Hyatt Regency Birmingham

I’ve spent 20 years working and staying away in the UK, usually two nights a week, but I’ve never stayed at a Hyatt here before. At check-in tonight they asked to see my ID. When I asked why, I was told it was hotel policy, which is fine. I said that seemed unusual, and the person at the desk corrected me, saying it “was common.” The hotel can set whatever policy it likes, but please don’t suggest it’s normal for a British citizen to show photo ID at a hotel in the UK.

The atrium looks impressive and the staff were attentive and polite, but the stay was let down by several problems. The room felt tired, the bathroom design was very dated, and the water pressure was poor. In the middle of the night I was woken by a loud pump-like noise that seemed to come from somewhere in the ceiling. Parking was the bigger issue. I only learned at check-in that a third-party company runs the car park with ANPR cameras, and that I had to pay at the machine outside within 20 minutes of arriving. I paid for two days and thought that was all I needed to do. Later, when I went to get my luggage, a temporary wire fence blocked the route from the service yard to the main car park. A passer-by warned me that moving my car to the hotel entrance would register it as leaving, cancel the session and make me pay again, even though I had already paid. Apparently the whole car park is treated as one entry and exit, regardless of the time covered by your payment. Reception hadn't explained any of this, and there were no clear signs. I found the rule only after looking through a tiny terms section buried in pages of text on the machine. It feels like a trap. If I had moved the car, or driven out to see friends during my stay, I could easily have ended up with a penalty charge notice despite paying for parking.

Tefayal made my husband's 40th birthday feel extra special with a surprise celebration platter. It was such a thoughtful touch. We had lovely, attentive service, and the food was delicious, with good vegetarian choices too. A wonderful place for a celebration, and we'd happily come back.

The pool was cold enough that my husband gave up, though I pushed myself to swim. It didn't feel much warmer than the cold plunge, and I tried both. The Jacuzzi only worked properly on the side where you couldn't sit. The weights area in the gym is tiny, with room for no more than two people at once. The sauna and steam room were working well, and I liked having cucumber and/or lemon water in the hall. We'd told the hotel about our dog more than 10 days before arrival, but there was no bed or bowls ready. Staff said they'd run out of beds and gave us two cereal bowls and two towels instead. I suppose that was better than nothing, but at £60 a night for the dog, which is more than I've ever paid at a hotel despite travelling with her regularly, it really wasn't worth it. Our key cards stopped working 30 minutes before checkout. We had to queue at reception to get one reactivated so we could collect our luggage, leaving us less time to pack and forcing us to rush. I do enough rushing in everyday life without having to do it at a four-star hotel. Reception staff were friendly, though sometimes one person was handling a queue of too many customers.