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Cheaper
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About
3.5
#61 of 121 hotels in Birmingham
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Holiday Inn Express® Birmingham NEC is conveniently located near Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). Take a short taxi ride to Birmingham International train station to catch direct trains to Birmingham New Street or London. The hotel has on-site parking and the M42 and M6 motorways are nearby.
Stroll to business events, exhibitions, and shows at the nearby NEC, or head to the Vox Conference Centre for meetings. Choose an activity at Bear Grylls Adventure, pick up bargains at the outlets or watch your favourite acts perform at bp pulse LIVE, formerly known as Resorts World Arena. Visit the National Motorcycle Museum, home to the world's largest collection of British motorcycles, just five minutes from the hotel or head to Bullring & Grand Central for shopping.
Cheer on Aston Villa FC at Villa Park, 11 miles away, or take the kids to Cadbury World for a behind-the-scenes tour of the infamous chocolate brand.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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The Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Nec, an IHG Hotel, is frequently lauded for its clean, comfortable atmosphere and the friendly service provided by its staff. Guests appreciate the complimentary breakfast and functional amenities, although there's a sentiment that dining options are limited and parking comes at an additional cost.
While the overall cleanliness receives positive remarks, opinions on the rooms vary; they are often described as tidy and cozy, but some guests feel they could benefit from modernization. The value for money is a point of contention, particularly due to parking fees and varying room quality.
Atmosphere
Uninspiring
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Booked to attend a show at NEC it was as expected for a holiday inn, pub next door is more reasonable for eating but its best to book a table in advance.
A friend of ours bought a SMALL bottle of 7up from the takeaway in the hotel reception it cost her £2.95! Heating in the room was a bit difficult to work out I turned the temperature up when I was going for a shower and it ended up blowing cold air!
Its not feasible to walk to NEC as it would involve walking beside a dual carriageway and if you bought items at the show its about a 20min walk to carry your purchase back. Though the car journey is very easy from the hotel.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from RhysMBrown, Marketing Executive at Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Nec, an IHG hotel
Responded Apr 3, 2020
Dear Guest, Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback, we appreciate hearing from all of our guests. It's great to read that you found our hotel clean & got a chance to try out the local bar next door. Sorry to hear that you had difficulty controlling the temperature, our team are available in reception round the clock if you ever need any assistance. Hope to see you again soon Rhys B
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Stayed for two nights while visiting crufts dog show. Hotel is ideal for visiting the NEC or airport as it is a short (free) shuttle bus ride, every 30 mins, from the hotel to just outside the station. The only thing that let this particular service down, was the driver (bald), who on both occasions he was driving was unhelpful, leaving guests to open door for themselves, and when the bus was full and a passenger could not be accommodated, as it meant he would have had to stand, the driver just said he had to get off. No offer to return immediately, no apology, just brusque. In contrast the other driver who was on in the mornings was lovely, polite, helpful, friendly. What a difference this made. The hotel itself has spruced up their social areas, and has a relaxed, informal, vibe. The hotel obviously has a lot of guests staying who are visiting crufts so had an area for dogs inside and outside the hotel. It was managed really well, as the dogs in no way were intrusive to any guests who may not have been dog friendly. There are some more formal touches such as the restaurant, without being in any way stuffy, for those guests who enjoy this. Staff were all very pleasant and friendly. Room was comfortable and beds and pillows of good quality. The bathroom was clean albeit a bit tired, with the shower needing upgraded, but there are lovely touches such as the offer of free toiletries if you have forgotten something. Breakfast was buffet style. Service again efficient and very friendly. Quality of produce very good, and selection also very good. We will definitely return to this hotel if we are attending an event at NEC, or flying from the airport. Would have given an excellent rating if it had not been for the slight tiredness of the bathroom and the lack of courtesy of the shuttle bus driver.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We were visiting a weekend event at the NEC and stayed here and, for the price we'd paid we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is lovely, modern and clean and I really liked the communal areas.
The rooms were comfortable and had everything we needed for our stay. Our breakfast was included and was really nice - there is veggie option which you can ask for.
The NEC is about a 15/20 minute walk away so very handy. The only thing that wasn't ideal is the cost of parking which is in addition to the hotel cost but I guess for such a location it's to be expected.
I'd happily stay here next time I'm visiting the NEC.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked this hotel last minute as the original one we'd booked was not fit for purpose. We have stayed here many times, usually when visiting the NEC and although it was farther away from where we needed to be, it was worth it. We have always had a good stay, the air con works well, decent shower and a lovely breakfast. Staff were polite and helpful as usual.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Nec, an IHG hotel
Responded Jun 26, 2023
Im376, thanks for your review of our hotel. We're glad to see your trip was worthy of 5-stars. We hope to welcome you back and All the best, Daniel - Hotel Operations Manager.
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I am a well- travelled individual who has stayed in a plethora of hotels from: basic B & B's too the 7 star hotel in Dubai. The holiday inn express (NEC) is by far the worse stay I have ever had. Firstly, upon arrival I was greeted with rude and unfriendly staff which made me question whether they are even qualified to be in hospitality. As soon as we entered I felt a COLD aura which made me feel extremely unwelcome with my three children and wife.
The cot which they provided contained a simple plank of wood masqueraded as a mattress but in actual fact was a blanket wrapped in wood. Which definitely doesn't cover health and safety and I would never dream of placing my child in that contraption!
Additionally, the food was overpriced and the breakfast was appalling the only good thing was the hot drinks machine. The rooms were untidy with outdated decor.
Whilst my family and I were relaxing in the lounge area, we could hear the staff shouting abuse down the phone to what sounded like unsatisfied customers. I feel sorry for the customers on the other end of the phone who had to endeavour these unprofessional, abusive and bad- mannered staff members. These staff have no etiquette, the customer service and customer satisfaction is the worst I have ever experienced.
I highly recommend anyone who is looking to stay in the Birmingham area to AVOID this hotel at all costs. You will have a better time staying overnight in your car.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Take a sleeping bag as you may end up in your car..
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHGService, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Nec, an IHG hotel
Responded Feb 13, 2020
Hello Reviewablefun, Thank you for choosing Holiday Inn Express and for taking the time to provide feedback about your experience. We take pride in ensuring that we provide Select Service hospitality that is fresh, practical, and efficient accommodations for Simple, Smart Travelers. I would like to apologize for the state of the cleanliness and maintenance of the amenities in the room you booked and the quality of the food that was served at the restaurant. We know that we could have done better job at this especially in the service we provided in handling your concerns and during your check in.. Rest assured, Hotel management and our maintenance teams have been provided a copy of your feedback and will investigate and resolve it at the soonest possible time. This will go a long way in helping us keep up with our guests, like you, who look for brilliant basics and seamless experiences who need a simple, engaging place to rest, recharge and get a little work done. I hope you will give us a chance by staying with us again to show you that your unsatisfactory stay was an exception. Again, thank you for sharing your comments. In addition to this, we have sent you a Private Message for further details. I look forward to hearing from you. Safe travels. Hector P Case Manager IHGService
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We stayed here under forced quarantine, felt like being in prison with staff that didn’t have any semblance of hospitality ethics. We got checked into a room overlooking a dirty black roof with no view of the outside, there was so many cigarette butts and dirt, the windowsill was covered in cobwebs and the room just felt dirty. There were 3 of us with one chair so one had to eat on the bed and my son on the floor. After the room above threw their rotten fruit out their window which splattered on us and then attracted a hornet I insisted that we move. I was hoping for more space as we had a double bed and a pull out couch which didn’t allow any space to move but apparently that’s all they have. At the beginning of our stay I asked for a vacuum and was told they would give us a dustpan and brush ….. for a carpeted bedroom. It was completely ineffective, luckily we asked a lady in housekeeping and she kindly loaned us a device. Then we made the same mistake and asked the dustpan lady again as our floor is dirty and was told they were not allowed to give us any vacuum or machinery to help us tidy our room. Again the dustpan and brush was offered which I explained to be ineffective and was told again that the dustpan is the only option and she kept on repeating she needs to see who authorized the use of a vacuum. I already have an issue of washing my cutlery, brushing my teeth and cleaning our underwear in the sink but to be made to live in a room with a dirty carpet and no intention to help is the pits Our food orders were never right and apart from one or two isolated staff members we were treated as prisoners and no guest service. My advice is don’t fly into Birmingham if you need to do hotel isolation. Paid a fortune to stay here but zero guest service
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I came from Leicester to meet a colleague for a breakfast meeting and was planning to stay here for no more than 2 hours. I understand that there is a charge for parking, however an £8 charge if you want to stay for more than 20 mins makes this a very expensive breakfast if it is £8 before you even have a coffee!!! We went to The Swan in Coleshill less than 5 minutes away with free parking and an all you can eat breakfast with unlimited tea / coffee for approx. £5-£6 depending on exactly what you want.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:didn't stay so cannot comment on the actual hotel facilities
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amazed as a dog friendly hotel. Even the 5 star hotels are cutting back on cotton wool shampoo etc Here ask and they supply . I forgot my tooth brush no problem . we needed a bowl for the dogs water etc towels again no problem. Can i have a banana no problem might be 3 star but has a 5 star mentality. Highly recommend
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:130 is the room we have had 1 dble bed and a dble sofa bed
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Booked this hotel as I was attending the running show over the weekend. First impressions was that it was a nice hotel, the reception looked fancy and the room looked nice. The aircon kept coming on and the heating controls were locked. I spoke to the girl behind the desk. Her name began with an M and she had a forearm tattoo, she explained they had an issue in that room already and that's why there was a portable heater plugged in. She tried everything she could to make up for this which I'll be honest was the only plus for this hotel was her excellent service. There were loud noisy drunk occupants of other rooms which isnt the hotels fault but shows that the walls are paper thin. The bed was not comfy at all. Bathroom felt cramped. I enquired about the dinner at about 4 and was told the restaurant opened at 6 which was fine but when asking about food they said no "chefs" were there until 6...so is the food simply microwaved?? And these chefs turned out to be what looked like someone dragged from the job centre. So I didnt have anything but we did have desserts after eating out avoid the ice cream....I though it was a mini serving of cream for my partners pudding...tiny!!
Next morning breakfast was a bit of a dud not much of a selection and tasted quite bland.
Overall the hotel was quite poor and I wont be going back in a hurry.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHGService, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Nec, an IHG hotel
Responded Feb 12, 2020
Hello FrankInCA, Thank you for choosing Holiday Inn Express and for taking the time to provide feedback about your experience. I would like to start by apologizing to you for the inconvenience you encountered during your stay. We appreciate that you brought this to our attention. We take feedback seriously, thus, we have shared with General Manager and our maintenance and restaurant staff about the concerns you raised, particularly with the air conditioning unit in your room, and the quality of the food at the restaurant. We know that we can do a better job at this. It is our commitment to provide transparent, efficient and friction less experiences for guests and making the necessary changes would help us provide a better experience in the future. On the other hand, we appreciate your commendation of the our staff that helped with your concerns, rest assured that we will provide her your feedback. This will go a long way in helping us keep up with our guests, like you, who look for brilliant basics and seamless experiences who need a simple, engaging place to rest, recharge and get a little work done. I hope you will give us a chance by staying with us again to show you that your unsatisfactory stay was an exception. We look forward to hosting your stay in the future. Hector P Case Manager IHGService
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You start your experience at this hotel by standing alone at reception without any acknowledgement that you are there.
Stand waiting with nobody in front of you. The receptionist will decide when it’s time to ask you what you want.
When the receptionist is ready, a young girl with blonde hair and tattooed arms decides to check you in with the manners of a donkey.
You feel about as welcome as if you’d trodden on something. It almost pained her to then say a special welcome to me as Diamond Elite.
I asked about parking and was told to download an app. I did so, but it wouldn’t work because it kept showing up as Premier Inn not Holiday Inn…
I bet a few people have been caught out with that trick. Parking is nothing to do with them as I was told. I found it easier to go to the machine outside the hotel £12.
When I went to my room the key magically didn’t work and then back to reception which by this point was unmanned. The receptionist must have been taking another break.
The rooms are clean at least but you get a special wake up call, even if you’ve asked for a late check out, you’ll get at 8am housekeeping opening your room door without knocking and enter for free.
It’s strange that they have no system or seeing when a guest has checked out. Unlike any other hotel I’ve stayed in!
Again then at 10:57 another knock at the door despite the do not disturb sign and then eventually at 12 noon Louie came to the door to tell me that I have to vacate the room an hour ago as check out time is 11am.
I was furious. Imagine that I had agreed a late check out when I checked in (hopeless staff member number 1) then I’d also told housekeeping.
I packed my things quickly and went down to be greeted by the auspicious Victoria who had no idea of customer service or hospitality. Everything was someone else’s fault. Not hers!! So, nobody informed them of my agreed check out time and then everything else was the fault of housekeeping. No apology, no interest to put right the inconvenience or awful stay that I’ve had.
In fact at this point, when I was really angry since not an apology passed their lips the brain box Louie decided to tell me that “they don’t deserve this” and “as a diamond elite I should know better”. Really?
Maybe they should know better, maybe they should know and learn some basic hospitality. I took the email address of the manager and left, but I imagine if this is the rot that’s set in on the reception desk the manager will be complicit.
Try it at your peril… the least hospitable place I’ve ever come across. Horrendous.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Newbridge, United Kingdom15 contributions52 helpful votes
I have a spinal problems and I found the beds very comfortable if you need extra pillows just ask at reception you can also get extra tea coffee milk and sugar from a table in reception have a nice stay
There are more places to choose from in the Birmingham area.
PRICE RANGE
₱4,058 - ₱9,130 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
holiday inn express birmingham nec hotel birmingham, birmingham holiday inn
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandWest MidlandsBirmingham
NUMBER OF ROOMS
179
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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