Royal Square Hotel - NEC and Birmingham Airport

It was handy being able to walk across the park to the nearby business parks. The rooms are basic and set in a converted house. There aren't any bars or restaurants nearby, though there's a bar at the hotel and heat-up ready meals are available.

The location worked well for us, with the NEC and the city not far away, and there was enough parking. The place felt dated, and the breakfast room was missing its baseboards. Our original downstairs room was tiny, with the mattress pushed against one wall, and the small double bed's mattress felt worn through to the bottom. We could hear the other rooms, and odd noises from the heating pipes came through the ceiling. After we complained, we were moved to a larger, cleaner room on the first floor, which we appreciated.

There's an extra £6 per night for parking, and nothing like a shop, pub, or restaurant close by. Breakfast is available, but no other food, and I didn't notice a bar. The room was basic but clean enough. It's near the airport and NEC, and I don't think it's under the flightpath, which was a plus. I know this isn't a four-star hotel, but the heating barely worked in our room and didn't work at all in the bathroom.

The breakfast took longer than we'd have liked because the cooked food was ordered and made individually, with no buffet. The restaurant was only open for breakfast, not dinner. It was difficult to reach anyone. I called several times at different hours the day before we arrived with a question, but nobody picked up. At checkout I wanted to mention the shower problems, but the desk was unattended. A sign said to call the number I'd already tried, and that someone was meant to come. The shower in our room barely gave a trickle of cold water. My colleague had better pressure in her room, but her water was cold too. I wouldn't recommend the hotel based on this experience. I can see why it's rated two stars, though I'd give it one.