The super-cheap Aloft Birmingham hotel deal is back

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• Lumma says:

  27 Jul27 July 05:56

  It doesn’t look like it’s in a very nice part of Birmingham to be fair

  • roberto says:

    27 Jul27 July 06:32

    Is there a nice part of Birmingham?

    • Greenpen says:

      27 Jul27 July 06:40

      Nice and interesting canal history although to the best of my knowledge you never got canal miles from the various carriers. Along with diesel engines they had yet to be invented!

    • Lumma says:

      27 Jul27 July 06:53

      Lived there for 7 years. Very underrated city. The centre is very nice these days but the edges of it are a bit rough. In those years I never really needed to go to where this hotel is located, quite a hike from any of the three Birmingham stations, although the hs2 terminus will be closer, so perhaps it’s getting better up there

    • Grant says:

      27 Jul27 July 07:49

      Come on Roberto, that’s a lazy and outdated view. When was the last time you visited?

      • Steve says:

        27 Jul27 July 08:13

        +1 Grant, ridiculous and hackneyed statement.

        • roberto says:

          27 Jul27 July 08:27

          Last week….

    • JamesT says:

      27 Jul27 July 09:03

      Such a dull cliche. Have you spent much time there? Of course there is. A massively changed city centre with friendly unpretentious people. A city that doesn’t give itself mythical status like some others do. Sure some bad areas but what city doesn’t? Give me Birmingham over Manchester or Liverpool any day of the week.

      • Renwaldo says:

        27 Jul27 July 09:10

        Is this sarcasm? Liverpool – fine, but Birmingham over Manchester? Even if you just look at official stats Birmingham is grim. Highest crime per capita in the UK (in some areas). There’s a reason this hotel is empty

        • TGLoyalty says:

          27 Jul27 July 09:38

          It’s much nicer looking in the centre than Manchester, the Arndale is an ugly blight on the centre.

          I’d say Manchester edges it when it comes to hotels, restaurants and bars. But Birmingham has better cultural things to do museums art etc and close enough for a trip on the train to the transport museum in Coventry for example.

        • JamesT says:

          27 Jul27 July 09:42

          Do you go to Birmingham much? I notice your ‘some areas’ caveat. That applies anywhere.
          Just get bored with people basing their views of a destination they don’t go to on tired cliches. Birmingham is far from perfect but is a very welcoming city with a lot going for it. Some of the best and most varied culinary options in the UK too. And no, I don’t live there.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      27 Jul27 July 09:09

      The area of the centre around cathedral square, Colmore Row, Centenary square, Chamberlian Square, Victoria Square, Moseley high Street, Edgbaston, Harborne to name a few.

      If you didn’t find lots of great independent bars and restaurants then let me know I’ll suggest some places.

      Btw the hotel is on/near the Aston uni campus it’s a decent 15 min from the area of the city centre I mentioned but it’s fine for anyone that drove to the city. There’s a huge car park a few mins walk away.

      • JamesT says:

        27 Jul27 July 09:43

        Does Manchester have that elusive Michelin star yet ? !

        • BJ says:

          27 Jul27 July 10:57

          They don’t have a Michelin-starred restaurant in the whole of Greater Manchester? At least they have a great airport and the Co-op Arena to console themselves with, and they’ll soon have HSX to look forward to. They’ve also what must be the ugliest cathedral in the UK. Despire all that I always enjoy visiting Manchester and have a great time there. Admitedly I don’t know Birmingham well as I’ve only ever been twice but I don’t feel drawn there I’m sorry to say.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          27 Jul27 July 11:21

          Not yet. Birmingham is the place to go. The curries are much better too lol

          @BJ might be worth a visit in the not too distant future.

        • BJ says:

          27 Jul27 July 11:54

          @TGL and @JamesT, a possible visit is why I read the article 🙂 As with all cities, especially large ones, they have their pluses and minuses, and they have their tourist/visitor facing sides and then their other sides mostly seen by the locals. All is just what we as individuals choose to make of it. It doesn’t matter where we go my partner always insists of spending hours on local buses riding around different neighbourhoods getting a feel for the places.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          27 Jul27 July 12:34

          @BJ then I suggest you head Edgbaston/Harborne/ Moseley way and be sure to stick a thread in the forum

          But Copper Fox and Covered Wagon are two very good mixed grill pubs I’d recommend. But if you visit on a sunny day job on the train to Hampton on Arden and go to the Soho Tavern instead (food isn’t quite as good but the setting is lovely)

      • Tariq says:

        27 Jul27 July 13:42

        Reasonable street parking at off-peak times as well.

  • Tariq says:

    27 Jul27 July 13:38

    The exact area of the hotel is fine. Lots of construction over the past couple of years on extensions to the universities (Aston and BCU on the doorstep). Hotel gets a lot of trade from university visitors, particularly around graduation time.

    Would class the area as up and coming. When HS2 is finished it’ll be a much more mainstream area. Walk to the city isn’t too bad in good weather.

• Dr Tom says:

  27 Jul27 July 08:08

  The hotel is in the university and tech sector, so pleasant enough and there are always people around. Two reasonable pubs but you’d have to walk 10 minutes back into more central Birmingham for anything more interesting. Millennium Point is there too. I’d avoid going north beyond the Science Park unless you know the area as there are rougher parts.

  • JamesT says:

    27 Jul27 July 11:08

    Not sure id put ‘Manchester! and ‘great airport’ in the same sentence ….!
    But that obviously applies to Birmingham too!

• paul says:

  27 Jul27 July 09:34

  Uber to “touristy” parts for a fiver.

  • Erico1875 says:

    27 Jul27 July 09:49

    We spent this New Year in Birminham. Couldnt believe how cheap an Uber was compared to Edinburgh

    • BJ says:

      27 Jul27 July 11:27

      Yes, £30 for a 15 minute ride to the airport riles me every time, and then we canot even get dropped off at the door. Came back on the bus earlier this week and found that no longer stops at the door either. EDI redevelopment feels very third-world.

      • Peggerz says:

        27 Jul27 July 15:17

        @BJ there are 4 Lothian buses (100-400) into Edinburgh along with a new company (orange buses?), so do none of them suit going to BJ Towers? What annoys me is the dreadful official (therefore rip-off) taxi scheme at EDI, reknown for its long queues. I just get an Uber out of the official queue to meet me in the drop off/pick up point. So much quicker and cheaper. And it’s 2/3 the price.
        Also, get a £2 tram from town to the P&R and walk the 10-12 mins into the terminal. Perfect for an Edinburgh summer ☔️.

• Ken says:

  27 Jul27 July 09:37

  My test of a great city is how walkable is it.

  I don’t know about Brum as the last time I spent any amount of time there was 30 years ago.

  The people are generally great although might have lost their sense of humour over the years 🙂

• krysk_k says:

  27 Jul27 July 09:49

  For someone who hadn’t really been in the midlands for 45 years, last five years I’ve spent a lot of time in the Birmingham and surrounding areas…Walsall, Darletson, Wolverhampton. I’ve found it a difficult place to like visually. It wears its industrial heritage heavily on its sleeve, and its very urban in the wrong meaning of the word. Sweeping statement I know as there are nice places as there are everywhere (Lichfield springs to mind). The standout as a Londoner are the people who are generally friendly in a way a Londoner will never be. I really liked the folks, humour and easy approach.

  Reference the hotel. I’ve stayed here for five odd years. Must be over 150 nights now. It’s on the edge of town, amongst universities. About 15 minute walk into city. I’ve always got them to match this offer at reception. That might be because I’m a regular and have status.

  The other place I stay at is the AC. Which is in town and near China Town which I think the best part of town…great food. There’s an Everyman cinema right next to it too.

  • TimM says:

    27 Jul27 July 10:36

    “The standout as a Londoner are the people who are generally friendly in a way a Londoner will never be. I really liked the folks, humour and easy approach.”

    This is a London problem. I am a Northerner and we always talk to strangers. When travelling by train to London from Leeds or Wakefield everyone starts off talking to each other. The closer to London we get, the less people talk to each other until upon arrival they are perfect strangers again as if the journey and conversations never occurred.

    I was a student at Aston University for a while. I called it the bombed-out suburbs of Birmingham. The student accommodation was three 20-storey towers of misery. There were two good pubs, one with live music and the other with giant chip butties. There was little else to recommend the area (or the university). The area may have improved since but starting some such a low point, that would not be difficult.

    I would not go there for a holiday.

    • JamesT says:

      27 Jul27 July 11:11

      As a supporter of Birmingham. I’ll have to admit defeat on this one…Aston… yeah it’s hard to find much to argue with , and no not a lot has changed. But that’s just one (very bad) area though. You can’t judge Birmingham on Aston.
      For every Aston, there’s a a Bournville etc

• TD says:

  27 Jul27 July 11:13

  Excellent location for anything relating to Aston University – otherwise not that convenient. Which might explain the discounting.

  I grew up in Birmingham and have always loved it, but the centre at least has changed massively for the better since I was a child and there’s plenty to see and do. Try it!

• Richie says:

  27 Jul27 July 11:39

  Is it walkable to the back of Rackhams?

  • JamesT says:

    27 Jul27 July 11:59

    Yes, but in 1999.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    27 Jul27 July 13:30

    It’s ain’t a HoF discount store. Truly awful. They need to find a way to repurpose that block.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      27 Jul27 July 13:30

      * It’s now a …

      Does Apple autocorrect get progressively worse?

      • Peter K says:

        27 Jul27 July 19:16

        Go for Android. Superior in every way 😉

        • Lumma says:

          28 Jul28 July 00:09

          If you want the Android autocorrect, you can install Gboard as your keyboard on iPhone

• runnerbean says:

  27 Jul27 July 12:26

  Go for the Michelin starred Opheem’s, and the Coffin Museum just round the corner

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