Birmingham's BEST Lakefront Hotel? Drury Inn & Suites Review!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we're diving HEADFIRST into the swirling, shimmering, and frankly, sometimes slightly chaotic world of the Drury Inn & Suites in Birmingham. And let me tell you, this isn't your grandma's hotel review. We're talking honest-to-goodness, real-life Drury Inn experience, the good, the… well, the memorable. Is it Birmingham's BEST Lakefront Hotel? We'll get to that. But before we do, let's untangle this glorious, sprawling mess of things they offer.
(Disclaimer: This review is based on my own, hopefully accurate, observations and personal preferences. Your mileage, as they say, may vary. Also, I'm prone to tangents. Consider yourself warned.)
First Impressions & the Lakefront Dream (or is it?)
Okay, so the lakefront. That's the hook, right? The promise of placid waters, gentle breezes, and maybe even a romantic sunset serenade. YES. It delivers. The view from my room? (Let's be real, I usually stay in the cheapest room, but let's pretend I got the "VIP Experience" for kicks). The view was actually pretty darn spectacular. The lake glistened, the ducks quacked, and for a fleeting, beautiful moment, I felt like I was in a Hallmark movie. A slightly more affordable, slightly less perfect Hallmark movie, but still. Beautiful.
- Accessibility: (Let's get the important stuff out of the way). They've got accessibility. I'm not wheelchair-bound, but I saw elevators (essential!), and the lobby seemed pretty easy to navigate. No major complaints on initial glance. I'm assuming things like wheelchair-accessible rooms are available, but best to call ahead and make sure you get exactly what you need!
- Check-in/out [express]: This? HUGE time saver. I’m not a patient person.
- Check-in/out [private]: Didn't see it, but hey, maybe they're hiding it!
- CCTV in common areas, CCTV outside property, Front desk [24-hour], Security [24-hour]: I like to feel safe. These things help.
- Doorman: No doorman, just FYI.
The Room – My Tiny, Temporary Kingdom (and the Internet Struggles!)
Alright, the room. The heart of the experience. Now, I'm going to be real with you. I've stayed in some hotels that look like they were decorated by a committee of beige-loving grandmas. The Drury? Not quite that bad. It was… functional. Let's call it functional.
I’m seeing a non-smoking room, which is a godsend. I’m seeing Air conditioning, thank heavens! You want that in Birmingham.
- Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens: Check, check, pretty much check on most of the essentials. However. the Wi-Fi… ah, the Wi-Fi. We had a moment. Several moments, in fact. The kind of moment where you contemplate throwing your laptop out the window. Eventually, it worked (mostly). God bless, you want free Wi-Fi, it is free.
I'm also seeing additional toilet, which is a sign of a good hotel in my opinion.
The Food – Breakfast, a Crucible of Emotions
The Breakfast. THIS is where the Drury Inn REALLY shines (or at least, glitters). This is not your lukewarm continental breakfast, people. We're talking HOT, abundant, carb-tastic goodness. Waffles, eggs, sausage, the works. It's a buffet, so Breakfast [buffet]. It's a warzone, sometimes. A delicious, buttery warzone.
- Breakfast [buffet]: YES, and it's a good one.
- Breakfast service, Breakfast takeaway service: YES and YES.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant, Coffee shop: Coffee flowing freely.
- Asian breakfast: Didn't see it.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant, International cuisine in restaurant, Western cuisine in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant: Can't vouch for the full Asian or international spread, but they generally have good options to accommodate vegetarians.
- Bottle of water: Usually, yes!
- Poolside bar, Bar: Didn't see it.
- Desserts in restaurant, Snack bar: didn't see it.
- Happy hour: Very happy hour. Solid snacks.
- Room service [24-hour]: I think so? Maybe call to verify.
- Restaurants: Many options nearby.
- A la carte in restaurant, Alternative meal arrangement, Buffet in restaurant, Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant: I didn't see these.
Ways to Relax – Spa Dreams and Fitness Realities
Okay, real talk. I did not hit the spa. I'm more of a "lie in bed and watch bad TV" kind of relaxer. However, the Drury offers spa-related amenities.
- Body scrub, Body wrap, Foot bath, Massage, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom: I saw mentions of these, but no definite "THIS is the spa!" situation.
- Fitness center, Gym/fitness, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]: The Fitness center was there! They have an outdoor swimming pool, which is what matters on a hot Birmingham day. I didn't use the pool, so don't ask.
Cleanliness and Safety – The Pandemic Era Shuffle
Let's be honest, we’re all thinking about this these days. How clean is it? How safe is it?
- Anti-viral cleaning products, Cashless payment service, Daily disinfection in common areas, Hand sanitizer, Hygiene certification, Individually-wrapped food options, Physical distancing of at least 1 meter, Professional-grade sanitizing services, Room sanitization opt-out available, Rooms sanitized between stays, Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Staff trained in safety protocol, Sterilizing equipment: All of that is music to my germ-fearing ears. I felt safe.
- Doctor/nurse on call, First aid kit: Always a good sign.
For the Kids – The Babysitting Predicament
- Babysitting service, Family/child friendly, Kids facilities, Kids meal: I am not a parent. But I’m pretty sure this place is family friendly.
Services and Conveniences – The Little Things That Matter
The Drury understands the importance of the little things.
- Air conditioning in public area, Audio-visual equipment for special events, Business facilities, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Convenience store, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments, Facilities for disabled guests, Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, Indoor venue for special events, Invoice provided, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Meeting/banquet facilities, Meetings, Meeting stationery, On-site event hosting, Outdoor venue for special events, Projector/LED display, Safety deposit boxes, Seminars, Shrine, Smoking area, Terrace, Wi-Fi for special events, Xerox/fax in business center: They're loaded!
Things to Do – Unleash the Birmingham Explorer (or the TV Remote)
- Things to do: Okay, Birmingham has stuff. Museums, parks, restaurants (see above!). The Drury, however, is probably not the main draw of your trip. It's a great base camp, though.
Getting Around – From Airport to Adventure (and Back Again)
- Airport transfer, Bicycle parking, Car park [free of charge], Car park [on-site], Car power charging station, Taxi service, Valet parking: All the above.
- Getting around They offer free parking!
The Verdict: Is the Drury Inn & Suites, Birmingham’s BEST Lakefront Hotel?
Alright, the big question. Is the Drury Inn & Suites the absolute best? Maybe not. Is it a solid, reliable, comfortable, and frankly, delicious option? YES. The lakefront view is a serious bonus! The breakfast is legendary. The location is pretty good. The staff, in my experience, have been pleasant and helpful. Let’s give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars for the sake of this review! It's not perfect, but
Escape to Paradise: Hilton Orangeburg's Sparkling Getaway (SC)
Alright, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't your grandma's travel brochure. We're diving headfirst into my Drury Inn & Suites Birmingham Lakeshore Drive adventure. Consider this less an itinerary, and more a chronicle of potential chaos, punctuated by the occasional decent meal and the desperate hope of a functioning coffee machine.
Day 1: Arrival and the Art of Avoiding Highway Hell
- Time: Midday (ish, depends on how long it takes me to wrestle my suitcase into submission).
- Destination: Drury Inn & Suites Birmingham Lakeshore Drive.
- Transportation: My trusty (and occasionally temperamental) Toyota Corolla.
- The Premise: Arrive in Birmingham, attempt to navigate without bursting into tears, locate the hotel, and pray the parking lot isn't a complete free-for-all.
- The Reality: Okay, so I thought I routed myself cleverly. Google Maps, bless its predictive heart, lied. Turns out, Birmingham rush hour on a Tuesday is a special kind of torture. I swear, I saw a cloud of road rage actually materialize. Honking, weaving, the whole shebang. Arrived at the hotel feeling like I had aged a decade.
- Hotel Check-in: Found it! The Drury Inn. Ah, the shimmering beacon of free snacks and, praise the heavens, a pool. Check-in was surprisingly painless. The front desk lady was a saint (or maybe just highly caffeinated). She gave me the "welcome to Birmingham" spiel with a genuine smile. Instant mood lift.
- Room Reconnaissance: The room was… well, it was a hotel room. Clean enough. A little generic, like it was designed for a catalog, not a human. But hey, free Wi-Fi, a fridge, and a bed that hopefully won't try to murder me in my sleep.
- Evening: After a short nap, I decided to eat. I went to a dive bar called "The Garage Cafe", it was a bit of a walk, but a pleasant one. I had some beers and a pretty good burger. I'm not sure what I was doing, I'm sure it was a lot of things.
- Thoughts: "I need a drink. A strong drink. And maybe to never drive again. Ever."
Day 2: The Civil Rights Movement & Emotional Overload
- Time: Early morning (after I navigate the breakfast chaos).
- Destination: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park.
- Transportation: Uber (I’m avoiding the car at all costs today. My nerves can't take it).
- The Premise: A sobering and thought-provoking dose of history. Prepare to be deeply moved.
- The Reality: Okay, this was… intense. The Civil Rights Institute was powerful, a punch to the gut in the best possible way. The exhibits are incredible, the stories heartbreaking. I wandered through the museum for hours, completely engrossed. I almost started crying. It just… hits you, the injustice. And I felt so grateful.
- 16th Street Baptist Church: I have no words. Standing there, looking at the stained-glass windows, some of which are still broken. That's a physical embodiment of the hate and the sadness. Pure, raw emotion. I took a moment to breathe. It felt right.
- Kelly Ingram Park: Just across the road. The sculptures of the children facing water hoses and dogs. You just look at it and think, "How could they do that?!" The pain is real, the anger fresh. I needed to sit down for a while after that. Not a fun moment. Truly.
- Lunch: Found a cute little diner downtown, ate a greasy-spoon burger and pretended I wasn't still carrying the weight of history on my shoulders.
- Evening: Pool time! Followed by the free evening snacks at the Drury! I ended up eating way too many hot dogs and drinking way too many beers.
- Thoughts: "I'm still processing everything I saw today. It's a reminder of how far we've come, and how damn far we still have to go." "God bless America" (sarcastically)
Day 3: Retail Therapy and the Unexpected Delight of a Waffle
- Time: Morning (or at least, "somewhat before noon").
- Destination: The Summit (a shopping center).
- Transportation: Back in the Corolla (taking my life in my own hands, again).
- The Premise: Retail therapy! Because, let’s be honest, sometimes you just need a new pair of shoes to cope with the existential dread.
- The Reality: I spent way too much money on things I didn't need. But hey, the shoes are cute! The traffic wasn't as bad as the highway. I even found a bookstore and got lost in the stacks for an hour. Which was heaven.
- Lunch: Decided to go back to the hotel for a quick lunch. Their free breakfast buffet is a bit of a free-for-all (especially the waffle maker). But oh. My. God. The waffles. Crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle, with a river of syrup. It was a waffle revelation. I ate three. No regrets.
- Afternoon: Rest of the afternoon enjoying the pool and the complimentary beer and snacks.
- Evening: I was exhausted so I ended up just ordering a pizza and watching some TV.
- Thoughts: "Maybe I drove by an accident"
Day 4: Departure (with a side of existential dread)
- Time: Wherever is the best time.
- Destination: Home.
- Transportation: You guessed it. The Corolla.
- The Premise: Get out of Dodge, unscathed.
- The Reality: Surprisingly smooth! I avoided the worst of the traffic, successfully navigated the highway. The airport, even. I would say I had some fun while visiting, and I would say that the trip was a success. The Drury Inn? Solid. The waffles? LEGENDARY. Birmingham? A place that has both broken my heart and filled it with something akin to hope.
- Thoughts: "I can't wait to come back." And also, "I really, really need a nap."
Drury Inn & Suites Birmingham: The Lakeside Lowdown (My Brain Dump)
Okay, spill the tea: Is this "best" hotel a legit claim? Or just marketing fluff?
Alright, alright, hold your horses! "Best" is subjective, right? My experience? *Mostly* legit. The view? Stunning. Seriously, the lake at sunset? Worth the price of admission alone. But... and there's always a but, isn't there? Remember, I'm me. I'm prone to overthinking and mild panic. So, yes, "best" *for what*? For a relaxing weekend? Probably. For a flawless, 5-star experience? Nope. More like a solid 4 out of 5 after factoring in my usual anxiety about hotel breakfasts and general existence.
My wife, on the other hand, calls it "the best place to unwind" because she likes that the pool is indoors, which is great when you're a mom with kids who *always* want to swim.
Let's talk about those lake views. Are they *really* as good as they look in the photos?
Okay, brace yourselves. The photos... yes, they're good. But real life? MAGNIFICENT. Seriously. The way the light hits the water in the morning? The reflections of the city lights at night? It's like a movie, except you're *in* the movie and you can eat free popcorn! (More on that later...). I mean, I sat on the balcony, nursing a questionable glass of tap water (more on *that* later too…), and just... stared. Probably a little too long. My wife thought I was having a stroke.
The free food and drinks are a big draw. Was it actually *good*? And was it *really* free? (Gimme the catch!)
Okay, the catch? It *is* free – in the sense that it’s included in your room rate. But let's be honest, free usually means a little… questionable. The breakfast buffet? Standard hotel fare. Waffles (yay!). Scrambled eggs (meh.). Sausage that may or may not be made of actual sausage. (Kidding! Mostly.) It's functional. It’s fuel. It gets the job done. No complaints. And the evening "kickback"? That's where things get interesting. Free hot dogs, nachos, and, get this, cocktails. I swear I thought I was hallucinating. I may have overindulged, let's just say that. I’m not saying I did shots, but I’m also not *not* saying I did. Because, free! And… stress-eating. Don't judge.
Is the pool and jacuzzi as relaxing as they seem? Or is it a screaming-kid-infested swamp?
Okay, this is crucial. The pool situation… it's a gamble. It's indoors, which is great (again, shout out to the moms!). On my first visit, it was pretty chill. A few kids splashing, but nothing too traumatic. Jacuzzi was hot, perfect. Ahhh. Pure Bliss. But my last visit?! It was a full-blown water park nightmare. Kids were screaming, splashing… a rogue inflatable flamingo almost took my eye out. Seriously, I briefly considered hiding in my room and ordering room service until they closed the pool down for sanitization. So, RELAXING? Maybe. Depends on the day, the time, the lunar cycle, and the collective mood of the tiny humans present. Prepare for possible chaos.
How clean is the hotel? Are we talking sterile perfection or… questionable corners?
Alright, I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so I'm always hyper-aware of this. Overall? Pretty clean. Spotlessly clean, actually! Rooms were tidy, the bathroom gleamed. The lobby? Well-maintained. I didn’t find any… *questionable* substances lurking in the corners. However, and this is a small but important however... I noticed a small, lingering scent of industrial cleaner in the hallways. Not overpowering, but… present. Think ‘hospital clean’ rather than ‘spa serene.’ Which, hey, at least you *know* they're trying! I did find a rogue stray french fry in the elevator once. So, 99% clean? Maybe. 1%… French fry. Make of that what you will.
What about the staff? Are they friendly and helpful, or just going through the motions?
This is where Drury shines! The staff? Consistently friendly and genuinely helpful. They seem to actually *like* their jobs, which is a miracle in the hospitality industry. From check-in to check-out, everyone was polite, efficient, and went above and beyond. They even helped me find a late-night snack when I was hit with a sudden, and urgent, craving for… well, let’s just say it involved a bag of chips and some questionable leftover breakfast sausage. They were absolute saints.
What about the rooms themselves? Comfortable? Spacious? Or cramped and depressing?
Okay, the rooms are… good. Not palatial, but comfortable and adequately spacious. I especially liked the little balcony. So much so that the wife had to drag me back inside for dinner. The beds were comfy, the TV worked, and the air conditioning blasted the room. The bathroom? Clean, well-lit. The only downside was that my room's view was more of the building next door than the lake. But hey, you can't win them all. However, my BIL? He had a room overlooking the lake, and it looked even more stunning from his room. So, request a lake view room if you can! It’s totally worth it. Definitely worth it!
Would you go back? And if so, what would you specifically do *differently*?
Absolutely, I'd go back. I already *have* gone back! The lake view, the free food, and the friendly staff are a winning combination. What would I do differently? First, I would *definitely* request a lake-view room, and would not shy away from being rude to other hotel guess if they complain that their room doesn't have a view of the lake. Second, I'd bring my own water and avoid that questionable tap water. And maybe pack some earplugs for the pool just in case. And third, I would order more cocktails. Because… free. Because stress. Because why not?
Any hidden gems or secret hacks we should know about?
Okay, top secret intel, people! This is my personal hack. At the evening kickback, try to snag a seat near the window. You get the view *and* easy access to the snacks. But here's the REAL secret: Check the hotel'Coastal Inns
