Bloc, Birmingham - Hotels Review

Some might argue that Birmingham's new capsule hotel doesn't really offer penthouse luxury, but few could quibble with its rock-bottom prices

 Exterior and lobby of Bloc, Birmingham

The Bloc Hotel Birmingham is located in Birmingham, United Kingdom

• 200 meters from St. Paul's Church
• 1.2 kilometers from Birmingham
• 12 kilometers from Birmingham Intl. Airport (BHX)
• 1.2 kilometers from Birmingham New Street Station
• 300 meters from Red Palace
• 400 meters from Birmingham Telecom Tower (Post Office Tower)
• 600 meters from Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
• 600 meters from St Chad's Cathedral

Penthouse proposition, pavement price, says the press blurb for the 73-room Bloc hotel. The concept is based on Japanese capsule hotels, but the construction technique, by a company called Boxbuild, is unusual. Boxbuild manufactured the rooms off-site then stacked them in situ so the hotel exterior could be wrapped round them.

Fundamental to the idea is eliminating unnecessary space (so that rooms can be more densely packed into the site). Research showing that hotel guests rarely unpack an overnight bag (that puts me in a minority, then) has resulted in "space hungry" wardrobes being replaced by something called an "integrated bag storage area".

Bloc hotel claims to have arrived at "the perfect combination of luxury and price", which includes use of "significant" sound insulation, luxurious cotton sheets, Italian ambient lighting and aircon set at an environment-sensitive 18-20C and 40% humidity.

The taxi driver at Birmingham New Street station isn't exactly sure where the hotel is – so we go for a spin round an unexpectedly lovely Georgian square, St Paul's, with a handsome church in the middle, until we spot a grey, modern cube. Bloc it says, in tall (small) letters.

This is the kind of urban location I love – the developers are moving in but a tattily beautiful Victorian and Georgian legacy remains. Hello, the builders are still here, polishing the floor. Lobby seating is so low it cannot be negotiated with decency in a dress, and surely someone has forgotten to put legs on the coffee tables? A Nespresso machine, MTV on a large screen and Hannah, the cheery receptionist at a white desk, complete the look.
bloc bedroom

I take myself and a cup of tea (there are also cold drinks and snacks from vending machines) up to the second floor. A bed, the exact width of the room (or maybe the room is the exact width of the bed) has been slotted between a padded wall and a large sealed window. The shower room is a cubicle behind smoked glass with a monsoon showerhead set into the ceiling, plus a loo and tiny basin. It's so neat I try the basin immediately. A little shower water splashes on to the loo roll but miraculously not on to the shelf with my toiletries. Bathroom lighting may be Italian but it's rubbish for doing make-up.

My bag stows beneath the bed. The wardrobe substitute is three shallow pegs on the wall but not a single hanger. I've got a black-tie do to go to tonight – what am I supposed to do with my frock?

Laptop, camera and my rapidly cooling cup of tea fit on the (single) bedside table (seating is a padded cube). There are plenty of sockets, free Wi-Fi (good show) and a blackout rollerblind at the window.

This is what I call a sensory-deprivation hotel. No fresh air, no art or colourful textiles, no armchair and just enough space (it would be snug with two people).

The bed is surprisingly comfy, I'm pleased to report, though I wouldn't describe the sheet as luxurious. Morning tea necessitates a trip to the lobby, and breakfast a long wait (nothing opens till 10am). The point is, you won't come here to luxuriate; you'll come because it is cheap – and who can argue with clean comfort in a big city for as little as 30 quid?

Bloc hotel pretty much does what it says it will but the real bonus is the staff – Hannah and her friendly, efficient Brummie colleagues. They know the area, they give Bloc a sense of place and they inject some much-needed character. [source]