Radisson Blu Birmingham review – city break hotel

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and compared to my usual yoghurt or toast, there’s nothing quite like a good hotel brekkie. But the breakfast at Radisson Blu Birmingham took the lightly toasted brioche.

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With a Virgin Mary station in one corner, hot smoked salmon among the cold meats and cheeses, and an enticing selection of hot dishes (not to mention the usual breads, pastries, fruit, yoghurt, cereal and juice), it was a great start to the day – especially after a train journey and a few glasses of wine the night before had left me feeling a bit fuzzy.

Birmingham is somewhere I’ve been planning to revisit for ages with my daughter so while this trip was all about work, I was mentally checking out the Radisson Blu Birmingham for a family short break too.

Radisson Blu Birmingham review: Vital Statistics

The Radisson Blu Birmingham is a stone’s throw from Birmingham New Street station – even with my shaky sense of direction it took less than five minutes.

There is also an NCP car park behind the hotel if you’re driving rather than taking the train, and the Bullring shopping centre is also practically on the doorstep with its gigantic John Lewis (among other stores).

You’re also walking distance from more shopping at the Mailbox as well as the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Sea Life Centre.

The hotel has 211 rooms and suites over 39 storeys – you really can’t miss the shining blue tower. There’s a bar in the lobby and attached to the Collage restaurant, as well as a fitness centre and free Wifi.

Rooms cost from under £100 B&B (check online to find deals) and you can have extra beds added to the Premium rooms and suites, as well as connecting family rooms which sleep up to six adults.

Radisson Blu Birmingham review: The good

The décor

I do like hotels with a bit of personality rather than being entirely impersonal.

A quirky collage featuring Elvis on the walls by the stairs up to Collage restaurant, plus more Elvis on the walls fitted the bill nicely. My favourite spot was perhaps the semicircle of seats with poppingly bright cushions, a framed picture of Marilyn Monroe queening it above.

It’s just a shame the vibrancy doesn’t extend to the rooms – there are splashes of red among the white but it’s all a lot more subdued away from the public areas.

The room

Having said that, I’ll swap all the quirky décor in the world for a comfy bed and that’s just what I got.

Squashy pillows, a duvet warm enough to counter the aircon which we’d accidentally set chillier than intended, room for two of us to spread out and a table by the window plus all the essentials (kettle, iron, safe etc).

The suites have rainshowers but even the smaller shower in our bathroom had enough power to wake me right up.

I’d hoped for the same This Works toiletries as the Radisson Blu Stansted Airport hotel but sadly not: the ones we had were generous size bottles though.

The breakfast

Having whetted your appetite by talking about breakfast, it’s only fair to give it a mention on its own. Because it really does deserve it.

The chain is partnering with nutritionist Sophie Bertrand, founder of Sophie’s Healthy Kitchen, to create breakfast menus designed to set you up for your day, including nutritional value and tempting choices.

And that’s for whatever your day entails, whether it’s catching a flight, looking to grab something quick, a bit of a health boost or a day full of meetings.

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There’s even the Recovery Breakfast. Enough said.

With up to 100 items on offer for breakfast, guests are also invited to ask for what they fancy if it’s not on the menu and as long as it’s in the kitchen, the chef will prepare it. I can just imagine Minnie’s glee at being able to go off-menu.

As there were pancakes with honey, mixed berries and greek yoghurt (yoghurt and berries on the side which gets her vote), she’d already be very happy.

I was tempted by the avo toast and when one of my breakfast companions asked to have her eggs benedict without the ham, staff suggested various alternatives to take its place.

Dinner the night before had been much quieter, with only a handful of guests eating in, but the calamari was a highlight. At £19 for two courses (or £24 for three), there were plenty of tempting choices on the menu as well.

The service

A mix-up at check-in meant we had to wait for our rooms to be sorted out. But a bottle of Prosecco by way of apology helped the time pass.

I firmly believe that mistakes can happen anywhere – and it’s how you fix them that’s important. So between the consolation fizz, and encountering friendly, helpful staff at every turn, the service also gets a thumbs up.

The WiFi

These days, having free, fast WiFi shouldn’t be hard (certainly not in a UK city). Some hotels seem to find this a struggle.

Here, there was no messing around, no fiddly logging in and codes, and WiFi was easily fast enough to update my Instagram Stories and watch a short video on YouTube.

The little touches

Water infused with fruit and a plate of biscuits set out for guests in the lobby was just one of the little touches along the way.

The hotel even has customised running trails around the hotel – although I didn’t quite find time to try those out…

Radisson Blu Birmingham review: The not so good

The location

Being so close to the station and the shops is fantastic, and I loved being able to walk into the hotel less than 10 minutes after stepping off the train.

It’s worth picking your walk to the station carefully: if you come out of the rear Hill Street exit, part of the walk along the main road isn’t one I’d enjoy doing alone at night. Come out of the front of the station and it’s less of an issue.

It’s certainly no worse (and a lot better) than plenty of other cities, but worth knowing if you’re arriving late and with young kids.

Radisson Blu Birmingham review: The verdict

Smart and central, with all the essentials and enough quirky touches to be interesting plus plenty of Birmingham’s family attractions nearby?

Who can argue with that – especially after a Virgin Mary and pancakes!

PIN FOR LATER: RADISSON BLU BIRMINGHAM HOTEL

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of Radisson for review. All opinions and love of a good breakfast are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected, but I may receive a small commission.

Bedroom image courtesy Radisson Hotels, all others copyright MummyTravels

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