Sheraton Birmingham Hotel

I was exhibiting at a show at BJCC, and while I usually find urban hotel locations to be hit or miss, I went ahead and booked the Sheraton Birmingham for the convenience of the location and because Sheraton is usually pretty consistent.
I was pulling a trailer, so I called before I booked the hotel to make sure that I would be able to park it there. They said it was no problem and that they had a lot where the trailer could be parked.
When I arrived and pulled into the circle, the valet told me that I would need to park on a side street. I told him that they said there was a lot I could park in. He said it wasn’t close and I would need to follow a shuttle driver over and get a ride back. I had to wait (blocking everyone in) about 20 minutes for the shuttle driver to get there. The lot was about half a mile away (BJCC lot 12 at 23^rd and 12^th). The entrance to the lot was so narrow that it was impossible to get into the lot without running over the curbs (even for the shuttle), and the lot was full of large potholes.
After being shuttled back to the hotel with our stuff, there were long lines to check in (both the regular and SPG lines). Gold Status was recognized. No upgrade, but was given access to the Executive Lounge (only after I asked about it).
When we got to the room, we had a hard time figuring out the lights by the bed and on the wall. Finally, my daughter found the recessed switch, at the base of the light. It’s kind of hard to describe. The lights are mounted on the wall and the fixture extends out, then goes up. You naturally look for either a switch on the wall or something up near the top by the light bulb and shade. But the switch for these is on the bottom, where the fixture L’s. It’s below eye level, so it’s not obvious.
We started unpacking, and when I went to plug in my laptop, there were NO unused electrical plugs anywhere near the desk. I ended up unplugging the coffee maker (at the far end of the desk).
The room didn’t have a fridge, so I called down to see if I could get one. It was $ 20 for the stay. They brought it up fairly quick. It was the smallest mini-​fridge I’ve ever seen and it had no freezer section. (I like to freeze a couple water bottles to take in my cooler each day, rather than using loose ice.) The guy who brought it up couldn’t find anywhere to plug it in. He had to put it all the way over in the corner of the room and run the cord over to the only remaining plug behind the TV.
There was refurbishment going on all over the hotel. Several times, we had problems with the elevators on the 14^th floor. We would push the down button and when the elevator arrived the indicator said it was going up, so we didn’t get on. Then after the elevator left, our down button went off, so we pushed it again. The same thing repeated, so we got on, and the elevator went down (despite saying it was going up). I’m pretty sure when they redid the wallpaper, they got the wiring reversed when they hooked the lights back up. (In case anyone from the hotel is reading this, it’s the elevator furthest to the right on the 14^th floor.)
The curtains on the windows wouldn’t stay closed. There was probably about an 8″ gap. The bathroom door squeaked loudly when opened or closed. There was a huge red stain on the floor by the desk. And this was supposed to be a refurbished unit.
I seldom put the Do Not Disturb sign up because we’re usually gone well before housekeeping comes around. On our first morning we were there later than usual (although still earlier than I’ve ever seen housekeeping come anywhere else) and the housekeeper comes barging in at 8am. Instead of knocking and saying «housekeeping» before opening the door, she did it AS she was entering.
We went up to the Executive Lounge for breakfast, and found it very disappointing. It’s an extremely small room, with virtually no seating. The only food was a waffle machine, a small selection of pastries, a small bowl of fruit, oatmeal, runny scrambled eggs and unappealing sausage patties. Almost every hotel breakfast disappoints compared to my favorite (Hilton Garden Inn), but this was below average even compared to normal hotels. We went to the store later that day and bought Greek yogurt and fruit to eat in our room for breakfast for the rest of our trip.
We went downstairs to get a ride over to the trailer lot. Valet sent us to the concierge desk. Nobody was at the concierge desk, so we went to the line for the front desk. They sent us back to the concierge desk. Eventually someone showed up to help us and after about a 30 minute wait, we got a ride over to the trailer lot.
On our trip, we had two packages delivered to the hotel. It turned out we had to go to the undermanned concierge desk for that, too. For the first package, it took about half an hour to get it. For the second package (the next day), we had to come back THREE times and make numerous phone calls before they could find it. MORE

I stayed here a few days when I was in town for a conference and I enjoy the location as it was just a short drive to a lot of places we needed and a short walk for meals. The staff at check in were extremely friendly and personable, they made the check in process painless and enjoyable. The rooms were a good size and the bathrooms were clean which is always a plus in my book. The remote to the TV was acting up but I noticed pretty early that the TVs could be operated via an app so I just downloaded that for the rest of my stay. Since we were a rather large group we were spread out throughout the hotel and the hallways and carpets on the atrium side looked a lot newer and cleaner than the other side. The lobby amenities were nice for when I didn’t want to sit in my room between sessions. The meeting space was also very upgraded and seemed to have technology but it wasn’t working in at least one of the rooms while we were there, to their advantage they did send a tech. He just happened to come after we were already done.
The only major issue I had was on my last day the toilet stopped working. I called down to the desk and they said they would send someone up right away. It took me calling back down about an hour and a half later to actually get someone. When the guys came up to fix it they were fairly nice but complained to each other about work in earshot which is a huge no-​no for me. If the maintenance guys I work with ever did that there would be issues! Also they never told me what the issue was but left and said it was fixed, only it wasn’t and I still wasn’t able to use the bathroom for the remaining 4.5 hours i was there. Also one minor issue was I hung the door hanger for them not to replace the linens since I was in the room alone and had more than enough for my stay and they just ignored it and replaced them anyway. If I’m trying to be green you should respect that.

I stayed here for a week while at a convention, at the first glance, this hotel is very nice. The room is older, but spacious. The way the lighting was in the room — overly yellow, almost sodium light, it wasn’t the best and made the room seem smaller. White light or blue tint would be better, but it would show dirt.
If you’re a member of their awards program, you’ll get free WiFi, if not, expect to pay $ 9.99 a day. YIKES. The staff was exceedingly friendly and very helpful, except when they weren’t. We had instances where we called for batteries for our remote control, and it didn’t happen at all. Then we called down for new coffee packets, and were told they’d be «right up», and they didn’t come up, in this case, we got a phone call from the staff and they finally sent someone up to us. The same for when I called for a bell cart, I was told 15 minutes, at 45 the front desk called and asked if we had gotten one yet, I said no, so they sent one right up.
2 big complaints: While I was there, they were «testing their fire alarm» and this caused some odd rythmic sound to pulse through the PA system. I was told the sound would stop when they were done. It didn’t. The sound continued through Saturday. When it did stop, I was amazed, because I tend to grab onto things. especially when I’m trying sleep, so that sound made it difficult. And by Friday night the tub/​shower was taking hours to drain. On Sunday morning, the toilet started to act up.

Caseys sports bar and grill
Our server took forever then when she did get to us she sat down at our table and awkward silence… Like are u taking our order or joining us?
Then Our 10 dollar burger was actually a frozen pattie burned and dried which made my daughter puke.
Not friendly staff and terrible food! Highly recommend you go somewhere else like maybe Burger King

The room was some what ok for the money, but the restaurant Casey’s sports grill has awful food. Very outdated and very basic. Too bad we arrived late to go eat somewhere else. There are too many other good hotels and restaurants around to choose this one.

To Whom It May Concern,
I booked a room at the Sheraton Birmingham as soon as it was announced Bassnectar was performing at BJCC New Year’s Eve and made plans with friends from across the country. Thanks to poor management and an unprofessional staff, we missed the beginning of the show we had just spent 10 hours driving to see.
Our check in time was 3 pm December 31^st, along with 7,000 other fans. We arrived to the Sheraton at 2 pm and stood for 2 hours with our luggage in a check in line that went all the way back to the escalator from the sky bridge. When I finally made it to the front desk I was informed our room was not ready and that someone would contact us when we could pick up a room key. So after standing with our luggage for an unacceptable period of time we had no where to go and were forced to sit in the lobby for 2 more hours.
At that point I was beyond fed up. The crowd was thinning as everyone around us got assigned rooms. I decided to check our rooms status at 6 pm (the doors for the concert opened at 6:30). After standing in a line at the unmanned concierge desk for 45 minutes, an employee finally showed up. I watched the woman behind the desk hand room keys to the 2 couples in front of me who were complaining about their wait. She even asked if they would mind a double bed room though they had booked a king bed. When it was my turn in line she told me the double rooms weren’t clean yet (at 6:45 pm, when we were told to arrive at 3 pm) after I just watched her give the room we booked to a couple who booked a king bed room I was furious. I spoke to 3 people before getting a room key to a KING bed room (because that was all that was available) and missed the beginning of the concert. Needless to say my friends who ended up paying $ 75 to sleep on the «airmatress» that never came had a terrible night. We missed half of the concert we just spent a lot of money to see.
The worst part is that after checking out, I received a copy of the bill in my email. I was charged more than what I booked for, for half the amount of beds… Ridiculous! My bill showed a $ 61 room service charge which we did not order or receive. (I actually called the hotel accounting department as soon as I saw the bill, but of course no one was answering.) We were getting ready for the concert until 8:30 and after arriving 2 hours late we were forced to sit at the top of the bleachers. My very expensive New Year’s Eve was a nightmare because of the Sheraton Birmingham. I am not pleased with my experience and felt compelled to share to help others avoid being placed in my situation.

I was going to sit here and write a scathing review, but then I decided ‘fuck this place’. But then again, I’m waiting for a room that should have been ready over 4 hours ago, so there’s plenty of time. Maybe I’ll get a drink… oh, wait, they’re unreasonably priced. Ms. Front Desk said «it’s New Years Eve» like we’re from Mars and didn’t purposefully book a hotel room for the night. This is only the beginning of my stay so there’s a chance it may be redeemed, but regardless, complete bs, will not be back or recommend.

As a very frequent traveler I must say this is by far the worst hotel I’ve stayed at in 10+ years and after many 100’s of stays. If there was a rating below 1 star this place would definitely qualify. The hotel is extremely run down, hallway floors and walls have stains, ceiling tiles are filthy and bugs were in my room, first room. The hotel staff did change my room but didn’t show much remorse or concern…

Stayed an onvernight while travelling cross country.
The good:
1. Rooms are nice enough. Well appointed and clean
2. Attractive lobby
3. Friendly, although not terribly informative, check in staff
3. Free wifi
The bad:
1. They make you pay to park in an parcade overnight. (Unless uou want to street park. If you’re like me, and have a car’s worth of stuff you’re taking cross country, the parcade is the only option)
2. The rooms are built around an open atrium where sound carries. I was woken up at 5 am to the sounds of pop music being played in the kitchen several floors down.
3. There’s not much around in terms of food. Not ideal for those who just want to eat dinner and go to bed.
Overall, perfectly fine if you’re only spending the night, but, unless you have business in the convention center, I don’t recommend an extended stay

The room was nice enough. We stayed here to be across from the convention center. That is the only real plus.
Wish the following were different:
Easy access to power outlets
A mini fridge in the room
The hospitality suite served inedible hors d’oeuvres really need to pick up the quality.
The Hospitality breakfast was better but only minimal items. I expected a bigger selection for the price.
The rooms circumference the interior of the hotel. Noise and voices do carry all the way up to the 16^th floor. If you need quiet bring your ear plugs.

You get a double whammy with this hotel. The hotel itself is extraordinarily dated. Both water knobs were hot water and the executive club lounge was tragic. The service is equally bad. Could not get anyone to answer the guest services line and the woman working the club lounge was unfriendly and was on her cell phone taking personal calls most of the time we were in there.
Clearly poor management as service is a culture and good management cultivates customer centric staff.
Avoid at all cost.

Casey’s Bar & Grill on level 2 has a waitress named Linda that made my stay all the more enjoyable. She usually waitresses at the Atrium but was working at Casey’s during all 3 of my visits (on my business trip). She was so welcoming and lovely to be around! Thank you to the Sheraton for having such an outstanding member of your team!

This hotel may have convenience to boast as far as location but it is lacking in a few areas.
First we requested two double beds and when we arrived at 12 midnight they gave us a king bed (we found up after we trecked all our stuff up to the 10^th floor). I don’t know why it took the staff almost 30 min to understand that we needed two double beds instead of a king but almost an hour after we arrived we received a room with two beds.
Keep in mind this is a very large hotel. When we arrived a couple of very large sports teams were there and kids were hanging out in every nook and cranny of public space in this hotel at 1 am (hallways right next to our door, couches in the lobby, on the floor by the elevator). I found this unacceptable and the staff really should have stepped in. About 5 kids sat outside our door chatting until about 2 am and the walls aren’t that thick. The elevator stopped at nearly every floor as kids kept getting in and out to converse with their friends.
Overall the place is clean and parking is $ 8 a day and kind of a far walk if your toting luggage.
I hope you don’t like to sleep past 9 am because housekeeping arrives before them and you can hear them say «housekeeping, housekeeping, housekeeping» at every door down the hallway.
I don’t think I’d stay here again just based on my first impression.

What a dump.
We decided to stay in Birmingham for the night, thinking we could get a nicer hotel than traveling a little closer to home and overnighting in a smaller city. I took a Priceline express deal of which ended up being $ 105 after taxes and fees.
Greeting us when we got off the elevator was disgusting carpet. It looked like they’d either hosted a huge wedding with a free bar and alcoholic guests, or had hundreds of puppies running loose in the hallway and had never cleaned it. There wasn’t a 2 ft stretch that didn’t have a stain on it.
Our room has a disgusting smell. It looks like a 2 star hotel at best. We have a lovely view… of the roof.
There are zero redeeming qualities in this hotel.

This particular Sheraton is a roach infested flea bag hotel, but on the positive side, I didn’t see any rats, only the remnants of rodents. Disgusting! One other problem, the staff seems charming unless they don’t receive a hefty gratuity. Everyone working here has their hand out for tips, even the cashiers!!! I was overcharged in the dining room, complained to the management, then told to take a walk. Speaking of walking, there are some fairly «Unsavory» types frequenting this place, doesn’t surprise me given the location. Paper thin walls make for a lousy sleep, as do the rock hard mattresses. Into sleep deprivation, frequent this hotel.

Overall we had a good stay. We were attending an event at BJCC and it was very convenient to have adjoining hotel so we could rest during downtime. The staff was friendly and helpful. We had room service for breakfast and it was delicious and arrived promptly.
I found a lot of things very pricey. Parking was $ 12/​day ($ 20 for valet). Internet was $ 10 a day. Saw something on the phone saying local calls were $ 1 each, but I suppose most people have cell phones now. And not sure what the «fees in lieu of tax» that were added on to everything was, but that could be an Alabama thing. I think taxes would be cheaper! Just felt very nickel and dimed.
As tempting as it is to just eat at the atrium restaurants, I would suggest going to some of the Uptown restaurants, easily within walking distance. I had a tired child so we got food from the sports bar, and while it was good it was pricey and had those weird fees.

Believe the bad reviews!
We were driving through Birmingham on the way to the beach and decided to stop overnight.
The location is not ideal unless you are attending a convention. Not many food options around on a Friday night.
The a/​c was turned off in the fitness room. Too bad, it took me 5 miles to figure it out. Shortly thereafter, another patron had to call to ask for more water. He pointed out that it had become his daily chore. On a positive note, someone came with water very quickly.
Now comes the kicker, check out the shower drain. A nasty mess left over from a chemical attack? Did I mention we have Platinum status with SPG? I hate to see what we would have gotten with a regular room…
The place seems to have been an Embassy suites at some point and it is in serious need of some TLC. Valet was $ 22.

Everyone from the van driver, to the front desk, to security has been kind and wonderful to talk to. They are what saved this from a one star review.
However, my room is disgusting. When I walked in, there was a towel hanging over the bathroom door. And when I pulled back the sheets on one of the beds, I was greeted by a nice long hair. The other bed appeared clean, so I’ve settled in for the night. But after I’ve unpacked, I can’t help but notice the floors desperately need to be vacuumed and the tables dusted. I am missing coffee cups and a chair has a broken leg. Also, I look over on the bed side, and there is a hair tie that is not mine.
Like I said, I’m settled in for the night, otherwise I would change rooms, but according to my colleague, his room is not much better, so what is the point?

Pros:
*Conveniently connected to the Convention Center through bridges. I didn’t even have to bring a jacket or go out to the street
*Complimentary shuttle to airport and some local businesses. Drivers are courteous
*Complimentary coffee/​spa water in the lobby
*My room’s hallway opened to a big atrium, nice and bright. Always felt safe
Cons:
*Room can use some updating. I had to unplug the lamp to charge my cellphone
* My shower curtain had something gross stuck on it. I had to clean it after showering, I was so grossed out
* I couldn’t plug the hairdryer in the bathroom outlet! I had to unplug another lamp and dry my hair by the TV
*Front desk could be a little more friendly. I was greeted with «last name?» She did thank me for being a SPG member though
*we had a dinner in the ballroom and weren’t very impressed with the food quality or presentation
*Besides the restaurants in Uptown and the Convention Center, there wasn’t much to do within walking distance. Twice we had to take a cab to go out and eat something different and both times, it took over 20 minutes. Not very convenient
Unilocal 100 Challenge! 2015: ⁷⁄₁₀₀

Stayed here because our Southwest connecting flight was cancelled and we were stranded. Southwest gave us vouchers for a «distressed passenger» rate of $ 49. I gotta admit I was nervous based on other reviews that the hotel was not going to be nice. But I was pleasantly surprised. Rooms wet nice. I have no complaints whatsoever.
Check in was fine. Although I was irritated with one goofy employee who thought it was a great idea to chit chat with people in line instead of getting busy checking us in… I mean really? Then what looked like a manager stepped up and opened another line for us so we wouldn’t have to wait. The other goof ball should be fired.
The next morning a large group of us were waiting for the shuttle back to the airport. One shuttle came and everyone rushed it as it could not fit all of us. At first I was upset that it was not organized by who arrived first but then they assured us a 2^nd shuttle was coming. A few moments later the other shuttle came and the rest of us fit no problem. I have to save the customer service of the girls working that morning was fantastic. They had us leave our luggage so they could load it and insisted we get in the shuttle to stay warm. Very courteous girls.
Great job!