Overview

Although this has been for many years a regular visit, it has gone downhill, and badly needed a maintenance campaign to get it back to up to standard. They are thankfully doing just that, but it might take a while before confidence returns to revisit. On this visit and review, it was a real disappointment, not Crowne Plaza standard. We caught the Metro tram heading in the Edgbaston village direction (photo 1) from city centre, and you get off at tram station for Centenary square (photo 2) the main point of attraction for Birmingham, as it’s near here you have the hotels and night clubs for Birmingham. Our photo shows the ramp available above brown brick work, that will get you down to lower level for hotel entrance, OR BETTER STILL, when you get off the tram, opposite the station, and in between the Hyatt hotel and next building there is a pathway alongside the dark fencing (photo 3) that you can take which is reasonably level, and it takes you to the government building ahead (photo 4) and by going left, you will arrive at this small passage, from where you can take the lift down one level (photo 5) and by walking to its right and straight ahead (photo 6) you will see the Crowne Plaza hotel. It sounds complicated, but it’s very easy really, and only takes a few minutes, but this is the best way for disabled to use. The Crowne Plaza is a modern built hotel (photo 7) in a newly built office block section, and looks inviting enough (photo 8) although undergoing badly needed maintainance work during 2022. The main entrance has a revolving door with two side doorways for disabled use, but there is a pull handle doorway, so you will need help to open them (photo 9) You then enter reception area and booking in desks (photo 10) where you will be warmly welcomed. and ahead lies a wide open spaced area, with stairs (photo 11) and beyond them, are toilets and then over to the right, a number of lifts are available. The bar and restaurant (photo 12) are close to reception where bar drinks and meals may be ordered, with the actual restaurant lying beyond these, and here you have breakfast, lunch and evening dinner venues (photo 13) The toilets lie beyond reception desk and by the main staircase (photo 14) with a disabled toilet for you, which is pleasantly decorated in dark tiling, and tiled floor with modern facilities and grab handles and pull cords (photo 15). Over to the right of the toilets, a small area leads to four lifts (photo 16) which are quite large and all sized wheelchairs and power chairs can easily enter, then you will be taken up to bedroom levels (photo 17) and large open corridors make it easy to find any of the 12 accessible bedrooms provided (photo 18) with plenty of room in them, and pleasant enough washrooms, but many have a step you have to use to get into shower (photo 19). We have personally made use of this hotel many times for coffee breaks, lunch times, and have actually stayed overnight with them, and found the hotel to be quite suitable, so we were very disappointed to see how badly the hotel has been allowed to deteriorate over the last few years, and as it is just now, we suggest you wait a few months until work completed, when we hope it will then return to the standard we liked so much.

Transport & Parking

No car park of their own, just nearby and very expensive parking, a real letdown. We used Metro trams though, with a station really close by and just a short walk which disabled can manage, especially now that we have found an exterior lift to get you down close to entrance for the hotel.

Access

Once you are down on the level ground, reached by a long sloping ramp, or by the newly found lift now available it’s all on the level for you, in and out from hotel, and throughout your visit

Toilets

A disabled public toilet is available, quite near to reception desk, reasonable large enough to get chairs into, with pleasant deco, grab rails and pull cord.

Staff

All very friendly and helpful

Photos