If you are looking for a family friendly hotel when visiting Birmingham, then it’s well worth taking a look at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. It’s not only really family friendly, its within easy reach of the NEC Birmingham, Resorts World and other child-friendly attractions such as the Bear Grylls Adventure – better still the city centre of Birmingham was just a 12 minute train ride away.
With stylish interiors, great facilities and an extremely convenient location, this Birmingham hotel is the perfect location for an alternative city break for families. Want to know more? Read our honest review…
It’s been several years since our last stay here and we were keen to see the changes since its modernisation. The exterior of this 1970’s hotel now belies its stylish interior and as soon as we stepped inside the modern lobby area we were really impressed, it was a huge improvement over the previous space which was in desperate need of a makeover.
What does capture your attention as you enter the hotel is the striking metal artwork that is dotted around the lobby to illustrate the city’s history of metal manufacturing. . If you are looking for a small and intimate hotel then the Hilton Birmingham Metropole is probably not the place for you, this is predominantly a busy conference hotel but it caters for families brilliantly.
We arrived in Birmingham just after lunch and checked in much earlier than the official 3pm check-in time and luckily one of our rooms was available so we left our luggage and went to explore the hotel and its facilities.
As Hilton Honors members we used the dedicated check-in for Diamond/Gold guests and had a warm welcome to the hotel who acknowledged our Gold status and check-in was super efficient
Family rooms at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole
This is a huge hotel, the biggest outside of London with over 700 rooms spread across 5 floors. We booked two interconnecting rooms – a king deluxe and a twin deluxe for the girls; who as a tween and teen now love having their own space when we stay away at hotels.
I’ll admit, before our stay, I was a tad nervous about what the rooms would be like, we stayed prior to the hotel refurbishment and the rooms were really needing some updating. As soon as we opened the doors to our rooms on the 5th floor I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised.
Our rooms were spacious and had a contemporary vibe with soft metallic gold fabric headboards and brushed bronze artwork together with stylish artwork on the walls reflecting the rich heritage of Birmingham. The only disappointment was that the bathrooms didn’t receive the same stylish makeover as the bedrooms and the windows needed an upgrade for better soundproofing.
The best thing about our rooms were the Hilton serenity beds, they are so comfortable and ensured that we all had a great nights sleep after action packed days in Birmingham.
As for amenities, apart from a fridge our rooms had all of the amenities you’d expect from a Hilton hotel such as a air conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities, iron and ironing board and in-room safe. As you would expect in a refurbished room, there were plenty of plugs and USB charging sockets along with a spacious desk and a large wall mounted smart TV.
Whilst we had booked a twin room, the girls room was made up as a king but for a short break we didn’t want to go through the hassle of moving rooms and the girls were more than impressed with their home for the weekend; they were more concerned in making sure they were ready for their first ever music concert at the nearby Resorts World Arena.
Executive Lounge
One of our favourite areas of the hotel was its family friendly executive lounge, serving complimentary refreshments up until 10pm to guests staying in an executive room or with status with Hilton Honors.
We have been lucky to experience many Hilton executive lounges across the world and this was one of the most tastefully decorated Hilton lounges that we have visited. Decorated in vibrant colours, the lounge featured a subtle gold tone throughout, paying homage to the city’s rich history and production of quality goods, it’s a really impressive space to relax.
If you had visited the hotel prior to its refurbishment 18 months ago then you might recall that the executive lounge was located on the 5th floor, but this new lounge on the ground floor was really impressive. There were lots of stylish seating areas to relax in and I loved the interior design and décor used, but what also stood out were its staff who were so friendly with impeccable service, even when the lounge was busy on a Saturday evening.
We could use the lounge for all day refreshments and in the evening between 5.30pm and 7.30pm a selection of canapes and drinks were available, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. This was a great place to start our evening with pre-dinner drinks.
The girls really loved it here as did my husband and after busy days exploring the sights of Birmingham, the lounge was a lovely family friendly area to call back, unwind and relax.
Service and Facilities
There were lots of other stylish communal spaces to relax in and I loved the décor here with vintage style sofas, chandeliers and ornate panels that sit alongside industrial influences which are located through the hotel. The only disappointment with the décor was that there was no Christmas decorations up when we visited at the end of November, so hopefully the hotel is looking really festive now.
Along with “Does this hotel have a swimming pool?” the next question we are typically asked when we settle into our room by the kids is “What is the wifi password?”.
Thankfully the hotel ticked both boxes with an enormous indoor pool and free wifi throughout the hotel. This offered all the entertainment options a tween and teen would need to keep them happy during their stay – the only disappointment was that the hotel charges for access to the pool, I’m not sure if this is a new thing with Hilton but I really think this should be inclusive in your room rate.
The hotel also boasts state-of-the-art gym with treadmills, bikes and cross-trainers but with over 20,000 steps clocked up each day exploring Birmingham we had already completed our workouts.
Location
If you don’t want – or need – to stay in central Birmingham, this part of Birmingham is well worth considering. The hotel is a 5-10 minute walk from Birmingham International Station, which takes you into central Birmingham within 10 minutes.
This part has so much to offer families, you have NEC and Resorts World Arena along with a shopping outlet, restaurants, cinema, bowling and gaming all within the Resorts World complex which was within walking distance as was the excellent Bear Grylls Adventure.
During our stay we also visited the Birmingham for Christmas shopping and its iconic Frankfurt Christmas markets, ice skated and the kids loved visiting the brand new F1 arcade which has just opened in Birmingham – so you won’t exactly run out of things to do here. If you are flying from Birmingham, this hotel is also a great option as the airport is literally within a 10 minute monorail journey away at the rail terminal in the NEC.
We arrived by car, and the hotel is located just off the M42 motorway with lots of on-site car parking available, although there is a £14 daily charge for this which I thought should be included in your stay as a hotel guest.
Food and Drink
Because of the hotel’s great location, there was a choice of restaurants (everything from Miller and Carter and Zizzi to Nandos and Las Iguanas) on your doorstep at Resorts World – we dined at Zizzi on our first night before the concert.
However, before our trip I heard great things about the dining at the hotel and it didn’t disappoint – breakfast, lunch and dinner here was excellent.
There are three restaurants in the hotel, all brand new additions to the hotel since its renovation; the Arbor restaurant which consists of informal buffet dining at breakfast, the super stylish Brightsmith On The Water bar and restaurant with stunning views of Pendigo lake or the Gild Bar which serves bar meals and lighter dishes. There was also the Gild to Go quick service serving drinks and snacks located off the lobby area.
After a busy day in Birmingham we didn’t want to venture out again and chose to make it easy dining at the hotel’s signature bar and restaurant Brightsmith On The Water for our evening meal after it was recommended to us. I would highly recommend making a reservation in advance especially at weekends as it’s a really popular option for both hotel guests and locals.
Subtle references to the restaurant’s name based on Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter can be found throughout the interior which was bold and bright and full of teals and metallic colours and with floor to ceiling glass windows over looking the lake, its absolutely gorgeous inside.
We had a late lunch at the new F1 arcade in Birmingham – if you are a F1 fan this is such a cool place to visit, so we skipped starters and went for just a main course.
I chose the Flat Iron Steak with triple cooked chips and Chloe and Holly couldn’t resist the beer-battered cod with green pea purée and tartare sauce, served with thick cut triple cooked rosemary chips whilst my husband opted for the Chicken Masala. This was served with house chips, cumin basmati rice, garlic naan bread, raita, mango chutney and poppadums – all of the mains were as good as they looked.
One thing we always look forward to when staying at a Hilton are their breakfast buffets, and the Hilton Birmingham Metropole didn’t disappoint.
Before heading out each day we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the hotels Arbor restaurant, where an impressive spread of breakfast options were available from cereals, fresh fruit and freshly baked pastries to full English. A chef is on hand to prepare omelettes or any egg dish to order much to the delight of Holly.
What I also liked was the fact the breakfast catered to all dietary needs, including gluten-free and vegan options. Breakfast time can get a little busy – so the earlier you can arrive, the better or if you are in an executive room, breakfast is also available in the calmer surroundings of the executive lounge.
After an activity filled morning at Bear Grylls adventure we dined at the Gild bar for a light lunch before checking out. There was a good range of lunch options available , the girls enjoyed their fish and chips and our club sandwiches were delicious.
Overall
Would we recommend a stay at this hotel? Yes without a doubt, the Hilton Birmingham Metropole is highly recommended. Whether you want to enjoy a brief getaway visiting Resorts World and NEC or a longer, more meaningful trip to Birmingham the Hilton Birmingham Metropole is a great place to visit for families.
Ready to book?
Prices at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole start from a very reasonable £149 per room for a family room with breakfast.