Crowne Plaza Hotel Birmingham NEC

This is a large, full-service hotel that hosts many business travelers, including airlines crews flying in and out of the nearby airport. The hotel has a bright and spacious multi-floor lobby with white tile floors and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. Tropical plants in large planters thrive in the abundant light. The Lobbyist Lounge Bar is a popular place for casual conversation and impromptu meetings. It offers lots of comfortable seating, including some clusters that are tucked away from the majority of tables and the long communal bar. The hotel has a professional ambience that’s not too stuffy. Leisure travelers and locals sometimes stay here on weekends to visit the nearby casino or attend events at the Genting Arena. 

The Crowne Plaza offers a convenient location for travelers attending conferences at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre (a 15-minute walk) or passing through Birmingham International Airport (a three-minute drive). It’s also a 14-minute walk or three-minute drive to the Birmingham International Railway Station, which has a free monorail that runs to the airport in 13 minutes. It’s even closer (a five-minute walk) to the restaurants, shops, and cinema complex at Resorts World and the Genting International Casino. The sports and music events that take place at Genting Arena are seven minutes away on foot. It’s roughly a 20-minute drive to downtown Birmingham via quick access to the M42 highway that connects to the M6 highway. The hotel overlooks lovely Pendigo Lake, which has a walking/jogging path that winds around its shores. 

These rooms are decorated in a fashion typical of full-service chain hotels. The decor is tasteful, but lacks energy and feels a bit dated. The walls are cream and the carpet is gold. Upholstered furniture is gold or crimson, and bed throws atop the bright white linens are either crimson or brown. The matching wood furniture has a handsome amber finish and includes desks with office chairs and tall headboards. The rooms are comfortably sized -- some Standard Queen units include sleeper sofas and Standard Twin Rooms have two armchairs. Larger, studio-style Suites feature living rooms with hardwood floors, coffee tables, sleeper sofas, and matching armchairs. Amenities are a big plus. They include mini-fridges, coffeemakers, safes, robes, trouser presses, and flat-screen TVs. Free Wi-Fi and bottled water also are standard. Lavender pillow spray is a lovely touch. Bathrooms are exceptionally nice with black granite vanities, magnifying mirrors, excellent lighting, and white marble framing the shower/tub combos. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided.The rooms are generally clean and well maintained, save for some minor complaints about broken TVs or malfunctioning air-conditioning units. They’re also relatively quiet, but some ambient noise can be heard at times from the nearby highway. Some rooms offer views of the adjacent Pendigo Lake, but many simply overlook the parking area and nearby road.

This full-service hotel caters to business professionals attending events at the nearby National Exhibition Centre or flying out of Birmingham International Airport. The Crowne Plaza has 10 separate meeting spaces, and the largest is capable of hosting up to 300 people. The business center has two computers, and Wi-Fi is free throughout. Eleven Bar & Grill features fresh seafood and steaks for dinner and a hot buffet for breakfast (fee). The Lobbyist Lounge Bar has a full bar as well as a Starbucks coffee counter with snacks and various coffee drinks. It’s open from early morning through late evening. The fitness center is small, but it offers both cardio and strength-training equipment like treadmills, free weights, and elliptical machines. Valet dry cleaning and laundry are among the concierge services. Air travelers can take advantage of the on-site parking (fee) and the hotel’s park-and-fly packages that include up to 15 days of parking.