Birmingham hotels

In the early 20th century, Birmingham city centre’s 20th Street and First Avenue North was dubbed the ‘heaviest corner on earth’. It’s known for housing some of the most glamorous buildings in the American South, and that is exactly where you’ll find the iconic 16-storey Elyton Hotel.

Dating back to 1909, this is one of the best hotels in Birmingham, especially for architecture lovers. It’s also conveniently located within walking distance of all the city centre attractions.

Despite being based in a glam old-world building and featuring 111 guestrooms, the hotel feels like a curated boutique gem. I highly recommend splurging on one of the six suites if you can – the Big Alice suite on the 15th floor comes with a giant desk and floor-to-ceiling windows. I particularly loved visiting Moonshine, the hotel’s late-night rooftop bar – come for the views and cocktails and stay for the wood-fired pizzas.

If you love spending time in the great outdoors, Hyatt Place is one of the best hotels in Birmingham to access nature. Oak Mountain State Park is less than a 10-minute drive away, and this is where you can enjoy everything from hiking and mountain biking to archery and horse riding.

The hotel offers various rooms, all with wet bars and sofa beds. Travelling with two friends (and our dogs), we had connecting adjoining rooms on a high floor, which worked perfectly for us. Even though the hotel has various dining options, the famous Moe’s Original BBQ is less than half a mile from the property, so we brought back some of their catfish platters with coleslaw and cornbread.

I also appreciated the well-equipped gym and the small outdoor pool, especially since Birmingham has such great weather pretty much all year round.

Overlooking all of the city centre, this neo-gothic Art Deco-inspired building is now home to The Kelly, as locals call it. One of the best hotels in Birmingham for location, it's within walking distance of all the city’s main attractions, as well as the Pepper Place Farmers Market and Prevail Coffee with their excellent pour over.

The Kelly has fewer than 100 rooms and suites, meaning it still feels personable. My top pick is the City View suite, where you can get a great night’s sleep thanks to being on a high floor and the suite’s blackout curtains (Birmingham has some wild nightlife, trust me).

The hotel also offers Southern-style dining at Calico Kitchen, where many locals come for cocktails and tapas bites after work. I highly recommend going for a walk to track down all the secret artworks scattered around the hotel – their collection is wonderfully eclectic.