“You've got Ashes tickets, a group chat full of plans, and zero interest in a hotel that makes the weekend harder than it needs to be.”

If you're heading to Birmingham for cricket at Edgbaston, a concert at Villa Park, or one of those ambitious weekends where you're somehow doing both, you need a hotel that does exactly two things: be in the right spot and not get in your way. The Hilton Garden Inn at Brindleyplace is that hotel. It's not going to make your Instagram grid. It is going to make your weekend significantly easier, which — when you're navigating match-day crowds and trying to keep five friends on the same schedule — is worth more than a rooftop bar.

Brindleyplace is the part of Birmingham's canal district that actually works for visitors. You're walking distance from Broad Street's restaurants and bars, a short cab ride from Edgbaston cricket ground, and close enough to New Street station that getting here from London or Manchester doesn't require a second journey once you arrive. If you're driving — and for a cricket weekend, plenty of people are — the hotel has its own car park, which in central Birmingham is genuinely rare and genuinely useful. Don't underestimate how much stress that removes from a Saturday morning when you're trying to get to the ground before the first ball.

The room situation

The rooms are standard Hilton Garden Inn — which means you know exactly what you're getting, and what you're getting is fine. Clean, quiet enough, a proper desk if you need to do anything resembling work, and a bed that handles a late night followed by an early alarm without complaint. Two people and a weekend bag fit comfortably. Two people, two weekend bags, and an inflatable cricket bat purchased at the ground will require some negotiation with the floor space, but you'll manage.

The tea and coffee setup in the room comes with a small chocolate bar — a Cadbury's, because you're in Birmingham and Cadbury's is basically a local deity here. It's a tiny thing, but it's the kind of detail that makes you think someone at this specific property actually pays attention. The kettle works. The Wi-Fi works. The shower has decent pressure. These are the things that matter at 7am when you're trying to get match-ready.

Staff here are notably good — not in a rehearsed, corporate-script way, but in a "they offered early check-in without being asked" way. If you're arriving the night before a Test match, that kind of flexibility is the difference between killing two hours in a lobby and actually starting your weekend. Ask when you book. They seem to say yes more often than not.

“The breakfast room during an Ashes Test is half fancy dress and half friendly sledging — it's the most entertaining hotel breakfast you'll have all year.”

Breakfast is the sleeper hit. The food itself is standard — cooked options, cereals, toast, coffee that does the job. But during major events, the dining room turns into a social event. Ashes weekends mean tables of Australian fans mixing with English supporters, and the atmosphere at 8am is genuinely fun in a way hotel breakfasts almost never are. It's not a reason to book the hotel, but it's a reason to set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier and eat in.

The honest bit

Here's what you should know: Brindleyplace is on the edge of Broad Street, which is Birmingham's main nightlife strip. On Friday and Saturday nights, the street gets loud. The hotel itself is set back enough that it's not a problem if you're on the upper floors or the canal side, but if you're a light sleeper, request a room away from the Broad Street side when you check in. The front desk staff know which rooms are quieter — just ask.

Skip the hotel bar for anything beyond a quick pint. You're a five-minute walk from The Distillery, which does better cocktails, and Craft in the canal district if you want local beer. For dinner, Asha's on Newhall Street is a fifteen-minute walk and serves some of the best Indian food in the city — which, in Birmingham, means some of the best Indian food in the country. The hotel is a base, not a destination, and Brindleyplace rewards you for treating it that way.

The plan

Book early if you're coming for an Ashes Test or any major event at Villa Park — Birmingham hotels fill fast and prices spike hard once a fixture is confirmed. Request an upper floor on the canal side for quiet. Take the breakfast, especially during cricket weekends, because the crowd makes it worth it. Pre-book parking through the hotel rather than chancing it on the day. And if you're doing Edgbaston, the cab is about ten minutes — book it the night before rather than fighting the app at 9am with 25,000 other people trying to do the same thing.

Canal-side room, upper floor, early check-in, pre-booked parking — do those four things and this becomes the easiest cricket weekend you've ever planned.

Rates start around 135 $ on a regular weekend but expect to pay 217 $ to 271 $ during major events — still reasonable for central Birmingham with parking included. Book direct through Hilton for the best cancellation terms.