Mailbox?

Advantages: Great location, beautiful rooms, good food
Disadvantages: Parking

...For the most part of summer 2005 I was based in Birmingham, and my lovely bosses picked the Malmaison hotel to be my home away from home. Of all the places I have been fortunate enough to stay in this has to be one of my favourites. Location: I was told this hotel was located in the mailbox, which instantly confused my dopey head. A hotel in a mailbox? Only the mailbox is a designer shopping mall home of Hugo Boss, Bang & Olufsen, Armani and DKNY to name a few. (You always know a highbrow shop when they don't put the prices in the window.) This sets the tone for this hotel. As soon as you walk through the door to this place and enter to dark wood and leather sofas this place screams class. Apparently the name the mailbox comes from its origins as a Royal Mail sorting office in the 60's. It is about a 10 minute walk to all the main...

beckle_82 19.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of Malmaison, 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

...There's a theory that says every opinion on a site like Ciao is valuable and so we should post as much as we like on whatever topic takes our fancies. However, Ciao don't actually reward an opinion once there are already a bunch on a given topic. So this won't earn me a penny - even with the special bonus. Double nothing is ...... er.... nothing. But since there hasn't been a review of Birmingham International Airport for several years, much of the information on Ciao is outdated and well overdue for an update. So pennies or no pennies, here are my thoughts on BHX. When I was a kid, I loved going to airports - any airport, it didn't matter - it was all just so exciting. Strange exotic people, big shiny shops and lots of static electric shocks from the nylon carpets - there was nothing quite like it. But as I grew up the whole...

koshkha 11.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham (BHX)

Mix-up at the Mailbox

Advantages: Great location, trendy and sumptuous
Disadvantages: Parking costs a bomb

...My company exhibits at the NEC once a year. This year I persuaded them to splash out on accommodation at the Malmaison - a boutique hotel in the Mailbox. Situation The hotel is in a development of trendy bars, restaurants and shops. If you like designer gear a trip to Harvey Nicks is a must. At the back of the development is a lovely canalside pedestrian area full of a wide choice of bars and restaurants. If you like clubbing the Mailbox is handy for Broad Street and there are more restaurants at Brindley Place another couple of minutes away. Parking is on site, but be warned it is expensive - I paid £17 for the night. Otherwise you can walk or get a cab from a train station (about 6 minutes walk from New Street or 15 minutes from Moor Street and Snow Hill). Checking in The reception area was very swish and the girl very...

A1ValuedOpinion 03.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Malmaison, Birmingham

Top of the shops.............

Advantages: see above
Disadvantages: see above

...Advantages: Loads of stuff available, good prices Disadvantages: can get busy at christmas time so much so people abandon their shopping I am a huge Asda fan, it's where I do most of my shopping and I know where everything is which makes it easier when dragging 3 kiddies along with you! In my local Asda we have a photo centre, cafe, George, electricals, homewear, toys, bakery, pizzaria, rottisary (chicken place lol), fresh meats counter and all the usual foody aisles plus we have a petrol station, cash machines and bus stop. It's the largest shopping store we have although we do have a Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Co-Op, Farm Foods and Iceland. I have never had a bad experience with Asda and the stock is usually replenished quite quickly! They have such a huge range that I know I can do my weekly shop and more there. Everything...

jadiep890 26.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Asda (Shop)

Etap Birmingham Centre, Birmingham

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

...you at the end of your saty (unless you break something!) There is a wash basin in all rooms, and a separate toilet, but the shower is actaully in the main bedroom (there isnt a bathroom). Yes, i know this is strange! All you have protecting your modesty from your room-mates is a perspex cubicle! So when you step out of the shower please remember that you're walking straight back into the room! Better yet, take a towel in the shower with you! Or if you're only staying for one night, have a wash instead! There is free car parking at the rear of the hotel, but you'll have to make sure you arrive early or you may be forced to find a parking space out on the street. As well as this, there is no bar or catering facilities at this hotel, but this isn't too bad as you are only a short 15 walk from all of Birmingham's shops (know as the Bullring...

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

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

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

DAYS INN - BIRMINGHAM WEST - £54.25 DOUBLE ENSUITE

Advantages: Cheap and cheerful, clean and tidy
Disadvantages: very basic, no frills, but at that price who wants them?

...We live in Devon and had tickets for a Runrig concert in Birmingham Symphony Hall. We live out in the country so going out into the big wide world can be quite scary you know what with all the guncrime and murder in the big cities!!! We were a bit wary of staying in the centre of Birmingham mainly due to cost, so we looked for somewhere on the edge and found Days Inn in West Bromwich, Birmingham. It is just off junction 1 of the M5 which was great and easy to find. We then took a taxi into Birmingham later on. This cost £12 each way, but thats another story! The hotel had underground parking which made us feel that the car was secure (no need to take the wheels in with us)!. The hotel is based on several floors of a large 10 storey building, with reception on the ground floor. Our swipe card would not open the room door...

kismet 11.02.2005 · Read review
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Review of The Birmingham Hotel, Birmingham

Delicious Italian Cuisine

Advantages: Friendly staff, delicious food
Disadvantages: Little too costly, very busy

...If you enjoy Italian dishes than you will love Strada. Situated on the main food level in the Birmingham Mailbox, this restaurant is a lovely experience. The decor and atmosphere is pleasing, the staff are very friendly and this all adds to the experience. The menu has a good selection, the prices can be considered a little expensive but believe me the quality of the food is fantastic. We started our meal with some wafer thin bread covered in coriander, i could have eaten this all night long, it was delicious. Our main courses were presented well and were full of flavour, our desserts were to die for. Be warned this restaurant is very busy in the evenings so you will need to book, i've seen queues of people waiting to get in. If your looking to treat someone special in your life, take them here and than after you can...

helena39 06.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Strada, 109 - 111 Wharfside St, The Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1XL, Birmingham