TL;DR

First impressions: Part of Hilton Curio Collection with contemporary stylish interiors
Outside spaces: Quirky buildings, super-cute lobby, and apartment-like atmosphere
Staff: Southern charm and courteous service
Design: Sleek, sharp, and comfortable for a pleasant stay
Overall: Easygoing boutique experience without extreme boldness
Check prices here

At first glance, this boutique hotel, in Homewood, Birmingham, might not have the boutique vibe you’d expect.

Once you take in the surroundings, the outside spaces, and the super-cute lobby, however, we think you’ll understand where we’re coming from.

Sure, it’s part of Hilton’s Curio Collection and you can definitely expect that little bit of cookie-cutter panache.

This is nicely undercut by some quirky buildings across the street and a sort of apartment building atmosphere to the whole complex.

This will shock virtually no one, but the staff has all the southern charm you could ask for.

Interiors are sleek and sharp, the kind of contemporary stylishness that fits well into many different contexts.

Design is nothing extraordinary, but cleverly incorporates that type of beauty that appeals to many different guests.

If you need something with a bold vision to fall in love with, this probably isn’t it, but it’s going to be easy to have a pleasant stay.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 129
Decor: Wooden, gray, bright white with accent walls
Room types: King Singles, Queen Doubles, Cumberland Suite, accessible options
Amenities: Blackout curtains, working areas, LCD TVs, mini fridges, adjustable thermostats
Extra touches: Corner rooms, sofa beds, balconies, city views
See each room in detail here

Again, the decor in the rooms is a bit generic, but it has a few nice touches. The main gist is wooden and gray and bright white and, if you’re lucky, an accent wall.

All in all, it’s definitely hotel-y, and this shows the most in the rooms.

Sizes and types range from 300 square foot King Singles to the 750 square foot 1-bedroom Cumberland Suite.

Queen Doubles and plenty of accessibility options fill out a wide variety of room types. This includes rooms with views, rooms with roll-in showers and hearing-accessible amenities.

There are reports of some mix-ups with third-party booking services pertaining to accessible room options, so we recommend contacting the hotel directly with any concerns.

Everyone will enjoy the same levels of Hilton-approved luxury. Rooms have black out curtains, working areas, LCD TVs with premium channels, seating, mini fridges, and adjustable thermostats.

Extra luxuries include window-coated corner rooms, sofa beds, balconies, and city views.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

On-site dining: Ironwood Kitchen serves robust Southern classics
Café: Small café with espresso and pastries
Fitness: On-site fitness center
Business: Business center available for work needs

In our opinion, it’s the on site restaurant(s) that really gives the hotel it’s zhuzh.

Ironwood Kitchen is a sultry space filled with leather couches, antique curios and a steel-and-fire color scheme that perfectly matches their ethos.

They’re open all day, serving southern classics in a very typical, robust style. There’s lots of meat, lots of butter, and no apologies for either of these things.

It’s definitely not a place to eat on the cheap, and you might find yourself exploring the rest of Homewood’s dining options, but we recommending taking at least one meal here.

If you prefer lighter breakfasts, there is also a cute little café with an adjoining terrace. They’ve got all the espresso you could need and a small selection of pastries.

There is also a fitness center for our more active friends. Those in Birmingham for work have a business center available as well.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Location: Homewood, a bit out of the way but pleasant for drives
Local amenities: Restaurants, bars, cafés, Homewood Central Park
Nearby attractions: Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Vulcan Park and Museum
Downtown access: Museum of Art, Legacy Arena, Civil Rights Institute about 10 minutes away
University: University of Alabama Birmingham nearby

Homewood is a bit out of the way compared to the rest of the city. It’s a nice distance, in our opinion, if you’re okay to drive to the center.

This is mostly true because there’s enough to do within the neighborhood to keep most travelers pretty happy.

There are cute restaurants, bars and cafés just around the corner, and Homewood Central Park isn’t a bad place to take a stroll.

Adventurous walkers will be able to get to the Birmingham Zoo and Botanical Gardens on foot, or it’s a super-easy 6-minute drive.

The walk to the Vulcan Park and Museum is not super exciting, but it’s only 15 minutes and the museum is full of interesting artwork and exhibitions.

To get to Downtown Birmingham you’ll want wheels, but it’s only 10 minutes to the Museum of Art, Legacy Arena, and the Civil Rights Institute.

University of Alabama Birmingham is about the same distance, a very easy commute for anyone visiting campus.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“My husband and I live in California. My sister lives in Birmingham Alabama. We stayed here two years ago and had the best experience. We just were there this past weekend and had the same great experience. The finishes, the touches the rooms the lobby everything about this hotel is incredible. I honestly think it’s one of my favorite hotels ever….”

“The facilities were beautiful! Well kept,clean. The staff very friendly and fun to talk to. The restaurant was absolutely incredible! Overall a fantastic experience!!..”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”The exhaust fans in the bathroom was disconnected. the front desk said they were installed to come on as needed but were too sensitive and would turn on in the middle of the night. The front desk said people complained so they were disconnected….”

”A little pricey….”

> Read all the reviews right here