OverviewLocated about a 1-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 459 on-ramp, and a 12-minute drive from Birmingham's city centre, the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham SE is geared towards road travellers who require a pet-friendly stopover hotel with easy highway access and a free breakfast.
This smoke-free hotel has 156 air-conditioned guest rooms, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a microwave, an iron and ironing board, a hair dryer and a desk. Rooms with a separate bedroom are also available, as are rooms with wheelchair accessibility.
Sixty minutes of free long distance calling is offered per room, per day, and up to two pets per room are permitted free of charge.
Hotel amenities include an indoor/outdoor pool, a hot tub, fitness facilities, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, guest laundry facilities, a free breakfast and free parking. Free food and drinks are offered daily from 5:30 pm to 7 pm, while free soda and popcorn are available in the lobby from 3 pm to 9:30 pm.
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse is about a 5-minute walk from the hotel, while Cahaba Mall Shopping Center can be found 2 minutes southwestward by car or 13 minutes on foot. Vulcan Park and Museum is roughly a 10-minute drive northwest, and Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) is approximately a 17-minute drive north. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, 2 pets permitted/room free, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: July 6, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's rooms, staff and location.
Numerous guests were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, spacious and well appointed, with good Wi-Fi reception and comfortable beds and pillows.
The hotel's staff were the source of many compliments by lodgers, who characterized them as helpful, friendly, accommodating and able to answer questions about the area.
Several reviewers praised the hotel's location. They found it to be close to shopping, highway access, restaurants and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about noise transfer and the breakfast.
Some reviewers complained of noise disturbances. They reported noise from guests in adjacent rooms and in the hallways, as well as plumbing-related noises, noise from the lobby atrium, dogs barking and noisy in-room air-conditioning units.
While many guests were pleased with the variety of foods at the free breakfast, a few lodgers had complaints. They reported a very crowded breakfast room, long waits and a lack of seating, forcing them to go elsewhere for breakfast.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.5 out of 5 with a 96% recommendation rate from 426 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.5 out of 5 from 400 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #11 of 81 Birmingham hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 139 reviews.
The author called the hotel on July 6, 2013 to verify some information.
