Review: the Hilton Garden Inn hotel, Birmingham Airport

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• Save East Coast Rewards says:

  24 Nov24 November 03:28

  I still don’t really know where HGI fits in the scheme of things. Better than a Hampton (although breakfast is free for all at a Hampton), not as good as a regular newish Hilton, but some HGI have features that make them into better hotels such as the rooftop bar at LHR T2, the HGI near Venice has a pool and also some rooms with large outdoor terraces and HGI Lecce has a spa area.

  The only thing that seems common to all HGI is they have a little shop by reception and they all have a self service laundry guests can use, this saves a fortune over the priced per item typical hotel laundry service (although some also offer that too!)

  One quirk is diamond and gold members have to choose between bonus points or breakfast at a HGI. Although in reality I’ve only been asked this in the LHR ones, the Italian ones just give you breakfast even if you have points as your preference. A normal Hilton gives a diamond both the bonus points and the breakfast.

  • Vasco says:

    24 Nov24 November 08:31

    It’s meant to be on the same bracket as Holiday Inn and Courtyard. Hampton meant to compete with Fairfield and Holiday Inn Express.

    • Alex B says:

      24 Nov24 November 11:40

      Isn’t that what a Doubletree is for aswell? (Though all the new DT beat the new HIs hands down).

      • John T says:

        24 Nov24 November 21:29

        Doubletrees are a higher standard than HIs

  • The Savage Squirrel says:

    24 Nov24 November 12:55

    With them being a relatively new brand in the UK they’re 100% likely to be better than a standard Hilton of the faded dumpy regional variety. Picking up a high proportion of sporting/activity locations (Doncaster Racecourse, Old Trafford cricket, Snowdonia etc and upcoming is Silverstone) so I think the brand might head down that path.

  • Pete says:

    24 Nov24 November 13:55

    I have never seen anyone buy anything from the “shop”!

    • Rob says:

      24 Nov24 November 16:13

      I have bought lunch in the HGI Hatton Cross – not when staying there, but because if I have an event at Heathrow I tend to go there before or afterwards to work, as the lobby is set up for hot desking.

• BlueThroughCrimp says:

  24 Nov24 November 04:50

  The HGI Glasgow didn’t have the usual C&E individual bottles, rather a different brand and from a dispenser.
  Nothing wrong with the product but a bit Hamptonish.
  I’m guessing the recent gig at the SECC may have had something to do with it.

• DJ says:

  24 Nov24 November 07:06

  Got a stay coming up in two weeks time, I ended booking the BHX Holiday Inn. Is it worth it switching to the garden inn ? Ta

  • RM84 says:

    24 Nov24 November 07:37

    I’ve stayed at the HGI BHX a number of times and it’s a good airport hotel. As well as being fairly new with decent rooms and bar/restaurant, the main draw for me is that it’s actually at the airport so no need for shuttles etc. So it mainly depends how pricing compares and how much you value that convenience.

  • CH says:

    24 Nov24 November 08:11

    If this is the one accessible by a short shuttle bus ride, the HI does what an airport hotel at that price point is supposed do: pleasant overnight stay close to an airport. Dinner in the bar reminded me of a Wetherspoons (not in a bad way): reheated from a pack, but good enough quality that, if arriving late at night with no other easy options, it was quite acceptable. I didn’t stay for breakfast, but it looked standard (pre-COVID). If there were another connected to the terminal (iirc, there are a few in the attached conference Center at the rail station) or not requiring a shuttle bus I would tend to prefer that, but even the shuttle was efficient and convenient (ie, like what one gets at many US airports).

  • Vasco says:

    24 Nov24 November 08:33

    Best Birmingham Airport hotel is the Crowne Plaza at the NEC, IMO, if it’s not still being used as a quarantine hotel.

    Looks a bit far away, but connects into Birmingham International Station and from there you can use the monorail. Much better than faffing about with shuttles.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      24 Nov24 November 12:40

      Mmm for me the best hotel is the Novotel right across from the terminal.

      The Hilton metropole is going through a complete refurb and will probably end up as a better experience than the CP

      • Tariq says:

        24 Nov24 November 16:50

        That refurb is long overdue! Last time I stayed there, the service and the rooms were so poor that I vowed not to use it ever again.

• Doug says:

  24 Nov24 November 08:36

  Have stayed quite a few times at the HGI at Birmingham Airport. I can say that the food is usually very good both at dinner and breakfast, service is also friendly and efficient in my experience. If you can, do book a room with a view of the airport runway/apron, it helps pass the time.
  This hotel is a favourite of mine when staying for a flight or if visiting the NEC. There are other hotels nearby, of course. Including a full service Hilton nearer the conference centre itself but this gets booked very quickly when events or conferences are being held . There is also a Novotel right next door to the HGI but I’ve not yet visited there.
  Perhaps the biggest drawback to the HGI (and also the Hilton and Novotel) is that they have no sheltered connection to the airport. You therefore are likely to get wet if you have to walk across to the terminal in the rain (which is quite common in the area).

• Andrew says:

  24 Nov24 November 09:05

  “we once used a photograph of that hotel in an article by mistake”

  For ages, Skyscanner used an image of the Halifax’s former Head Office to represent Halifax, Nova Scotia.

  • Michael C says:

    24 Nov24 November 09:09

    Brilliant!!!!

• The cyclist says:

  24 Nov24 November 09:47

  Pity you couldn’t make it to the city, I like the Radisson close to New Street, the rooms are enormous and the breakfast spread really good, HGI looks a solid option though, its always nice to have a quality iron in the hotel room.

  • Tariq says:

    24 Nov24 November 16:53

    Aloft is usually my first choice in the city, decent value for the facilities and service, plenty of cheap off-peak street parking in the area.

• Big Ern says:

  24 Nov24 November 10:00

  Hilton related. Just had an email telling me my forthcoming stay in January at Hilton Grosvenor at Glasgow has been moved to another hotel as it will no longer be in the group. Shame, its a bit run down but handy for the West end of Glasgow.

  • Andrew says:

    24 Nov24 November 10:45

    It was sold earlier in the year, it was reported at the time that that there was a 30 year contract with Hilton starting in 2001.

• Gavin says:

  24 Nov24 November 10:42

  Bar the fridge reminds me of the Exeter Hampton. The safe is different as Hampton too I suppose.

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