Britannia

Coventry is Lady Godiva’s city, and the Britannia hotel is located in the heart of it. The hotel is located within walking distance of the main tourist attractions of the city—the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, the Museum of Transport, and the University of Coventry. It is also near a Sainsbury’s grocery store and a main bus station. The Birmingham Airport is only 9 minutes away.

A couple of points about the hotel. Smoking is allowed in the lobby and permeates the stairwells to the rooms. The hotel restaurant offers sub-par food—it’s uninventive, bland, and way overpriced. However, the hotel staff was very friendly and helpful.

The rooms themselves are small. Although the hotel is designed to be ultra-modern, it’s in serious need of updating and repair. The outside is stained, gray, and streaked with soot from the nearby industrial plants. Our room had stained and ripped sheets, a tatty blanket, and a television with more static than channels.

The tasteful lobby is the nicest part of the building, and gives a false impression to the other areas of the hotel. Additionally, since the Britannia is located in a college town, the outside noise and rowdiness at night can disturb a night’s rest.

In short, this is a hotel to avoid.