Innkeeper's Collection Birmingham (NEC), Meriden in Solihull

I was visiting Birmingham for a business trip to the Motorhome and Caravan show at the NEC last week. I booked a room at the Bulls Head and travelled from West Wales only for my room to be cancelled on the morning of the booking. I had to book a hotel which was a further hour away which also cost me £100 more as I needed a hotel there and then. I was let down massively and also left out of pocket.

Very comfortable rooms, food was excellent

Staff really lovely, very friendly, welcoming and chatty! Food was gorgeous, and cocktails were fantastic too!

Great accommodation Grat Food Would highly recommend

Excellent location, hotel & price!

Great hotel. Nice decor and spacious rooms. Staff went above and beyond for us. Breakfast included and was a decent size and quality. Definitely would return as it was a great location close by to lots of big places, we stayed as we went to a local wedding.

Excellent hotel and restaurant. 12 minutes for Birmingham airport by bus (X1) bus stop is about 100mtrs up road from the hotel.

From arrival, through staying overnight, morning breakfast to checkout, everything was spot on and so pleasant! Came here for the second time, really hoping it wasn't my last!

Decor is lovely, room was clean and comfy, breakfast was super, plenty parking, good value for money

To be honest there were only 2 things of note (and they are little changes) that I thought I should mention... 1) the lighting - In my room, the lighting was terrible, and I had to turn on available lights to being able to move around the room 2) Not enough coffee or milk in the room. Admittedly I could have gone and asked for more Overall though, very smart and comfy room, and I would come again when I'm next in the area for sure

We had an amazing stay at the Bulls head. We were given exceptional care and consideration by the manager Lucy. She went well beyond customer duty of care and resolved all our requests and made our stay more comfortable than we could ever of wished for. Thank you Lucy and your team. John & Salena

Staff were great and food was very good. Room was fine , broken light fitting by the bed and bathroom had a damp smell

Beautiful room and restaurant. Great breakfast

The rooms were clean and cosy. All amenities were good standard. The only problem I faces was with the windows which didn't remain open. Apart from that the food was great.

Liked: Good breakfast, large carpark, nice pub, good location, friendly staff. Disliked: Broken toilet seat, wet carpet at bathroom door, smell from wet carpet.

Quite positive experience. Very friendly staff at the restaurant area. Nicely decorated facility. Clean and nicely decorated, well sized room. Good food. Excellent pricing.

Food was amazing, ideal location

The staff and the restaurant. We had a table for six with only two of us staying. The meal was excellent and the waiter was really good

Well furnished, comfortable room recently refurbished to a high standard. Plenty of power sockets and USB sockets Wi-Fi easily accessible. Excellent freshly cooked breakfast. Quality of restaurant food also excellent (Christmas Fayre menu) In the bathroom new mixer taps on basin dripping. Hand shower bracket broken and not yet repaired. Shower door seal ineffective so water leaks on to the floor. Shower mat only available on request. H&S regulations require these to be provided to minimise risk of slipping on wet floors. Notice on inside of bathroom door not appropriate.

Breakfast was very good but not so impressed with the meals in the evening . Steak pie had lumps of fat and 2nd evening my cod & chips was replaced because it was only just warm and not hot . Unimpressed with the deserts . Food was overpriced for the quality . Bed was very hard . This was the 4th and last hotel we stayed at on our trip and we had brought memory foam toppers with us and it was the first bed we had had to use them on and when we removed the sheet to put the toppers on the bed the mattress protector was so badly stained we put the sheet back and put our memory foam toppers on top of the sheet . Our room was a bit tired , shower head was broken and some decor needed refurbishment . Bathroom smelt really bad when we arrived and only improved slightly with use . Nice large wardrobe but only 4 hangers for 2 people . Really noisy at times during the night . Of the four places we stayed at unfortunately it was the most expensive and the worst .

The inn is stunning, beautifully decorated with Christmas ornaments and the rooms very stylish The food, I had scallops, then rump of lamb, followed by the cocktail desert was first class and beautifully presented The staff were helpful and friendly. I would have scored 10 but we did not get enough notice for last orders and the bar service away a little slow

Room was fine. Food was very good as were the staff, but there were simply not enough of them as the Restaurant which was very busy was clearly understaffed. This meant that our table was well delayed and in the end we didn't start to eat our meal until 9.00pm which is far too late. It spoiled what would otherwise have been a good stay and good food. Whoever is responsible for staffing levels needs to think more about customer service and customer experience or they will damage the reputation of the establishment.

Lighting was poor in the room as one light didn't work. The walls were marked in the bathroom from what looked like a water leak. There was the noise of dripping water throughout the evening but no leak. Overall room was pleasant.

The rooms were comfortable, small but well appointed, although tea & coffee selections are basic. All food was delicious, and very well presented. Staff were lovely but there were issues caused by the fact that the accommodation and the food are managed separately by different companies. The Bull's Head appeals to visitors to the NEC, many of whom use the pub restaurant only. During my stay M&B decided that it was a good idea to release discount vouchers on food - but not to the hotel guests of course. The interest in this offer meant that when I came down for dinner each night, my table reservation for the evening meal was never available - the place was packed. This is unusual, but certainly avoidable. People may have just overstayed their allocated time - deliberately / accidently? The bad weather and great food may have influenced customer decision making. After a hard day as an exhibitor at NEC, it certainly wasn't appreciated by me. It may also have been that pressures of the many customers meant food orders took longer to process, as all bar and restaurant staff were rushed off their feet, but surely hotel guests must take some priority. This pairing of two separate companies certainly isn't a match made in heaven - or Warwickshire.

Rooms very clean hotel over all very clean. Bar expensive. On Tuesday evening took 45 mins to take our order.

Service was very slow , we was waiting 15/20 min every time we ordered a drink from our table

Wonderful food, friendly staff, stylish and clean room, great location

We visited the Bullshead in June for a meal. We were staying in a hotel close by as we were flying from Birmingham Airport the next morning. The setting and the pub/restaurant is lovely and we really enjoyed our meal there. This made it a lovely start to our holiday. What I hadn’t realised was that you can book a room there too. I a have now booked a room here next year to start our holiday. The other bonus is that is only a few miles from Birmingham Airport so it is really convenient.

Excellent menu, food and character. Service great. Rooms nice and clean with good facilities

Nice place , nice food , nice staff

Lovely room, very friendly staff, great restaurant. Close to NEC and fantastic value for money. Nice and quiet!

The room was nice, the bed was comfortable, the shower room was modern and clean. The location was quiet.

Friendly hotel with great food and drinks.

Efficient staff. Lovely food at evening meal and breakfast. The room was spacious and clean. Bathroom was very nice and showers hot. It is a very old quaint pub that is a large property and extensive areas. Attractive decor. We enjoyed our stay.

Everything is fine thanks a lot.

Food was only just ok, breakfast was over cooked , bed was really hard and pillows to firm, staff was very friendly the place looked abit tired in places , think the prices was slightly to high.

We absolutely love The Bulls Head, this was our second visit as a couple, but brought our daughter to stay this time around. Every need was catered for in beautiful surroundings. We can't wait until next time! 😃

Friendly staff who made us feel welcomed.

Breakfast , bar area, room decor, staff all great Cleanliness of room very poor, stains on bed throw , mould in shower grout grit on room floor

I had a single room which was really pleasant .. the bathroom was very nice everything was clean bed was comfy too ….. the one thing which was missing was a glass … just a simple thing but it was missed

Stay was great. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Room was just right and the food was fantastic.

Clean well presented room and good food A few maintenance issues in the bathroom could do with addressing

All staff we dealt where excellent polite and informative. Slight negative was the cleanliness of the room, mirrors and tv screen smeared, dust on light in mirror in bathroom and all skirting boards cobwebs on ceiling. Attention to detail this could of been picked up in before releasing room. Bar, restaurant and facilities where excellent as where are evening meal and breakfast.

Have eaten here many times and like the food and ambience. Decided to stay for Valentines. No one was on check-in, I had to call bar staff over, so not really a warm welcome. Room 9 we were in(& most looking at your pictures) had low beams & we’re both just below & over 6 foot so we kept banging our heads. The one above the toilet was particularly hazardous. The room was nicely decorated and had a comfortable bed, but the kettle didn’t switch off - v dangerous, and the shower was broken so it went all over floor. Road noise also obv being on the front and with a single glazed window. Won’t be back I’m afraid

Staff were very friendly. Room was clean and functional. Food and drink were excellent value

Room would benefit from more light. Other than that the stay was great. Food was excellent and the staff were all very helpful.

Great: ALL staff were friendly and welcoming. Lovely restaurant and bar. Nice room decor and good bathroom with decent shower. Excellent breakfast included. Great value for money. Improve: Sofa bed was bad - springs stuck out. Uncomfortable and squeaky. Room was not prepared for 3 - had to convert the sofa myself and ask for a 3rd towel. Wall lights had no light bulbs so it was quite dark. Heating went off at 11 so it was cold until it came back on in the morning.

likes...Staff very polite and friendly. Ambience in restaurant decor and food couldn't be better. not so good......Room a little tired, lighting too dark (to do my make up) our friends in room 3 even darker than ours. Dusty in draws where we found a pair of socks !! from previous resident. However these are minor things and would not stop us staying again.

Food was really nice service was great

nice in most ways but a bit chaotic no real directions or information nice and busy but food wasnt amazing

The bedroom was dirty with cobwebs on the lights and ceiling areas the meal we had was served cold and not very nice ( they was under staffed ) the next morning after a horrible night in a very hard bed we went for breakfast which was full of grease eggs was like bullets and again not very warm

1/ Last orders at 10.30, unable to serve alcohol at 10.45pm despite welcome letter confirming 11pm close of bar (unhelpful guy had closed tills early and was not able to do anything) - management not helpful either when question asked about why tills were closed early, 2/ nasty mouldy smell in corridor to some of the rooms, 3/ refusal to serve orange juice on first day despite letter saying complimentary orange juice, tea and coffee from bar on request (a lovely lady did serve an orange juice on the second night), and extremely slow interest on first night (better during late morning on final day). Otherwise nice, plush rooms with interesting looking menu.

I've stayed here a few times now and based on previous visits this is why I booked again this year. The rooms are lovely but the bathrooms are starting to look a bit tired and could do with some improvments - there was a fair amount of mould in the bathroom of room 4. The mobile phone signal was absolutely terrible - I'm on O2 and I had virtually no signal in the bar/resturant area and zero signal in the room. The WiFi is shocking and makes it almost impossible to connect a laptop or mobile device to able to carry out any work. Perhaps you should invest in a better free WiFi service for customers staying at the hotel for the duration of their stay. The mobile phone signal was absolutely terrible - I'm on O2 and I had virtually no signal in the bar/resturant area and zero signal in the room. The WiFi is shocking and makes it almost impossible to connect a laptop or mobile device to able to carry out any work. Perhaps you should invest in a better free WiFi service for customers staying at the hotel for the duration of their stay.

We loved everything about The Bull's Head. The rooms are really lovely, the staff are fabulous and we were pleased with the price too. The only thing I would mention that needs looking at is the shower heads, the holes where the water comes out need a bit of a scrub as they had clogged a bit. And the milk we had curdled. This was strange as it was in date, but my fruit tea tasted funny too so maybe it was the kettle that needed cleaning??? Only other thing was that you could do with the option to have one bright light in the bedroom. Trying to put my makeup on when the bathroom was occupied proved tricky with the "mood lighting" :D All in all though, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Stayed here for 2 nights as it is a very quick drive to the NEC. The room was lovely, very modern and we loved the colours used. The matress was a bit firm and there's no heating but we slept well. I can imagine you might get quite cold in the winter though. Towels and toiletries are provided, even if they are only half full! The are a few negatives unfortunately. The lighting in the bedroom is not good for getting ready at all, there were cobwebs in the bedroom and bathroom, the floor was quite dusty near the mirror because I picked up my socks and they had dust all on them, the shower screen doesn't extend far enough to minimise the water getting out onto the bathroom floor. The bath mat was soaking wet after every shower. The service was good and we mostly enjoyed our meal on the 2nd night. I would not recommend the garlic & mozzarella pizza bread, never has my jaw had such a workout, but the rest was nice. Overall we would be happy to stay here again if we were to revisit the NEC.

My room is a bit noisy from the road traffic but has lovely decor. Food and staff nice. I called because I think I left my laptop cable in the room and nobody got back to me

The room was spectacular. Amazing shower. Big TV. I didnt ear but the food looked very good. Restaurant was fairly busy. My one problem? £5.10 for a pint of cask! I work in hospitality and this is too expensive.

The location was perfect for us, just down the road from the hotel where our friend's were getting married. Check in went relatively smoothly, and we liked the rooms. The decor is a little dark though, and with small windows not much natural light was let in. The room had everything that we wanted it to have. It would have been nice to have two room keys for each room though, for ease of entry later on that evening. The only downsides were that the pull out sofa bed was not very comfortable, I could feel the springs coming through in places. Also the fan in the bathroom is too loud, and doesn't go off until several minutes after you've turned the light off. I couldn't find a remote control in one room either for the TV, and just two satchets of cows milk were available, which didn't go far. Overall though we didn't mind these little niggles, but you would be wise to take these comments on board, as it will help you increase bookings I'm sure.

I recently stopped here. Well yesterday! Walking through the courtyard was really honestly magical. It felt like I was on holiday. We was checking in quite late due to going to a friends wedding. We was checked in quickly and all the staff as very pleasant despite it being quite late at night. My questions was answered and then we was given our door key plus a few other bits. We found our room and upon entering I don't think any other hotel I've ever stopped at had made a smile that large! The room had such a beautiful feel and decor. Yes it was a bit dark but it really fitted with the buildings character. The shower was beautiful and everything seemed very thought out and well planned. The room was spotless. The only one negative I found for myself was the door did not fully lock from the inside it just had a latch? I'm not sure if that's every room or just mine but my personal feelings I felt uncomfortable to sleep at first. However I should have asked staff! The bed was very comfy, pillows to die for. We woke up and went for breakfast. I was given the most beautiful traditional breakfast I've had in a very long time. The presentation amazed me. Not only that it tasted as good as it looked. I asked for a mocha and the man who made it said normally I only make these for myself this is the first time for someone else. If I had his name I would praise him. It tasted just like costa yet somehow more fresh. Was beautiful. Overall we had such an amazing and beautiful stay we are talking about booking a weekend night every month here just because of how beautiful it is. Maybe next time we will try an actual main and desert! Thank you to your amazing staff!

The atmosphere and food were fantastic, enjoyed staying here for family wedding

The room was incredibly dark with the view from the window, being a brick wall, which is the top of a roof. The lighting was , of course, low energy, also low light. The bed was comfortable and the facilities in the room were ok. A shower cap would be good to provide, given the monsoon overhead shower type. Also drinking glasses would be good as only vessels were a mugs. I would not want to stay in this room again. Suggest paining walls a light colour and increase lighting in that room. It was quite oppressive and difficult to see to read or apply makeup.

From arrival I felt valued and looked after, I had a panic with a laptop mains cable and your general manager helped out with this, showing trust and generosity. The room was perfect, strong wi-fi which is the problem I had last time I visited. Mobile signal was still week but that is not your issue. Had a few delays related to food, you were VERY busy and your staff sorted the issues above and beyond, which is the point. Mistakes and issues happen, it is the way they are resolved that matters. Your staff are fabulous. I will be returning later this year or next depending on when the next VOX event happens for me.

I thought that the room and place was unbelievably good! The staff were friendly too, we couldn’t have wished for anything better. Thank you!

I enjoyed the old style and the entrance gate as it gave me a good feeling and also the ceiling and decoration was stunning. Lightning, access and amnesty was great. But inside the Loo there was a stinky smell that all the way through our staying disturb us ( actually it was hard to use the bathroom !!!) Also the plumber or fitter of shower, hadn’t install the handy shower stand properly. Because of that the shower head couldn’t stay at its place and usually fall down!!! Although, the room was clean, so quiet and cozy and comfortable. Staff were so friendly and hospitable. Thanks

Great venue, amazing location to NEC & Heart of England Showground, staff are super, bar is lovely, smashing food.

Rooms were extremely comfortable (watch out for low ceiling beams in room 9) Staff were super helpful and friendly. All round excellent :-)

Comfortable room and good food with attentive service from all staff. Would certainly stay again.

We made the trip up ready for Crufts in the morning. Absolutely lovely place to stay. Looks great from outside and the décor in the rooms was great also. Both the bedroom and bathroom was very clean. The food for dinner and breakfast was lovely with great options available. Would highly recommend and will definitely be coming back next year! Included free parking and was only a 5 minute drive from the NEC!

I am always impressed by Innkeepers Lodge, and The Bull's Head, Meriden did not let us down. As soon as we pulled up after a very slow long journey down we were wowed by the outside of the Inn. Once inside we found that this also matched up to the outside, "Very Smart, and wished we'd booked to eat here now!"... the staff were exceptional and OMG the room was like it's very own suite. This place is a little gem, for the cost and overall experience what is not to like?? We will be back many times I am sure, credit were its due this place gets 10/10

Came here for some drinks as we were attending a wedding up the road. Great selection of cocktails and beer, staff were very knowledgeable around the cocktail menu and very attentive.

Excellent all round service, warm and friendly staff, great atmosphere.

Staff looked bored stiff dident crack a smile. Booked double room with double bed and got 2 singles ...stopped serving food to early 'lager was poor tasted funny al n al bad experiance wont be returning shout out to the staff cheer up make guests welcome its not cheap !

Great affordable hotel close to the NEC with comfy bed, and well decorated rooms. We stayed in the courtyard room and it was great to have our own private entrance. Didn't get disturbed by any noise from the pub. Staff were efficient and friendly. Would stay here again!

Great rooms and good deals... Friendly staff and wonderful service

Great place nice food friendly staff recommend a visit

A safe place with good food and drink if a little pricey.

Nice old rooms but comfort is very limited. There is not even toilet paper holder and no reasonable place to put your laundry

This hotel is failing, badly. Our room was dirty, the shower was blocked with hair. There was a bag of rubbish left on the table. The cooked breakfast was disgraceful and the morning attendant was surly, unhelpful and argumentative. There is no deal that would get me to stay at this hotel again. It should be put out of its misery.

Quirky pub inn , also know as The Bulls Head. Super room, decor very tasteful, clean and very quiet.

Nicely decorated venue, lovely evening meals, but breakfast service let the stay down abit

The place is very nice but the bed in our double it was more like an single. Toilet wasn't clean at all .

It is super clean, I like despite the there is no open windows inside the bathroom and the vet wasn’t working. Room08

So I placed a booking for a room with a bath tub. Im a frequent traveller due to being a destination wedding photographer. Because I've had hotels move my reservation before, I made an effort to contact the hotel prior to arrival to recheck I've definitely got the specific room I booked. I called. No answer. I left voicemails. None replied to. So I get there and they say the room with a bath tub isn't available. If they were apologetic instead of the way they spoke to me, maybe I wouldn't have minded as much. They had the nerve to say I have been calling the wrong number. I guess the number listed everywhere online for the venue with the answer phone message specifically mentioning this place by name belonged to some other hotel... So by this point I'm tired. No amends were offered. If was basically take it or leave it we don't give two cents about this... So I get to the room with VERY low beams. I'm 5"3' and they're basically my height which didn't help my husband at his height of 6"6'. It gets better. There's no heating so the room is very cold. Which does eventually get fixed. By this point I think I'll try to make the best of it... middle of the night my husband wakes up to get to the loo and that low beam I mentioned is right by the side of the bed so he managed to get in his dazed state a huge bump on his head from simply standing up. (Can be argued it is his fault but it also can be argued the hotel should move that bed a little to the side for safety) and to top it off. Part way through both of our showers, we ran out of hot water. Because I went first and ran out of hot water so we figured give it half an hour and he can try. He didn't get lucky. Skipped the conditioner completely as it was freezing at this point. The bathroom isn't heated either so it was cold in the bathroom as well as the running shower. The breakfast consisted of one pastry (croissant only) some cereal, yoghurt and fruit so it was meager best. Oh and here's the funny part right at the end of this :)) they have a security lock door before going to the rooms. When you want to leave, you press a button and the lock opens. However when we were trying to leave the door knob wasn't on the door, it was just laying in the nearby chair :)) so you could go left down the fire exit stairs or wait for someone from below to come and open the door from the side that actually had a handle :)) The decor is lovely, but overall this was the worst stay I've had anywhere over the past year. They couldn't care less even to try to make amends. Good luck if you're staying here!

Love this place. Always stay there when we go to NEC. Would of got five stars but managers living accomodation is on the top floor and if in room 5 you can here every foot step. Last time we stayed in court yard rooms that was better.

Really good food and great selection of beers

Beautiful country pub in the heart of meridian. Outdoor seating set up as wooden picnic benches. Up market plush interiors with a well thought out traditional pub fair with a gastero touch. Restaurant has waiter table service and if seating in the bar then you must order at the bar. Very quiet, ambient setting ideal for work meeting or a quiet Sunday drive to relax.

Lovely little pub with fantastic rooms. 10 minutes from Birmingham airport with free parking.

Fantastic!!! Rooms very comfortable, FOOD FANTASTIC! Will definitely stay over again! My husband loved the rooms being named after motorbikes, ours was the rocket, Coincidence that we want a triumph rocket!:-D

Lovely and cosy pub and resurant. Room was nice and clean. Bathroom was freezing though. Would certainly stay there again.

Check in was very efficient, room comfortable and clean. Bar and restaurant service good, all staff very friendly and efficient.