Need some good advise on hotel room for the night. The family will be heading to Destin and making an overnight stop in B'ham. I-65 is our route coming from Lexington.
Any suggestions for hotels? Would like something that's close to places to eat, etc.
If it's not too difficult to get in and out of downtown, I wouldn't mind staying down there for more things to see and do for the short time we are there.

Coming in on a Friday and heading out on a Saturday morning.

Thanks in advance!

(04-26-2018 01:26 PM)SVHerd Wrote:  Need some good advise on hotel room for the night. The family will be heading to Destin and making an overnight stop in B'ham. I-65 is our route coming from Lexington.
Any suggestions for hotels? Would like something that's close to places to eat, etc.
If it's not too difficult to get in and out of downtown, I wouldn't mind staying down there for more things to see and do for the short time we are there.

Coming in on a Friday and heading out on a Saturday morning.

Thanks in advance!

The have a really nice mall in Hoover, Alabama. Just a suggestion. Hoover is about 10 miles or so from Birmingham.

Mall

clt says go to Dothan and see the peanuts

I'll get some suggestions to you tonight... got a budget range in mind? Age of kiddos?

Advice* = noun
Advise = verb

also, pro tip: UAB has a board on this site. You're welcome to come ask us over there any time.

There are quite a bit of places downtown you could stay. The Westin at Uptown may fit what you're looking for, being right next to several restaurants, SEC HQ, AL Sports HOF, Top Golf, etc. If you're looking for a tourist type of thing, then you should definitely do the Vulcan statue/Vulcan Park. It's $4 per person to go up the statue, but there are still some great views you can see just walking around the park if you don't want to spring for what is essentially a $4 elevator ride.

Here's a tip use priceline and their express deals you will get a expensive hotel at a cut rate price. This is a blind pick it just tells you a location and how many stars and the rating with # of reviews. From that it's easy to find which hotel you are getting. We used this for the CUSA tourney and picked correctly every time

https://www.priceline.com/stay/search/ho...rRatings=4
I checked and after I found a 4 star with express deal I went back and looked for 4 star hotels in that area

I found the Westin Birmingham was the only hotel that fit the 4 star with a 8+ rating and over 400 review
0.15 miles from Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (B

This is next to the convention center where the CUSA tourney was played

$121 for a hotel listed






If you don't want to pay that much or want a different area there's a menu on the right. Put in your requirements and search. You really can find so nice hotels at lower type of hotel prices

Thanks guys. Price range is not a big deal but will only use the hotel to sleep, and move on.
I have Marriott and Hilton points. More curious as to a good location.

It depends on your budget.

Gardendale has 2 ok hotels and cracker barrel, BWW, shrimp basket, Waffle House
Fultondale (my choice) that has 2 or 3 hotels that is close to Waffle House, Burger King, Whataburger, Outback, etc etc
Both of these areas are only 5 mins from each other on I-65.

The Westin Is Ok, pricey. Not to close to breakfast but a Mugshots, Pizza place,

Your next best Place would be Academy Drive in Bessemer. Hotels and restaurants

(04-26-2018 03:31 PM)rook360 Wrote:  It depends on your budget.

Gardendale has 2 ok hotels and cracker barrel, BWW, shrimp basket, Waffle House
Fultondale (my choice) that has 2 or 3 hotels that is close to Waffle House, Burger King, Whataburger, Outback, etc etc
Both of these areas are only 5 mins from each other on I-65.

The Westin Is Ok, pricey. Not to close to breakfast but a Mugshots, Pizza place,

Your next best Place would be Academy Drive in Bessemer. Hotels and restaurants

Thanks very much. We’ll check them out.

I'll give you some suggestions of hotels that are no more than a couple miles off I-65 and within walking distance of casual restaurants (since you are just traveling through):

Downtown - Uptown District
*Sheraton Hotel (Starwood) $150
within one block of http://www.uptownbham.com/ - TopGolf, Todd English PUB, Texas de Brazil, Cantina Laredo, Eugene's Hot Chicken, The Southern Kitchen & Bar, Octane Coffee, Mugshots Burgers, and Your Pie pizza

Downtown - Parkside/UAB
*Hilton Garden Inn $118
*Courtyard Marriott $140
http://www.railroadpark.org/index.php
http://www.barons.com
Within walking distance of Railroad Park, B'ham Barons Baseball (fireworks on Friday gamedays; one of the best minor league parks in America), Pies & Pints, Momma Goldbergs, Glorybound Gyros, Milo's Hamburgers, Tortuga's Pizza, Good People Brewing Co. (different food truck every evening)

Downtown - 5 Points South/UAB
*Doubletree
*Residence Inn
*Homewood Suites
*Hotel Indigo
(all $115-$200 depending on the night)
http://www.fivepointsbham.com/
Walk to: Insomnia Cookies, Surin West, Jim n Nicks BBQ, Black Market Bar and Grill, Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Little Italy's Pizza, 5 Point Public House & Oyster Bar, J. Clyde, Delta Blues Tamales, Chez Fon Fon, Charlemagne Records, Brennan's Irish Pub, Waffle House, Chick-fil-A, and a few 5-star restaurants I won't name here
Disclaimer: Maybe not the neighborhood to be out late with the kids


This is what I do with my out-of-state family...
Aloft Birmingham - Soho Square $139
Directions from I-65 South: https://goo.gl/maps/7MnFp5CCVt32 (fastest route) https://goo.gl/maps/Jzr3pjnsYfz (detour through UAB, scenic overlook, past Vulcan statue)
You've been in the car all day and are ready to stretch your legs. Take a left when you exit the hotel lobby and head down 29th St. Turn left onto 18th St and then right onto Reese St... keep walking until you get to Little Donkey. Great Tex-Mex and fried chicken. Then get popsicles at Steel City Pops next door or hit Red Hills Brewing (also next door). Head back the way you came, but go past 29th to O'Henry's for coffee/2nd dessert. Before you leave the next morning, walk directly across the street to Big Bad Breakfast.

(04-27-2018 04:06 AM)UABslant Wrote:  I'll give you some suggestions of hotels that are no more than a couple miles off I-65 and within walking distance of casual restaurants (since you are just traveling through):

Downtown - Uptown District
*Sheraton Hotel (Starwood) $150
within one block of http://www.uptownbham.com/ - TopGolf, Todd English PUB, Texas de Brazil, Cantina Laredo, Eugene's Hot Chicken, The Southern Kitchen & Bar, Octane Coffee, Mugshots Burgers, and Your Pie pizza

Downtown - Parkside/UAB
*Hilton Garden Inn $118
*Courtyard Marriott $140
http://www.railroadpark.org/index.php
http://www.barons.com
Within walking distance of Railroad Park, B'ham Barons Baseball (fireworks on Friday gamedays; one of the best minor league parks in America), Pies & Pints, Momma Goldbergs, Glorybound Gyros, Milo's Hamburgers, Tortuga's Pizza, Good People Brewing Co. (different food truck every evening)

Downtown - 5 Points South/UAB
*Doubletree
*Residence Inn
*Homewood Suites
*Hotel Indigo
(all $115-$200 depending on the night)
http://www.fivepointsbham.com/
Walk to: Insomnia Cookies, Surin West, Jim n Nicks BBQ, Black Market Bar and Grill, Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Little Italy's Pizza, 5 Point Public House & Oyster Bar, J. Clyde, Delta Blues Tamales, Chez Fon Fon, Charlemagne Records, Brennan's Irish Pub, Waffle House, Chick-fil-A, and a few 5-star restaurants I won't name here
Disclaimer: Maybe not the neighborhood to be out late with the kids


This is what I do with my out-of-state family...
Aloft Birmingham - Soho Square $139
Directions from I-65 South: https://goo.gl/maps/7MnFp5CCVt32 (fastest route) https://goo.gl/maps/Jzr3pjnsYfz (detour through UAB, scenic overlook, past Vulcan statue)
You've been in the car all day and are ready to stretch your legs. Take a left when you exit the hotel lobby and head down 29th St. Turn left onto 18th St and then right onto Reese St... keep walking until you get to Little Donkey. Great Tex-Mex and fried chicken. Then get popsicles at Steel City Pops next door or hit Red Hills Brewing (also next door). Head back the way you came, but go past 29th to O'Henry's for coffee/2nd dessert. Before you leave the next morning, walk directly across the street to Big Bad Breakfast.

Awesome! Thanks very much. The last option sounds great.

(04-27-2018 07:43 AM)SVHerd Wrote:  Awesome! Thanks very much. The last option sounds great.

Just a heads up that most of the retail shops in that area close around 6:00pm, but there are two malls within a 5-10 minute drive of the hotel: Brookwood Village (Target, Macy's, Books-a-Million, Fresh Market) and The Summit (Williams Sonoma, Belk, Banana Republic, Saks 5th Ave, AMC Movie Theatre)

From a fellow outsider:

The McWane (sp?) Science Center in B'Ham is awesome.

Also, South of Montgomery, I hear they have just opened Alabama Safari Park recently. We plan on taking the kids this summer.

Full Moon BBQ is the real deal, as well.

(04-27-2018 11:48 AM)KAjunRaider Wrote:  From a fellow outsider:

The McWane (sp?) Science Center in B'Ham is awesome.

Also, South of Montgomery, I hear they have just opened Alabama Safari Park recently. We plan on taking the kids this summer.

Full Moon BBQ is the real deal, as well.

McWane is great for families with kids middle school and younger (kids 6 and under will love McWane's Itty Bitty Magic City) and next door is the Pizitz Food Hall, which is hard to beat for lunch or an early dinner (some of the food stalls close early).

Full Moon has respectable BBQ and a big menu. I'd personally recommend Saw's BBQ. The original location of Saw's is in the Edgewood neighborhood, but Saw's Soul Kitchen in Avondale and Saw's Juke Joint in Crestline are also fantastic.