A Look at Embassy Suites in Birmingham, Alabama

On a recent business trip, I had the opportunity to stay at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, Alabama. For most of my business trips, I stay at a lower priced chain hotel rather than spending the extra money at fancier hotels. However, this time I was traveling with important people from my company and they were planning to stay there as well.

Although I have been to Birmingham a dozen times or more, I am not that familiar with the downtown area. My usual activities are normally north and south of the city. With this being said, the hotel was mildly difficult to find as it is tucked away in what looks like an office park. Once I got to the hotel though, I was mildly impressed with how clean and nice it looked.

I opted to check-in at the desk rather than use their self-service kiosk. The desk clerks were all very friendly and very helpful. Check-in was a snap, there were no problems with my reservation and I had my room keys in a matter of minutes. It was then on to the room. I had to take a glass elevator ride that overlooked the center courtyard of the hotel. It was beautifully decorated with trees and fountains, a nice sight for travel weary eyes.

Since I have never stayed at an Embassy Suites, I was not sure what to expect out of the room. I walked in and found a nice sized room that was actually a suite. There was a living room area and then a hallway leading to the bedroom and the bathroom. My first impression was "why don't I stay here more often". The room was very clean and had all the immediate necessities that I like, including: an in-room microwave and refrigerator, wire-less high-speed Internet was available, extra pillows in the bedroom, and a full size ironing board and iron. The hotel also has an indoor swimming pool, a work out room, and for my dining experience, there is a Ruth Chris Steakhouse and bar in the lobby of the hotel.

Throughout my two day stay, I only noted a couple of downsides to the hotel. First is the parking situation. While it is better than at some hotels I've stayed at previously, it seemed that we had to park pretty far away from the main lobby of the hotel. It wasn't a big deal while coming and going during the stay, but it was a bit of a work out carrying all of my bags in and out. The only other downside that I noticed was that they charge for their high-speed Internet service, $9.95 a day. Most of the other hotels I normally stay at include this in the cost of the room, rather than making you pay extra for it.

Overall, my stay at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham was an enjoyable experience. If I get the opportunity to stay there again, I definitely would not hesitate to do so.