Copthorne hotel review (6.5/10) ” Good facilities but some hidden or hard to operate”.
Room 501
Good
” Quick and easy checkin with central location”.
” Comfortable beds placed well for TV viewing”.
” Quirky homely decor with plenty of glass and mirrors”.
” Good view from window”.
Bad
” Tea in the wardrobe ? ?”.
” Keycard was deactivated once, despite no mobile phone contact”.
” Lock on bathroom was not working”.
” WIFI only lasted for 24 hours”.
Before arriving at the room the corridors felt warm, homely and characterful. Potted plants were present giving things a more organic feel which I approved of. The lift had a floor which was clearly designated to a gym and other facilities. This had clarity and felt practical.
The WIFI password was provided along with my room keycard which was better than the Mountford hotel of Liverpool which made things less clear.
The room had quirky decoration which made the stay pleasant along with it’s spaciousness. It had the up to date key card activation system which was highly modern if admittedly not my favourite. This is featured in many hotels such as Raddison blu in central Leeds. The chairs in the room were comfortable and placed sensibly and practically; One for TV viewing and the other for desk seating. The lamp had a spiral stem and multiple cupboards were hidden behind mirrors much like the magic beans in Harry Potter.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere was relaxed, clean and professional which gave out a very pleasant vibe. The gym facilities, decoration and practicality of the stay without really missing anything, kept the positive and rather charming atmosphere sustained. Staff were friendly, polite and helpful and quick for which I had nothing but praise.
Tea provisions
Harder to locate than a stick insect in autumn… There were no tea provisions I could notice for the first night of my stay. Fortunately I managed to locate them in my room by the second evening in the wardrobe ???
This was a shame since what was provided appeared rather good…
There was a larger kettle than many of the places I had stayed at previously. It certainly put the Holiday Inn Express of Holiday street Birmingham to shame in that respect. There were reasonably sized mugs, 4 semi skimmed UHT containers, 4 teabags including Breakfast and Earl grey, 3 sachets of brown and white sugar and 2 sweetener tablets.
This was sufficient for 4 cups of tea with 2 sugars and milk which is great
These were replaced well on room servicing…
There was also a trio of chocolate cream biscuits which kept things on par with Double tree by Hilton of Lincoln and the Days inn of Bristol.
Overall then, not bad tea making facilities. With plugs next to a desk and seats provided it did beg the question though, why hide everything in a wardrobe ? …
Community areas
Corridors were clean and cozy. Lifts worked well with a key card activation system for added security. The separate floor for the gym was good with respect to layout. No loud noise could be heard throughout the stay which made the soundproofing appear delightful.
The reception area had adequate seating with large windows at the hotel frontage for a spacious and modern feel.
There was a wait for the lifts on occasion but nothing excessive. Parking facilities were highly impressive with a rather extensive car park on site.
Price
At £53 pounds per night at weekends for a twin room per guest, the value certainly seemed good. This was not much over a Travelodge basic hotel which would not have the character or facilities present here. This was highly promising especially when central location and room size is considered.
Washing and cleaning
The shower was responsive and had good pressure. Despite the bathroom having both shower and bath facilities with clear instructions beside for shower use, the bathroom door had a lock which didn’t work and the door was rather heavy.
A hairdryer was apparent but hidden in a cupboard. The shampoo sachet was singular and only a very small travel tube. This was not as practical as the almost giant vessel present at the Birmingham Holiday inn express of Holiday street.
Mirrors were full height except the bathroom 3/4 height mirror and there were at least 3 distributed near the bathroom.
This was great for checking my hair and tie …
Towels were thick and effective for drying and at least 3 were provided which seemed sufficient for 2. These were replaced reliably on room service although 2 shampoos were provided with no body wash replacement which could have proved a minor inconvenience.
2 quilted toilet rolls were provided which was good.
A hairdryer was present which worked fine. Over 4 plug sockets were provided which between 2, seemed sufficient. The hidden wardrobe had only 5 hangers. At least these were made of wood rather than plastic.
Chilling in your room
The beds were comfy, despite no backrest support being provided for comfortable TV viewing, unlike in Birmingham. The TV had no clear instructions and I couldn’t get it to work … I may be slightly inept with technology but hadn’t struggled with any of the TV’s I had viewed at other establishments. This just showed a small window which appeared to just display constant adverts. I quickly got bored and switched it off …
At least I had some programs to watch on my iPad … For the second night … Oh no wait !
WIFI had to be renewed everyday which was tedious although access was simple with the password provided on checkin… This meant that the second night of my stay was without entertainment. A bit disappointing … Some places do connect automatically with just an email address moreover which I personally prefer as you don’t need anyone else to give you information to connect.
It was a shame about the WIFI but especially the TV problems, since the beds were strategically placed for effective viewing along with one of the room seats. The TV signal also seemed good as well as it’s picture quality. This further tormented me when it wouldn’t find channels properly.
The wardrobe cupboard and cupboard opposite contained ironing facilities and a hairdryer.
This ticked all the boxes if you could find them on the form in the first place …
The beds were comfortable and serviced well without excessive duvet thickness for the time of year. The 2 single beds were well placed for TV viewing and not too close together which was great. I did sleep well but admittedly I did remove one of the pillows and cushions which were replaced the same on the second night without consideration for my guest preference.
That said the pillow was highly comfy.
Customer service
Staff were quick and helpful on checkin which didn’t take long at all. This was refreshingly pleasant after Ipswich and Birmingham checkin delays.
The room was clean, comfy and well decorated for a relaxed stay. The setup was a little impractical however with some items hidden or facilities not working well.
Summary
A spacious, quirky and well facilitated stay with technological practicality appearing lacking. Comfortable sleeping, gym facilities, polite staff and quick checkin did considerably make up for hidden tea, temporary wifi and a frustrating TV though.
Follow OUR Socials
Blog Homepage: (reasea.org)
Instagram: Reaseaorg (@reaseaorg) • Instagram photos and videos
Facebook: (1) Reaseaorg | Facebook
YouTube: Reaseaorg Reaseaorg – YouTube
Redbubble cards: → Ben Hattrell Shop | Redbubble ←
Buy your Greetings, Christmas and Postcards to support us:)
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/reaseaorg/subscribe <– Subscribe for £0.99/mo
Reasonedandseasoned 