If you’re driving, you should be aware that it’s quite expensive to park your car in Birmingham, so ask at the reception about a special discounted rate for hotel guests - I managed to get a £6 rate for a day, which is a lot cheaper than leaving your car on the street. If you’re coming by train, be aware that a lot of Birmingham city centre has been pedestrianized, so a taxi from the station is of limited use.

I was pleased with the location of the hotel - it really is right on the main shopping street - but was a bit disappointed with its appearance. It looks a little run down and shabby, and could really do with a coat of paint and some refurbishment work. The same problem is apparent inside - the lifts are really old and worn, and some of the rooms look out only onto courtyards with not much light, so you need to keep the room lights on a lot. Beds were okay, but pretty basic. The TVs were also pretty basic, with poor reception.

The staff at the Britannia were pretty good, though I felt that the quality of their information dropped when they were out of their “comfort zone” and talking about locations a little further outside the city. They were okay at giving info about the hotel itself though. I did not eat in the hotel, so can’t say anything about the standard of the food, but I didn’t hear anyone complaining about it.

Overall, this is a case of “you get what you pay for”. Birmingham has a lot of hotels, so if you want something with a little more luxury you can get it - but you won’t get it for the price you pay for a room at the Britannia. An okay hotel but nothing special except for the good central location.

Rating: 5