Ideal for NEC Halls

Advantages: Great location for NEC, Large beds
Disadvantages: Restaurant small and very busy

...I used this hotel when visiting the Caravan and Boat Show in the NEC Halls and also the next day a different hall for the France exhibition. It is conveninetly located as you drive past all the halls to get to it. It would be an approx 15 minute walk from the hotel to the main halls and apparently there is a shorter route that can be taken but when I was there this was blocked up or a 2 minute trip in the car. The hotel has been extended in the last year and is very popular so it's advised to book in advance. This hotel frequently has offers on the room rates, so it's worth keeping an eye out for. The staff are very polite and friendly as soon as you walk in, checking in was very quick and efficient. The room was very spacious and very clean and I loved the huge bed, which was surprisingly comfortable if a little firm. The en...

Sassy21 24.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Premier Travel Inn Birmingham - NEC/Airport, Birmingham

Botanical Birmingham

Advantages: Plenty to see, a relaxing escape from the city.
Disadvantages: Expensive for a one-off visit. Disappointing restaurant.

...Every city need its green spaces. The architecture may be spectacular and the shops fantastic, but finding a place to escape the traffic and bustle is a necessity for most city dwellers. Picture Birmingham and what do you see? The Bullring, New Street Station and Spaghetti Junction would be the first things that come to my mind. Although I've never lived in Birmingham itself, I worked there for several years. During that time I went to the Botanical Gardens regularly, but for the purposes of this review I will focus on my most recent visit which was August 2008. A Brief History Celebrity gardeners are not a new phenomenon. In the nineteenth century J.C Loudon was an influential writer on gardening and became part of London's high society. He designed the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in 1830 to provide a place where keen...

JoannaPiano 31.10.2008 (02.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham International Airport - 2008

Advantages: Big enough to get the destinations, small enough to care
Disadvantages: Complex road system to get there

...life I suppose. Other than that, I'm very happy with Birmingham. If it's in an area that's good for you, why not have a look at the airport website - www.bhx.com - where you can find out more about the airlines that use the airport as well as information about trains from the nearby Birmingham International Station. Unfortunately I can't tell you anything about that as I've never been. One final point to make would be to point out that Birmingham airport is only a few minutes walk from the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) which is an important venue for concerts, sports events and trade show....

koshkha 11.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham (BHX)

Jamiroquai at Birmingham NEC

Advantages: Fantastic seats in a great venue
Disadvantages: Being heavily pregnant!

...'s and decided to form his own band! Thank heavens for that. It was their big loss. I got tickets for their first UK performance at the NEC in Birmingham for 7 September 2005. I was 8 months pregnant but felt very energetic and able to withstand dancing in my seat all evening. I had lots of looks and comments - "wow, you're brave" or "don't drop now". As at the last concert I went to, while we were waiting for the support act to come on, a really good mix tape was played, so good that I would have purchased it, had it been on offer. We walked around the arena, buying food that was outrageously expensive, as was the tour merchandise. I didn't buy anything this time, as you can buy it all online from the Jam shop at a later date. It's a fact of life that these items are overpriced, and at concerts you can get caught up in the moment and buy things...

lollyparker 07.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Jamiroquai

A bridge too far in Birmingham

Advantages: Now unique in the UK - the only representative of the Hyatt
Disadvantages: Very average compared against the standards of this chain

...at the NEC Arena. Although it was after 11pm, the bar was still busy and all the easy chairs were taken. We perched on stools at the counter. At that time they were serving ?residents only? on a room tariff. THE ENVIRONS There is certainly a lot to see and do immediately around the hotel. Just across Broad Street is the Symphony Hall (home of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) to which it communicates by bridge from the sixth floor of the hotel. In the same block is the Repertory Theatre, The Birmingham International Conference Centre, the National Sea Life Centre and a number of galleries. Weaving through these buildings is the Birmingham Canal system including one of the docking areas for canal and narrow boats ? Gas Street Basin. There is a very pleasant canal walk that passes along the toe path. The area is rich in coffee shops...

Newfloridian 14.09.2003 · Read review
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Review of Hyatt Regency, Birmingham

Crowne Plaza (NEC)

Advantages: Friendly staff, Excellent facilities
Disadvantages: none

...There are two hotels called the Crowne Plaza in Birmingham. As I found out at my peril... Ill explain later. The first one is the Crown Plaza in the City Centre which is the one mentioned in the other review. The one I stayed in is the one situated next to Birmingham NEC and is the one I have stayed in quite a few times. I have to say I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel. The most recent stay was when I booked us in before going to Prague. I had mistakenly booked the City Centre Hotel by mistake. I wanted the one by the NEC because of the Free transfers to the airport. On arrival the staff were very helpful in sorting out cancelling the reservation at the other hotel and getting us a room at their hotel. We even had a free upgrade and I dont know why! The staff are very pleasant and helpful providing good local...

millie45 28.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Crowne Plaza (Birmingham)

Etap Birmingham Centre, Birmingham

Advantages: cheap, clean, friendly staff
Disadvantages: quite a walk from town centre

...Etap Hotels are another budget hotel chain created by Accor, the creators of hotel giants Ibis. This 250 room complex is situtaed in the centre of Birmingham and all rooms cost £35, whether its a weekday or the weekend. But for this price, don't expect luxury acommodation, as luxury is probably the worst word to describe this hotel. The rooms are clean and modern and sleep up to 3 people. In most cases, this is either a double or twin beds with a single bunk on top - not very glamourous but good for the money. You do get a television (complete with an array of English and European channels), but I can't guarantee that you'll get coffee and tea making facilities, as some rooms seem to be missing these. There is also no hairdryer or anything like that, but you can get one if pay a £10 deposit at reception - you will get this returned to...

jdeacon_162 11.11.2006 (12.11.2006) · Read review
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Review of Etap Birmingham Centre, Birmingham

The University of Birmingham

Advantages: Great teaching, facilities, opportunites and social life
Disadvantages: i am only here for 3 years, wish it could be more.

...I am a student at the University of Birmingham in my first year of the popular course; Sports and Exercise Sciences. Although it is a difficult university to get in to, there are hundreds of different courses to choose from if you are not accepted on your favoured course. Also, they are quite lenient with grades as I did not achieve the expected marks but still got in... shhh! So what made Birmingham my number one choice? As soon as I arrived at the open day and got a walk around the campus I knew this was the place for me. Not only is it one of the leading universities in the UK for my course it is a beautiful place to study with its landmark clock tower, luscious all weather pitches and modern redbrick buildings. I felt right at home here and could picture myself studying here for the future. The Campus is located in Selly Oak...

Greenyman 19.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham University

Nec = Never Even Consider it!

Advantages: Video camera and calling capability, good compared to other phones available
Disadvantages: Very big and bulky, a pain to use, generally not very good

...~Introduction~ I have had the Nec e606 for about three months now. I previously had the Motorola a835, which decided to break so I needed to replace it. The problem is that I have a contract with 3 Mobile; I think you will all sigh at that, and that means that I can only put my sim card in a 3 Mobile telephone. As if that?s not bad enough, it has to be a contract and not a pre pay phone. This is probably about the most bearable phone available on the 3 network, so I decided to purchase one on the cheap from eBay. The phone itself was released when 3 mobile first came into being. It was, I suppose their flagship phone and also the phone by which all of its predecessors have been judged and marked against. It is still very up-to-date and technologically capable of remaining on an even footing with the new phones that companies...

thespurs 25.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of NEC E606

NEC = Not Exactly Clever

Advantages: Ipod-cool looks, bright screen, large buttons, long battery life
Disadvantages: No features, weak camera, poor menu selection and options

...you're an up-and-coming banker wanting to look the biz in the trendy London wine bar, buy Motorola; if you're an international company representative looking for something full of business applications, go with the Sony Ericsson. You won't be disappointed. But you will be disappointed if you stray from these three giants, and that's the trouble with the NEC 343i. When my contract with Three came up for renewal I wanted to move towards Pay As You Go (simply because I just don't use the phone in that way any more) and I wanted to move away from the slightly chunky, uber-complicated Motorola E1000 that I was using. Looking around on the market for something suitable to my needs, I eventually came across the NEC 343i. God it's good looking, in a way that reminds you of the super-successful Apple iPod. It looks simply stunning when you...

markd_uk 07.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of NEC 343i