Solihull: Nailcote Hall - Near Solihull
Sept 05 & March 06
Young Mature Couple UK

Lovely old country house with lots of old beams and dark wood furniture, very comfortable. Surprisingly very quite , very little noise and no huge bright outside lights to keep you awake . Standard room a bit on the small side due to the substantial furniture put in each room. Very good breakfast, nice pool, nice helpfull staff. Within 15 minutes drive from Airport and NEC which is great if you are exhibiting , it is so much nicer to stay here rather than one of the major chain hotels , The FRESH AIR IS FREE !
I've had enough of there over priced plastic rooms and hit and miss service and food cooked by numbers rather than skilled chef's. The food at the Nailcote is pretty good but a bit expensive, lots of other places to eat in nearby village that are well worth a try.

Im just writing to warn others, as im really upset with the hotel. I booked a murder mystery party months ago, for a friends 40th Birthday on 20th Dec. Of course I paid, and was looking forward to a great time. TODAY, just 2 weeks before, they phoned and canceled the booking, due to lack of interest. OK not a great situation to be in, I think. However when I try and explain that ive been sending "clues" to friends for the last month, about where we are going etc, the recepionist is not at all apologetic. I phone back and ask if for customer good will they would consider a room upgrade, or discount... and I got a blunt "NO". When I asked for the managers name I got told they would say the same! Im now left with no function... IM NOT IMPRESSED... so be warned!

We stayed at the hotel whilst visiting an exhibition at the NEC and had been invited to a Dinner there by a firm we deal with. Impressive old country house style hotel as you arrive - unfortunately however we were routed off to a new wing which was totally without character - basically Travel Lodge rooms (at £120 a night). Even then the room was next to a road & was anything but clean. We were refused an alternative room and the following morning's breakfast was a debacle (with two waitresses struggling to cope on their own, tables full of dirty pots and both of them so overwhelmed that they were taking orders twice and delivering things to the wrong tables etc). They did manage to make a reasonable 'fist' of the Dinner (but then that was for about 50 people and was being paid for by a PLC !) The hotel never responded at all to a subsequent complaint.

I've held several business meetings at Nailcote Hall and the venue has always been perfect. Without wanting to focus on the negatives (they are few and only minor) the hotel could do with picking up on the following:

1. Staff serving at breakfast can sometimes appear a little 'aggressive' and are easily confused with orders.
2. There can sometime be a strong chlorine smell from the swimming pool in the new part of the hotel (in rooms and meeting rooms)

Other than that the staff bend over backwards to be helpful, the location is quiet & peaceful, rooms well decorated & comfortable and the food first class. The conference staff are particulalry accomodating. I will certainly return.