I don't understand some reviewers. I know everything is subjective and everyone is entitled to their opinion and each opinion is based on a multitude of different factors that affect it, but I can't believe some of the minor points that seem to massively affect some people's reviews. I mean, you wouldn't give a hotel a five star rating because your shower head was spotlessly clean would you? I seem to think that some folk go round looking for things like this. On the other hand, if I'd paid excessive amounts for a room, I guess I would be expecting excessively good service. Anyways, on to my review of this place and the reasons behind my scoring!

This hotel was very much a last minute thing. We hadn't expected to have a pre-holiday, overnight stay prior to flying to Lanzarote, it's easy enough to drive down the M1 and M42 from Yorkshire to Birmingham on the day of the flight. However, an email from Holiday Extras, telling us that we could add a hotel to our already booked airport parking for £29 piqued our interest so we looked into it. After a bit of messing about with the website address (the URL was wrong) and a couple of unhelpful phone calls to Holiday Extras (don't you hate it when people don't ring back like they say they're going to?) I eventually managed to hack through to the appropriate booking site. Me and the missus looked at the hotel website and some reviews on here, decided that for the price we couldn't really turn it down and booked it, on the understanding that it might be a bit rubbish, especially the breakfast, which had appeared to really upset a few reviewers.

How wrong could we have been? After a very pleasant drive down to Birmingham (gotta love that cruise control) we arrived less than an hour and a half after leaving home at a large, clean, modern hotel building and were met, in an equally clean and shiny reception with one of the happiest receptionists I've ever met. After a simple check-in we went to our room. Again, trepidation following some of the previous reviews on here, but it was unnecessary as we found a large, clean, comfortable and well appointed room with a sofa as well. The bed was comfy, and it would have taken the most eagle eyed critic to have spotted the mildewy marks on the shower head and tray seal. Honestly people, this is a shower area, these things do get a bit of abuse and pristine is hardly to be expected eh? I've stayed in far grander and thought it a lot grottier.

After a bit of a relax and a gaining of bearings, we ventured out, all of 50 yards to the Little Owl pub next door. We'd heard good and bad, and I'll do a separate review, but suffice to say we had a few drinks and a very nice meal in a busy and very pleasant atmosphere. Service was quick and staff were pleasant. I was disappointed not to meet the rudest waitress in the world, but I didn't let it spoil my experience.

The only minor issue we had was our sleep being disturbed by noise from the bar, however, we were in the room closest to it, and it was hardly the hotels fault that the car show at the NEC was being attended by loud and boorish buffoons, and to be honest, we were only disturbed for a short while after midnight. After this I think people dissipated and I heard nothing more until the morning.

As I said, very comfy bed, so woke very refreshed and went for breakfast. Yes it's limited, yes the dining room is like something out of Soviet Russia, but the food was good and very filling. I can't believe the complaints on here about the quality of the coffee and juice. What are people expecting, Douwe Egberts and Del Monte? Yes it was probably powdered egg, yes they were cheap sausages, but the toast was plentiful, the pastries were hot and delicious, and again, for what we paid, it was more than adequate. We were so full we didn't eat again until about 5pm on the plane!

Free neswpaper read, bit of case reorganising and a simple checkout, where same happiest receptionist in the world paid for our car parking (£7? Pah, ask at reception, they activate the card for you to exit the car park) and we were off to the airport. We both agreed it had to rank as the most relaxed start to a holiday we've ever had.

£29? Bargain!

I could hear all from other rooms (this includes the tv programme or the snorring...).
Confused relation between reception and bar, bad food (good there is a restaurante nearby). Selection of soft from hard pillows... couldn't tell the difference. Cold rooms.

A business partner and I needed a reasonably priced hotel for a visit to the NEC. The Hioliday Inn Express was well located, offering a shuttle service to and from both the NEC and the Train station. Add that to a reasonable room rate and it rendered it ideal. The hotel has an open plan lounge / bar / reception / restaurant which may not be to everyones taste. The check in was straight forward with no issues. The rooms, like all budget - mid range hotels, were fairly basic. This trip was a stop over and for what I wanted the room was more than adequate. Perhaps if I was there for a few nights over a romantic weekend then it may have been a little too basic but for the time spent awake in the room (very little) it was fine. Some mould around the shower tray betrayed the otherwise clean room.

What made this hotel note worthy were the staff. From check in to collecting our luggage the following afternoon they were all cheeful and efficient. The bar staff recommended the meals we had which turned out to be tastey. One late night barman who was busy with a large influx of people commented on how he prefered it busy and would serve as long as it was required. It's not always that you see a positive worth ethic like that!

If there is an achilies heel for this budget hotel it's the breakfast. It's adequate but nothing special. The morning we were there they ran out of clean plates and I wandered around the buffet area like a lost dog wondering if I'd just "lost" the location of the plates!

Good points....cheapish, good service, clean adequate and comfotable rooms.

Bad points... Breakfast isnt a joy but it does the job. Perhaps not for a cozy weekend with the Mrs.

In summary, I'd use this hotel again if needed without any second thoughts. The staff make this establishment worth patronising.

We stayed at the Holiday inn Fri 30th Jan for 2 nights, check in was good, room was good, staff were helpful, have not really got any qualms regarding this hotel, there was a lovely pub next door, staff were lovely, didnt eat in here but very homely place, drinks were a little expensive but there you go! We went into Coleshill for a meal at the harvester which was awful so wouldnt recommend this place, down the hill over the bridge - dont go!
All in all a very nice stay, the hotel provides a bus to the train station which is free and very reliable.
Breakfast was perfect, cereals, fruit,yoghurt, even sausage and scrambled egg which was all very nice indeed. As much as you wanted and as much toast, tea and coffee, you could watch Sky News whilst eating breakfast which was good.
We asked about the bus with reception and she was very helpful, room was ok for what we needed, there was a double bed and a double camp bed which served our needs, Nice tea and coffee in room, and hot power shower, plenty of clean towels and good working tv. we stayed over New Yrs eve and was a little noisy but what do you expect on New Yrs Eve.
Everything was catered for what we needed and I would stay here again.