Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Birmingham has long been known as the home of British heavy metal music and a rugged, cosmopolitan atmosphere, but what lies beneath the industrial surface is an amazing queer cultural experience that will surely put a new stop on the itinerary of just about any gay traveler!
London and Manchester are more often than not the cities in England that receive the most attention from the queer community, but while these two are amazing gay travel destinations in their own right,
Although Birmingham remains important thanks to its exports and strong connection to international commerce – a position that earned it the title of the ‘World’s Workshop’ during the height of production in the 1900s – this status doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything to see here for the average tourist.
Many of the city’s businesses, such as Cadbury, have dedicated museums and emporiums in the town. Birmingham also has an intensely thriving art and culture scene, backed up by its many theaters, galleries, and open exhibitions.
If you’re not looking for locations of general appeal, however, and if you’d rather get down to the queer roots of the city to experience Birmingham’s gay heart for yourself, then you needn’t worry about looking far. Looking for gay hotels in Birmingham with a healthy, queer set of surroundings is engaging and easy, and there is plenty of room for customization and preference between the city’s various gay centers.
The Birmingham ‘gay village’ can be found directly next to its Chinese Quarter and is home to a dazzling amount of gay-catering and gay-friendly businesses of all shapes and sizes.
The city’s queer village is the center of its yearly pride parade and serves as the home for the rest of its gay-related events and social circles, so it goes without saying that if you are interested in both the modern gay atmosphere of Birmingham and the history that made it the place that it is today, then this is the place to do it.
After all, some of the oldest businesses in this district have been open and serving queer customers directly and incognito for over a hundred years!
Although there are some truly wonderful places in the world for queer people to explore, with Birmingham being one of them, things that appeal to gay travelers aren’t always necessarily marketed toward them.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of these wonderful hotels have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to and by queer people in general, as well as highly rated by previous guests and critics.
So, if you’re ready to make your first impression on the so-called City of a Thousand Trades, and if you’re itching for a queer travel experience welcoming and unique unlike any other, then pack your bags and get ready to jet off for the eight very best gay hotels in Birmingham!
In this article we will cover...
Ibis budget Birmingham Centre
There’s no better location to start your search for gay hotels in Birmingham than a good, solid, affordable option, and this is a role that the Ibis budget Birmingham Center fulfills to a tee.
Ibis budget locations aren’t exactly known for representing the top tier of accommodation that a city has to offer, but when it comes to a metropolitan, fast-moving area like Birmingham, it must be said that this hotel franchise understands exactly how to cater to those in need of a centrally-located, convenient place to stay while exploring the urban landscape around them.
Just about everything that there is to note about the ibis budget Birmingham Center is a positive, and as long as you understand what to expect from a location as ‘budget’ as its title may imply, there should be nothing other than pleasant surprises and convenience for you to find here.
The rooms of the Ibis budget Birmingham Center are surprisingly large and have spectacular views out over the rooves and tops of the districts around it, and if that wasn’t enough, the hotel’s common areas are also incredibly serviceable.
There’s an in-house restaurant if you’re looking for a quick and easy bite without even leaving the building, parking on site if you came to the city with a car or if you’ve hired one to travel the city, and a daily breakfast for satisfying that morning hunger.
You might not need transport at all, however, as the ibis budget Birmingham Center has the privilege of bordering directly on to the city’s Gay Village. Rock-bottom rates, attentive service, clean rooms, and a safe location – what more could one ask for in a conveniently-located hotel that propels you directly to the center of all that there is to experience in gay Birmingham?
Pentahotel Birmingham
Although it only takes a mild step up from the ibis budget Birmingham Center that came before it, earning three stars for itself and an intensely positive review history, the Pentahotel Birmingham makes the difference where it counts – amping its design and comfort factors to the next level and embracing a completely new atmosphere and angle on the wonderful city of Birmingham.
The one thing that this location does have in common with the ibis hotel before it, however, is its proximity to Birmingham’s beating queer heart and its queer village, and as such it is just as good of a choice for those looking to explore the nightlife of the city as that establishment was.
Suppose you’re looking for concrete points of value aside from the Pentahotel’s surprisingly affordable rates. In that case, there’s also the hotel’s in-house and fully equipped fitness center for those who don’t take holidays as excuses to let up on their workout routines, a bar if you’re looking to enjoy some casual time away from wandering the streets to meet some fellow out-of-towners, and fresh breakfast every morning to ensure that you have all the energy you need to get out on the town!
The staff of the Pentahotel is also known to be one of its strongest factors – providing top-tier service without making guests feel self-conscious or having to worry for a single second, regardless of where they come from or whether they are gay or not.
There’s no better feeling for a queer tourist in colorful Birmingham than being within walking distance of the city’s queer district and being able to return to a comfortable, private safe space whenever you feel the need, even though you’re out and about exploring a brand new city and a brand new world of nightlife and community!
Hampton Inn
Although one might not expect this to be a Hilton-owned and managed location by its modest advertising and lack of a Hilton title, we promise that the Hampton Inn is the perfect continuation of our upward climb in quality and prestige amongst gay hotels in Birmingham.
The Hampton Inn has no less than three well-earned stars to its name, and if that wasn’t proof enough of its reliable mid-range performance and excellent past performance, then perhaps its impeccable customer review rating will sway your mind for the better.
As it fits a Hilton location, individual franchise or not, the Hampton Inn exists to blend an excellent location right on the cusp of Birmingham’s Westside district – not that far at all away from the city’s gay village – with an uptown accommodation experience that is sure to please even the most experienced of travelers with the highest standards.
Canalside dining, a refined atmosphere, and an impressive range of almost aristocratic eateries nearby are only some of the benefits that the Hampton Inn has to offer, and that’s just where the fun and exquisite nature of this location starts.
Although it may be a little further away from the heart of queer Birmingham than some of the other hotels on this list, especially those such as the Duke of Wellington Hotel and Bar and the Fountain Inn, the Hampton Inn truly delivers a next-level experience, and thus is beyond perfect for those that are okay with sacrificing a little convenience on the queer side of things for a whole new world of fun.
That’s not to say that Hampton is without its nightlife, however, and the opposite of this is proved well and truly by the hotel’s bar and restaurant ensemble by Heidi’s Bier Bar Birmingham.
Hyatt Regency Birmingham
In direct contradiction to the Ibis hotel that we started our search for gay accommodation in Birmingham with, both the Hyatt franchise and its individual Regency locations have excellent, long-established reputations for providing high-quality accommodation.
The Hyatt Regency is incredibly close to the city’s public transport system, excellently located just north of the Birmingham Gay Village, and directly exposed to some of the city’s most exciting and iconic locations.
This hotel is located almost directly along the line of the Old Birmingham Canal and has direct views of the historical Gas Street Basin and the Exchange building. And that’s without mentioning that the Hyatt Regency Birmingham backs up almost directly onto the city’s Symphony Hall!
Once one throws in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Library of Birmingham, it becomes abundantly clear that there is no better hotel in the entire city for those who would like to experience the cultural and historical significance of the town to a tee and to truly immerse themselves in what makes Birmingham a travel destination worth adding to your itinerary.
However, the plus points aren’t over yet – we’ve hardly talked about the hotel’s interior! The Hyatt Regency Birmingham rises as a cuttingly modern and exquisitely decorated tower of steel among the surrounding neighborhoods, and things only get better on the inside.
The individual rooms and common spaces of the Hyatt Regency bring nothing but a cool, collected atmosphere and pleasant surprises, such as the hotel’s very own spa and pool relaxation facility, its European restaurant, and its classy, upper-class bar with excellent views and a natural touch to its decoration. There’s no end to the luxurious, shining edges of the Hyatt Regency Birmingham and its surrounding city districts!
AC Hotel by Marriott Birmingham
Now this is a true star of a location – just as centrally located as the rest of the hotels on this list in terms of the city’s general heart and the heart of its queer comings and goings, and not at all crowded or too busy for it.
The AC Hotel Birmingham has a full three stars to its name and an impressive service record that has given it an immensely popular reputation with both the general public and queer travelers, so if you’re looking for an accommodation location that has been thoroughly tried and tested by the holidayers of yesterday, then this is just maybe the perfect match for you.
Exploring a new city is all about comfort and safety, and often a reliable and well-rounded option is far better than a fancy, unpredictable one when you take your first steps.
Although the vast majority of the hotels we’ve covered so far have been located directly in Birmingham’s gay village and thus are basically without the need for the label, it’s still refreshing that the AC Hotel is officially marketed as LGBTQ+ friendly, and it is exactly this factor that gives the hotel the edge it needs to keep up with the rest of the actively queer and queer-catering locations on this list.
The on-paper service benefits continue even further and factor in important aspects such as an in-house gym and fitness studio, daily breakfast, a bar and restaurant combination for that convenient and still top-class culinary experience, and event rooms available for hire.
This list is perfect if you’re looking to hold a get-together in the city or perhaps even to host an important occasion such as a birthday or a wedding amongst Birmingham’s colorful, cultured, and inherently queer backdrop.
The Fountain Inn
Welcome to our first gay-owed and specifically gay-catering location – the Fountain Inn Birmingham. This location is incredibly unique and offers a perspective on gay Birmingham that is virtually impossible to achieve from any other location of accommodation.
It must be said, however, that when we talk about the Fountain Inn, we are specifically talking about the one with a bar and letting rooms attached, as this is the location that is situated directly in the center of the city’s gay quarter, and the one responsible for having served Birmingham’s queer community with safe rooms and a place to meet for decades.
It is abundantly clear that the Fountain Inn is one of the most important queer monuments in this part of the city and that this factor is one of the most important reasons why it has a position of pride on this list.
Enough about its queer-specific attitude, however, and a bit more about the practical and general advantages of staying at the Fountain Inn.
Not only is the Fountain Inn an integral part of the city’s nightlife, which means that you won’t have to do much more than step downstairs to get yourself amongst Birmingham’s bustling queer scene, but it also has a sound footing as an average place of accommodation thanks to its simplicity- but well-furnished rooms, large common spaces, excellent, private atmosphere, and outdoor sitting areas attached to the downstairs lounges and common spaces.
The reviews for this location – both from queer guests of the past and general audiences who have tried it and come away impressed – are flaming with praise of its atmosphere and rustic approach to modern and queer hospitality, and the hotel’s staff themselves are more often than not involved members of the community and contributors to events like Birmingham’s pride march.
The Duke of Wellington Hotel & Bar
Although we just came from one bar and hotel combination in The Fountain Inn, and though this establishment doesn’t have the edge of being specifically gay-catering as that one did, there’s just this atmosphere about the Duke of Wellington that sets it aside from the rest of the location on this list.
The Duke of Wellington Hotel and Bar is without a doubt one of if not the absolute best location on this list for those guests to Birmingham looking to indulge in its nightlife of the city – perhaps even better than the Fountain Inn itself – thanks to the fact that it is located directly across from some of the best and most centrally-located gay bars in the entire area.
Even the Duke of Wellington’s in-house bar is nothing short of amazing, providing a nearby and central platform for you to take your first steps into the gay scene and rapidly changing city nightlife.
Not only that, but the city’s main highway and public transport system are all without the easy reach of the hotel’s front door, so no matter where else you’re looking to extend your exploration of Birmingham, and no matter where else you’re interested in experiencing the particulars of while you’re in the city, getting there will be an almost non-existent factor of worry.
Despite its mass of positive reviews and its many advantages in location and services offered, the Duke of Wellington bends expectations by being a quite quiet and underrated location, and as such, it has a degree of more personal service and a calmer atmosphere than some of the more commercial hotels on this list. The establishment’s lower capacity also means that its rooms can be much larger than the other locations, which is a definite plus.
Travelodge Birmingham Central Bull Ring
There’s nothing quite like a bit of casual, hands-on accommodation to truly enhance your travel experience and make it more authentic, and that’s without mentioning the benefit of lower rates than the Travelodge Birmingham Central Bull Ring has to offer.
This location may be the cheapest to stay at out of this list, actually, and although this comes to eclipse the rates of the already affordable Ibis hotel that we started with, it remains to be said that the Travelodge provides a comfortable and stylish experience nonetheless.
The Travelodge Birmingham Central Bull Ring is central to one thing and one thing only – the heart of Birmingham’s Gay Village district and its expansive nightlife scene. Some other convenient on-paper advantages of staying at this location include its daily breakfast, on-site parking for those with cars, and its wheelchair-accessible rooms for those with special mobility requirements.
The Travelodge is also the only accommodation located on this list to allow guests with four-legged companions to take their furry friends with them, so if you’re traveling with a pet, then it is just about the only choice for you if you’re not willing to pay for an additional shelter!
If the nightlife of the surrounding district isn’t what you came to this wonderful city to see, however, or if you’d like a quiet, reliable night amongst the excitement and relative chaos of the queer world outside the Travelodge’s doors, then there’s also the welcoming comfort of its very own in-house bar and restaurant.
Aside from that, the individual suites and rooms of the Travelodge are spacious, soft, well-designed, perfectly shaped and situated to keep you cozy and catered to while allowing you to be where you need to be without a single bit of additional stress.
Gay Hotel Map Of Birmingham
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Birmingham? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Birmingham! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Birmingham.
