The Spires Birmingham

We came because of the online pictures and reviews, but apartment 123 looked nothing like them. For a stay of one night costing over £100, the state of the place was shocking, and it was not close to the advertised four stars, more like two or perhaps three. There were out-of-date milk sachets, stained carpets, marks on the heaters, and a freezer so iced up that the door wouldn’t close. The double bed sheets had blood stains and didn’t look changed. Hair and what looked like human bogeys were in the bathroom. There were chips on the kitchen and bathroom surfaces, a cracked, dirty-looking hob, and old-looking switches. Hair was all over the beds and in the bathroom, with brown marks on the walls by the toilet, stains and scratches on the walls and plug. One socket was coming out of the wall, which worried us with our 20-month-old baby. The receptionist wasn’t there on the weekend, so after we contacted head office they gave us a key to another apartment. We had to get a bedsheet from that other unit to cover the one with blood on it, because there were no other two-bedroom apartments available. The smaller apartment didn’t look much better. The manager apologized the next morning but acted as if he knew nothing about the problems, despite other guests reporting similar issues. Reviews from a year ago mention the same things, and it seems the manager had said they were fixed, but they weren’t. This suggests there’s no regular audit. It makes me wonder if management knows and is turning a blind eye. The 20% discount they offered doesn’t make up for a stay that was completely unlike the listing and unsafe for a toddler. We’ll report this to whoever gave them four stars, so the apartments can be reviewed and others don’t have to go through it. It’s a shame because the location is great, but the rest was disgusting. We won’t stay with this company again.

Good location and a very comfortable place. They provide detergent for the washing machine. The staff were nice, especially Tim, who was polite, friendly and helpful.

Lovely apartment in a great spot for town. Tim upgraded us and was so committed to making sure we got good service. Best host ever.

The shower and tap water went from very cold to scalding hot quite quickly. For a comfortable shower we had to use the cold setting, so it’s best to supervise kids and husbands while they’re using it. We booked for the bank holiday weekend at a great price in central Birmingham, under a 10-minute walk from grand central station. The place was very clean: we took our shoes off at the door and our white socks stayed clean underneath. There was plenty of room for clothes, plus a toilet and a bathroom with hand wash and shower gel if you need them. Reception was closed when we arrived, but the instructions for getting the key and accessing our room were very clear.