled the number there was no answer at reception and no one called back. I went without dinner that night. Breakfast was okay, but they said I wasn't booked for it even though it had been confirmed at check-in. I had to wait and go to reception with the lady to check, and it was sorted. At checkout I mentioned dinner and room service, and all I got was an apology from reception. As an IHG diamond member, I was less than impressed with the service compared with Crowne Plaza NEC. Some courtesy would be expected. Possibly the worst attitude and service I've encountered this year.

Eve was kind, charming and helpful, and seemed to be working every time I came out. She rescued the evening. After a long day in Crowne Plaza's excellent meeting room, our group went to the bar. I tried to use a drinks voucher we’d been given over a check-in issue. The receptionist had told me it could be used for any drink, but the dark-bearded barman said it wasn't valid there. When Eve confirmed it was, he changed his story, then messed me about twice more and served me watered-down vodka. He was rude, obstructive and totally unhelpful. The receptionist seemed unaware of his rudeness, odd behaviour or made-up rules. I used to manage a hotel and work front of house in a Michelin-graded restaurant. This barman should not be front of house anywhere. Customers pay his wages. Get rid of the useless, rude barman and promote the genuinely hardworking staff.