Things that were good:
The bed linen and towels couldn't be faulted for cleanliness
Staff were polite
Breakfast was good with reasonable choice for vegetarians
The reception (inside) was pleasant
The tea/coffee tray included complimentary sparkling water
The view over the bowling green was pleasant
There were extra pillows

Things that weren't so good:
The room was very 90's decor with clashing patterns and a peach sink surround
The bathroom was mouldy in various places
The taps were lime scaled and the shower head looked grotty
The chair in our room was ripped and stained
The duvet in the room was less than 1cm thick... in January
The was no heating thermostat, a note from the manager suggests you turn the single radiator setting to 3 - we left it on all night
The hallways looked tired and the reception outside just looks like a 60s office block
Someone was sick in the hallway and it was there before breakfast, after and when we checked out
We ordered a newspaper and we never got it, lady on reception apologised but didn't offer to help in anyway (there's a Morrisons next door so we went and bought our own)
Room was still noisy even though we were at the back

Overall for the location it wasn't bad for the money and as we'd gone for a night out we were barely there. The faults were all minor really it's just there were quite a few. Just needs a general update. Couldn't fault cleanliness in room and even though there was mould it was clear the bathroom had been cleaned well otherwise. Wouldn't rule out staying again but would ask for a nicer room.

Previous reviewers are correct - a bit tired and ready for a refit but a great location. We asked for a quiet room and got one overlooking the bowling green. For £20 per room per night (Daily Telegraqph offer) this was great value. Solihull is a lovely upmarket town with great shops, pubs and eating places.

We would go back but only if the price was right or there had been a wholesale refit.

This my third stay at this nice hotel and second Trip Advisor review; 29 Jan 11 previous review. I stayed 21- 27 January 2012 this trip.

I spent six nights in Room 223 which overlooked the Bowling Green, as requested in my room reservation – made through a corporate agent. Rooms facing the bowling green are preferred as the others face the car park, which can be a tad noisy as the night winds down. Although when the pubs close at 1 AM some hallway traffic and noise is inevitable. Having a room on the second floor is good and bad – good is no one is above you as this is the top floor, and the bad is hiking two flights of stairs or optionally a very slow elevator ride to and fro.

As I said in my previous review, the Ramada’s central location is hard to beat. The hotel is adjacent to the Masons Arms pub – where I ate and drank almost every night. It is also at the end of the pedestrian portion of High Street with its many shops and nearby shopping mall; there is also a Morrison’s super market behind the hotel.

The provided typical English breakfast is very good, although the staff on a few mornings were less than attentive when it came to ordering morning coffee or tea. This lack of attentiveness was on the weekend when the regular breakfast room staff was off. The very nice lady that runs the breakfast room anticipated my coffee request each morning. I noted there was no ‘black pudding’ available this visit. I can only assume this personal favorite is losing popularity in England.

The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful when I needed a UK plug adapter sending me to the nearby Maupin electronics store. Although, I would expect such ’road warrior’ accoutrements should be standard in high quality hotels.

The daily room maid service was very good. My towels were replaced daily, despite hanging them on the towel racks each day. My shampoo and shower gel were replaced daily as too the in room coffee and tea service. My bed sheets were change after the fourth night– gone are the days when ALL hotels changed sheets daily.

My solo complain relates back to last year’s shower review - MOLD. Room 223 had a combined tub and shower, unlike last year’s enclosed shower. This room’s shower head was so moldy that I could not bear to look at it past the first day. I removed the shower head and cleaned it myself (see attached before/after pictures). There was also some black mold behind the hand grip mounted to the top of the tub. While this somewhat hidden mold behind the grip could be over looked, the moldy shower head was evident to the casual observer.

One wonders if the English are accustomed to such filth, as apparently neither previous guests, nor the maid service (likely non-English), ignored this long term problem. Clearly the hotel management ignores such problems in their quality control.

Make no mistake, I will return to this hotel in the future, as I deem cleaning a shower head, or some mold in an enclosed shower, for each visit a small price to pay for such a great location and otherwise fine hotel.

The hotel management needs to leave their offices and visit a few rooms each day to make certain quality standards are being met, and hopefully exceeded.

Whilst some parts of the hotel need updating the service and attention from the staff makes up for that, reception especially. The rooms are not all the same but i was impressed at being shown a selection so i could pick which i wanted (helps if you do this at a quiet time of day as not always possible)!
A hidden gem in solihull and will get another visit from me.