The Hotel Highland, Birmingham

The first thing that I noticed was that once I parked, I couldn't get in. All the doors were locked, and that made me wonder what kind of neighborhood it was. Once I did get in, I wished I hadn't. The room was stuffy, and the a/c didn't work well; in fact, the bathroom NEVER became comfortable. According to the sign posted near the so-called temperature control, the a/c won't run at all unless the outside temperature is at a certain point - it will just blow "steam" if you leave it on. The lighting in the room was extremely poor; I enjoy reading at night, but that was difficult with the dim lights. The so-called kitchen area was tiny and in a corner so dark that it was hard to use. There was a crater in the floor that I kept stumbling over. And the crowning touch was that when I tried to take a shower, I ended up standing in water over my ankles because the tub wouldn't drain. I was supposed to be there 3 nights - I checked out after ONE night and went elsewhere.

We stayed the hotel highland for a friends 21st birthday and Had a blast. when we arrived we just parked ourselves and had to pay a $4 parking fee...We left the car there the entire time. The lobby was very hip and inviting as was the lady who checked us in. Our rooms were great, comfy beds, and even came equipped with an Ihome. Our only problem was four girls trying to get ready in one room...we tripped the breaker twice. But the staff was very quick to fix the problem both times and were very very nice about it. We walked everywhere even to eat. We took a cab to two bars, which was really cheap on a saturday night. We will be returning customers if we ever go back to birmingham! It was even cheaper than the marriott! Great Price!

Our family had an emergency and had to come to UAB, of which we needed several hotel rooms. We called the Courtyard as it was right there, however, we got a MUCH better rate at the Hotel Highland, and it was a suite with a connecting room.....it was amazing and comfortable! Free breakfast was a nice surprise the next day. It was nice being able to walk to all the different restaurants instead of hospital food. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. Our family highly suggest that people stay at this establishment, as we felt like we have a home there! It is wonderful. Plus they have robes to use, that was a nice surprise as well.

I am sitting in the hotel's business center and we stayed last night. We had to come for UAB orientation. I must tell you this little hotel is the greatest. You can walk to local bars and pubs and the food choices with in the block are worldly it is like being in a little section of new your with everything available with a block and then they are just off campus. I booked for next month for my parents to come back. Melissa at the desk is great and just call for a UAB rate. The only downside is the valet parking is $18 but they are connected to a great city deck for $5. We did valet, I love just walking the door and the pull your car around and carry all your luggage. This Place is a must....

WE PAID ONLINE AND MADE RESERVATIONS AND RECEIVED ONE PRICE. AT CHECK OUT WE RECEIVED A DIFFERENT PRICE. AFTER RETURNING HOME THEY OVERCHARGED THE ACCOUNT OVER 100.00+. I WISH I HAD READ THIS BEFORE HAND, SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE CREDIT CARD SCAMMERS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAY THERE MAKE SURE YOU PAY WITH CASH AND GET A RECEPT THEN!!!!!

Overall, this is a charming place to stay for the price and very well located for most business or pleasure trips to Birmingham. I would recommend it, highly! Found the staff to be very helpful and accommodating. Mentioned we were there for a special occaision and they upgraded us to a corner suite at no added charge. The overall experience was great and will definetly plan to stay here again! The room was very spacious and well furnished and the extra space was nice, but the standard room would have been perfectly adequate for us. Found the bed a bit to firm and the linens a bit to coarse for our taste and the bath could use a few more towel racks, but a small negative, overall. The bath was a bit small, but not unexpected, as it is an older property that has been very tastefully restored (the lobby decor is a bit over the top for my taste, but fortunately not replicated in the room). The area is one of the best in Birmingham for dining, but Monday night is not the best time to stay, as many of the area's better restaurants are closed, as was the hotel bar. We didn't have to go to far to find a great restaurant (Bottega), but we did have to get the car out of valet parking in order to get to it. It is best to pay for valet parking, as the closest public parking is around the back of the hotel and just wouldn't want to fool with it for the $10 additional charge. The hotel offers a decent, pretty standard breakfast included in the room charge. Shopping in the area is limited, but by car you can get to quality stores readily.

Love this hotel! Our mother was having surgery @ UAB and we had to be there @ 5 a.m. so it was necessary to stay close in town. After checking numerous places to stay I stumbled upon this hotel on the Priceline website. After calling the hotel and talking with Melissa I decided to book the hotel with her. What a great decision! Our mom had never stayed in anything better than a Holiday Inn and she thought that would be the kind of place we were staying.... Surprise!!! And she was. We were given the handicap room we were promised, the porters were most helpful, check in was a delight... then the room. How wonderfully appointed; a treat for all four of us girls. Very Manhattan-esque. Extra clean, more than enough towels, pillow choices galore, spa style soaps, and bottled water. Two of us sisters will be returning with our husbands for a get-away. We missed the breakfast but heard it was also very nice. You should stay here instead of the usual dirty, beaten-down places downtown!

The staff was extremely kind and accommodating, even to the point of not charging us after our original reason for being in Birmingham was canceled and we opted to go home rather than stay (of course, we had not used the room at all at that point, although we had checked in). We re-booked for a week later and when we got there they upgraded our room at no additional charge. The martini bar was nice & the breakfast was quite pleasant. Only a couple of minor aesthetic downsides: the top to the toilet tank did not fit and was a different color than the rest of the toilet and the bathroom ceiling had been repaired rather sloppily (given the lovely condition of the rest of the room). Still an excellent value. Would definitely stay again!

The staff was kind and courteous. The lobby looks like Dr. Zuess decorated it. The rooms were tastefully decorated, however. The rooms were clean and very comfortable. If you don't like the pillow on your bed, you can ask for several different choices of pillow that they offer. It had an ipod radio and even bathrobes were provided. The other amenities we enjoyed were the free breakfast and wireless internet. Don't get too excited about working out there. One piece of equipment was not commercial grade and the other was out of service. If the equipment gets fixed, it will be passable. Parking that is only $4 is found in the back of the hotel in a parking garage. To have them park it is $18. You must walk up and down a significant hill to get to UAB, but I preferred walking rather than having to fight to find a parking place on campus. I would stay here again.

Very trendy contemporary. A different experience for those who like to try different hotels. Reminded me of a very affordable and nicer New York East Village hotel. The suite was quite nice with the small kitchen area, sitting (eating) area and lounging area with flat screen. The bedroom was huge and sunny. Great details down to the shades and curtains. Great rehab. Before I went, people I new from Birmingham told me how old the Pickwick was and that I might want to reconsider. But they did a great job getting the "old" feeling out of the hotel changing it from the Pickwick to Hotel Highland. The piped music in the hallways was a nice touch. Will definitely go back. The continental breakfast had a huge assortment and the layout was very pleasing with nice dishes and all amenities.