Novotel Birmingham Centre

The room could use better lighting. It only had two fairly generic lights, with no reading light or lamp for desk work, and a couple more sockets would have helped. I had to juggle chargers overnight to power my phone, watch and work laptop for the next day. These are small fixes that could make a nice stay even better. The bed was comfortable and clean, and so was the bathroom. Staff were friendly and very helpful, breakfast was excellent, and the restaurant area was really nice. I had dinner there once and the burger was very good.

The shower had no hot water, and I got stuck in the lift. It was from 1989 and seemed to be working, with no sign saying otherwise, so I had to phone the hotel and wait for the manager to rescue me. At 6:30am I also heard a few minutes of drilling nearby in the hotel. I’d asked for a quieter room at check-in and otherwise slept well. The pancake machine was fun, one press gives you two pancakes. The TV channels need retuning because the list is very old. The hotel is very central and easy to reach from New St station by tram to Brindleyplace.

The underground car park was easy and secure. I booked a space in advance using the app, which was simple to use, and the price was reasonable. Breakfast had good options, and the rooms were comfortable. I slept very well. I was based at the ICC for a few days, and the location was excellent for both there and the city centre. I initially had a room next to the lifts and wasn’t sleeping well because I’m sensitive to noise at night. The staff at Novotel kindly moved me to the other end of the hotel. Service was superb. The gym was adequate, though a few more pieces of equipment would be nice, but that’s a luxury rather than a necessity. I’ll stay here again if I’m back in Birmingham.

The front desk team made my wife and me feel valued as soon as we arrived, with a genuinely warm, professional welcome. Our executive room was spacious, spotless and thoughtfully set up for relaxing. The bedding was plush, and the modern amenities and other details all exceeded what we expected. Novotel’s location also made it easy to explore and enjoy our time together without stress. It was a wonderful getaway, worth repeating.