Hyatt Regency, Birmingham

...THERE

The Hyatt Regency Hotel is situated off Broad Street, one of the main A-roads in and out of Birmingham City centre. Broad Street has become a haven for bars and restaurants, with a delightful canal side complex and lots and lots of bustling clubs and pubs. As such, it has also become something of a focal point for the hotel trade and there is a real glut of hotels within a 1-mile radius. The Hyatt Regency is perhaps the most ...
...the VIP floor) so the Hyatt is therefore definitely aiming for the luxury end of the market.

If you are arriving by car, the hotel is relatively easy to find. Birmingham City centre is easily accessible from a number of motorways, although I would recommend inspecting the route on a street map, as the one-way system can be a bit awkward. The main entrance to the hotel is just off Broad Street, on a side street, which also houses the ... more

Those of you who attended the Ciao meeting in Birmingham have subsequently pointed out that the Britannia was a bit of a dump. Well, if you ever decide to hold another get together in that fair city, then you might want to save up for a few months and invest in a room at this place.

LOCATION AND GETTING THERE

The Hyatt Regency Hotel is situated off Broad Street, one of the main A-roads in and out of Birmingham City centre. Broad Street has become a haven for bars and restaurants, with a delightful canal side complex and lots and lots of bustling clubs and pubs. As such, it has also become something of a focal point for the hotel trade and there is a real glut of hotels within a 1-mile radius. The Hyatt Regency is perhaps the most distinctive of these hotels, occupying a prime site opposite the concert hall and towering above the roads with its floors of gleaming, skyscraper accommodation. When the celebrities are performing in the city, they tend to stay here – I know that both Kylie and Madonna have occupied suites in the hotel (albeit on the VIP floor) so the Hyatt is therefore definitely aiming for the luxury end of the market.

If you are arriving by car, the hotel is relatively easy to find. Birmingham City centre is easily accessible from a number of motorways, although I would recommend inspecting the route on a street map, as the one-way system can be a bit awkward. The main entrance to the hotel is just off Broad Street, on a side street, which also houses the central Travel Inn Metro. An NCP car park just around the corner provides discounted car parking, the cost of which (£8 overnight) is debited to your room account. If you are arriving in Birmingham by train, a taxi ride from New Street station will cost you about £4, or you can opt instead for a fifteen-minute walk. Alternatively, jump on board one of the many buses that go up Broad Street.

As with any hotels on Broad Street, this is a great location for sampling some nightlife. The museum and concert hall are a mere stone’s throw away, with the shopping centre pretty close by too. This is a good base for just about any reason for visiting the city.

ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION

Given the scale and target market for this hotel, the reception area is very much as you might expect. There are plenty of porters outside to help with your luggage, as well as a concierge who will give advice and directions. Through the rotating glass doors at the front, you come immediately into a plush, bright atrium with a huge glass roof and ample number of comfortable tables and chairs. The main reception desk is actually tucked away slightly to the right of the atrium, and is far less impressive than the main entrance area.

Prompt, courteous individuals staff the reception desk, although those who helped me certainly weren’t the brightest buttons in the basket. When I noticed the business suite at the front of the hotel, I enquired as to the cost of the facilities, and was subsequently advised that the facilities were free for residents. I then enquired if I had to book the computer if I wanted to go online, and was told no, but that there was a £5 minimum charge, plus call charges. Trying to confirm that it was therefore just the room that was free, I was told that there was a £50 charge for booking the room. So what started out as being free, clearly wasn’t. Oh well.

One thing is for sure and that is that the hotel had made full use of its panoramic construct. The lifts have a side window, which enable you to look down on the street as you gradually climb up the hotel. Not a feature for anyone who isn’t too keen on heights though!

THE ROOMS

The Hyatt Regency has 319 rooms in total, with a range of different rooms, according to your budget, although none of them are particularly modest. I’m not sure which type of room mine was, but it occupied a superb location on the seventeenth floor, with panoramic views across the city centre from the ceiling to floor windows. My room had a slightly musty smell to it, but the standards of cleanliness were excellent. The room was nice and big, and felt much larger thanks to the enormous windows. There was a king-sized bed, as well as a table and chairs, wardrobe and desk. The desk was well positioned in front of the window, so that I could look out over the city whilst I was beavering away on my laptop. A rather large cabinet contained a good-sized television set, which could be moved around to a position that suited you. The television came complete with satellite channels (free), as well as a PlayStation facility (not free) and Internet access (not free either). There were three telephones – desk, bedside and bathroom – as well as a separate modem point for the computer. There was a very small minibar, which sat underneath the television and contained a simple range of soft drinks and alcoholic miniatures.

The bathroom was fairly unimpressive, although well laid out, with enough room to actually move – unusual for most hotels. Complimentary toiletries were provided, as well as bath robes and copious amounts of big, fluffy towels. The shower was another nipple-blaster – quite ridiculously so, in fact and I think they need to look at their water pressure. The power of the water coming out was such that the shower curtain simply offered no protection against the spray, and when I had finished, I pulled back the shower curtain and found a large puddle of water on the floor, by the door. When I arrived in the room, I noticed that the carpet just outside the bathroom door was damp and I think this is what caused the strange musty smell. Fortunately, I had plenty of spare towels with which to soak up the water.

One thing that I did find rather unsettling about the hotel was that there were continual room servicings during the day. I checked in at around 4.30 and then went downstairs to the bar. When I nipped back upstairs about an hour later, my room and bathroom had been tidied up, the litter removed and fresh towels left. Whilst this initially seemed nice, it did make me nervous about leaving valuables in the room.

FACILITIES AND SERVICE STANDARDS

The main restaurant in the hotel is called The Court Café, which is a rather pretentious outfit selling an a la carte menu of world food. The restaurant is relatively formal, and whilst they don’t operate a strict dress code, there is a very smart feel to the place. My Levi Engineered Jeans would not have gone down well at all, so we went elsewhere…

The hotel has a pool and spa bath, as well as a business centre and meeting rooms. I was unable to obtain rates for the meeting rooms, but I suspect that a small mortgage would just about cover a room for 20 delegates. The hotel comes into its own at Christmas, with lavish decorations and a very festive feel to it. I would heartily recommend a visit during December, when the hotel feels that little bit more special.

Given the relative cost of the hotel, and the target market, I have to say that I wasn’t overly impressed with the service standards. When I arrived, a porter opened my taxi door for me, but I could have done with a bit of help with my bags and was surprised that nobody offered to help. The receptionists were OK, but I got this feeling that they reserved special treatment for their VIP and celebrity guests. There was something very lacklustre about the whole experience – not bad but not particularly good either.

VALUE FOR MONEY

I got a corporate discount on my room of £117 per night, room only. However, the standard rates are considerably higher, as follows.

(These rates are based on an average week – rates fluctuate seasonally. Midweek/Weekend)

Standard Room - £165/£129
Regency Club Room - £190/£154
Junior Suite - £255/£219
Executive Suite - £325/£289
Presidential Suite - £750/£719

Make of that what you will….

OVERALL VERDICT

I had a good experience at the Hyatt – but not fantastic. If you really want to pamper yourself, I could think of more hospitable places to stay, and this is probably somewhere that you would only come for one or two nights anyway. For basic room standards, I think the City Inn is just as good – at half the price – but the luxury room options are certainly far superior in the Hyatt. By all means, come here if you need to splash some cash – the views are great, but don’t expect star treatment.

Tel: 0121 643 1234
 

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