If you’re travelling abroad via Birmingham Airport and wondering about where to park your car, we have the perfect solution.
Park & Fly at Hilton Birmingham Metropole. Just a 15 minute walk (or 8 minute taxi ride) to Birmingham International Airport, you can start your holiday early with an overnight stay with parking for your car in the 24 hour secure car park until you return (there’s 4 or 8 day options).
It’s the perfect destination for everyone. Families, groups of friends, and even solo travellers. They even have some pooch friendly rooms and dining areas for those who like to travel with their 4-legged friends.
We gave the hotel a try as a family to see just how family-friendly the hotel is, and we were very impressed.
Have a read of our experience below;
Check-in: We arrived and checked in shortly before 3pm. The very professional and friendly staff explained all about our room, the executive lounge (if you book an executive room or suite you get access to the lounge – but more about this later), Spa and health centre, bars, Brightsmith on the Water and the breakfast arrangements. And we headed off, all excited to check out our room.
Executive family suite: Our room was bright and airy, overlooking the shimmering waters of Pendigo Lake.
A giant king-sized bed with 250 thread count sheets for optimal comfort. There was a large sofa in the room which, later in the evening, the staff kindly came and transferred into a bed for the girls to sleep on. In the daytime, it was nice to have it as a sofa to sit on.
The bathroom had a separate bath and shower cubicle, which is a rarity in hotels lately and was very much appreciated. Both girls enjoyed a relaxing bath in the evening and my husband and I tried out the shower which reached lovely hot temperatures (a must for me).
The bathroom had all the necessities including shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap and we even got a toothpaste set. A hotel that goes above and beyond.
There’s a nice nod to Birmingham in room with a photo framed picture of spaghetti junction which I liked.
The room had tea and coffee making facilities, a 55-inch flat tv, WiFi, an iron, hairdryer and even came equipped with dressing gowns and complimentary bath slippers.
The beds were really comfy and I’m kind of gutted we only had the one night here as it was so relaxing.
The Executive Lounge: Open daily from 7am to 10pm. The executive lounge is an exclusive haven only available to guests staying in Executive Rooms and suites. Located on the ground floor of the hotel it’s the perfect space to relax with complimentary food and drinks.
Enjoy breakfast 7am to 10am on weekdays and 7am to 11am on weekends and bank holidays. During the day, there’s fruit, cookies, and popcorn available until 5:30pm when there’s an evening service with canapés and alcoholic drinks being served until 7:30pm. Enjoy a chilled glass of wine or a coffee. We enjoyed cheese and crackers, Indian snacks and some Thai meatballs.
There’s TVs with films and tv shows on and a relaxed ambiance for those who want to enjoy some silence or sit with a laptop and get on with some work.
We loved this as an extra and would recommend booking an executive room to enjoy this added extra.
Spa and health club: You can’t stop at this hotel without going for a swim or sitting by the pool located in a giant glass conservatory. We did exactly that. We didn’t try the rest of the health club facilities, but we were really happy with the pool.
Brightsmith on the Water: Not included within the Park & Fly is the uber-glam Brightsmith on the Water. The hotels flagship bar and restaurant serving up super impressive cocktails and meals. We booked a table and thoroughly enjoyed our meal overlooking the terrace and beautiful lake.
They had a variety of meals to choose from for both children and adults. Jemima chose a tomato soup and Matilda went for a cheese burger and chips.
Me and James both opted for starters. I went for the vegetarian steamed bao buns filled with mushrooms and sautéed spinach. James went for the Scallop and Crab which he spoke fondly of. Brightsmith on the Water know how to create not only well presented food, but absolutely delicious food too. It tastes even better than it looks and it looks great!
We both decided to follow our starters with steaks. Me, the Aubrey Allen Flat Iron Steak. Aubrey Allen is a third-generation family local butcher, within 12 miles, who have grown their reputation as the leading supplier of ethically sourced, naturally produced meat. Known nationwide as the chef’s butcher, having been five times winner of the Chef’s Choice Butcher award. The steak was absolutely delicious, cooked to perfection and came with triple cooked rosemary and garlic chips, grilled vine tomatoes and a large portobello mushroom and a side of peppercorn sauce. Yum!
James opted for the rib eye steak, with the same sides, except he chose the béarnaise sauce.
And we all couldn’t resist desserts even with our very full bellies.
Matilda chose the fruit salad, Jemima the Sticky Toffee Pudding, James the Vegan Chocolate Truffle with raspberry sorbet and mango compote and me, Annabel’s Yorkshire Strawberry Jam Tart (v) with vanilla ice cream and warm custard. Were we all in foodie heaven? Too right we were.
For drinks, I opted for two non-alcoholic cocktails (they can make a number of the cocktails for none-drinkers, which I thought was a lovely touch). I chose Sea of Tranquillity – think the tropics and a beach holiday, topped with candyfloss and also The Clover Club, a raspberry based timeless classic that I could drink again and again, overlooking the lake.
My husband chose the Brum Brulee cocktail which came garnished with a caramelised dehydrated pineapple wheel that looked delicious. He also had the Coconut Daiquiri which came in a tiki mug. Pretty looking and he tells me, delicious tasting.
The girls both enjoyed pineapple juices. Firm favourites for them both.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and it makes the perfect stop for a special occasion. We would come back again without a shadow of a doubt.
Breakfast: Included with your Park & Fly deal, the breakfast has a large selection of items to choose from.
From a full cooked breakfast including the traditional items and also items not often seen, including boiled eggs, streaky bacon American style, hashbrowns and vegetarian options, to continental treats including gluten free raspberry croissants, American waffles, pastries, yoghurt, fruits and cereals.
Drinks are included too with hot drinks and cold drinks.
Check Out: Checking out is really easy with a fast track box to just drop your key cards in. No waiting at the counter needed. Just drop them and go – perfect for the rush to the airport, and with taxis waiting outside, you’ll be there in a jiffy.
We had a super time and are already wondering when we can come back again. Jemima has asked if we could spend three weeks here over the summer holidays. If that’s not a testament to what a wonderful hotel it is, I’m not sure what is.
Take a peek at our Instagram page to see a video of our time at Hilton Birmingham Metropole. https://www.instagram.com/smallhousebigtrips/
Disclaimer: This was a gifted visit in return for an honest review of the Park & Fly experience.