The Dilemma
Both hotels sit in the £££ bracket. Both are unambiguously business-focused. Both will get you to Birmingham's key transport links without drama. But they sit in completely different parts of the city, serve completely different kinds of traveller, and reward completely different priorities.
The Clayton Hotel Birmingham is your tram-stop-at-the-door, Moor Street-in-three-minutes, science-museum-next-door option. It is surrounded by Birmingham City University's campus and sits directly opposite the most significant construction project the city has seen in decades.
The Radisson Blu Hotel is your seven-minutes-flat-to-New-Street, Arcadian-on-the-doorstep, blue-glass-tower-on-a-roaring-junction option. Brilliant for rail. Brutal for drivers. Relentlessly loud.
One rewards the eastside traveller. The other rewards the westside rail commuter. Choose wrong and neither hotel will forgive you.
The Arrival Reality
Clayton Hotel Birmingham: Tram at the Door, Construction in Your FaceArriving at the Clayton is surprisingly smooth, provided you are on the train. Moor Street Station is a three-minute walk on flat, smooth pavement with no significant junctions to navigate. With a heavy roller bag, this is one of the easiest station-to-hotel routes in Birmingham. Walk out of Moor Street, head toward Millennium Point, and the hotel appears ahead of you. The Millennium Point tram stop sits directly outside the entrance, not nearby, not across the road, but at the actual door.
By car, the picture is more complicated. The hotel sits inside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, so non-compliant vehicles incur an £8 daily charge before you even think about parking. There is no on-site car park. Guests are directed to the Selfridges Moor Street Car Park (approximately £14 per exit, a four-minute walk) or the B4 Car Park on Weaman Street (55% discount, an eight-minute walk). The approach involves a one-way system, bus gates, tram lanes, and congestion zone complexity, follow your sat-nav precisely and do not improvise.
The other thing you notice immediately on arrival: the HS2 Curzon Street construction site directly opposite the entrance. Machinery is audible. This is not a background hum, our researcher heard active equipment during an afternoon visit. The hotel's loading bay on Park Street means taxis pull in within 15 metres of reception without drama, but the site opposite is impossible to ignore.
Radisson Blu Hotel: Seven Minutes from New Street, One of Birmingham's Busiest JunctionsThe Radisson Blu's arrival experience is dominated by its position on Holloway Circus Queensway, one of Birmingham's most relentlessly busy arterial junctions. Step outside and you are immediately in full urban noise. The arrival by taxi is actually quite good: there is a dedicated drop-off bay directly in front of reception, and local drivers know the one-way approach. From New Street by taxi it is approximately four minutes and a minimal fare.
On foot from Birmingham New Street it is a flat, smooth seven-minute walk. One road crossing with a pedestrian crossing, a slight incline at one point, nothing that causes difficulty with luggage. Researchers rated this walk five out of five. That rating is thoroughly deserved. At night it is well-lit throughout. This is where the Radisson Blu earns its keep.
By car, avoid if at all possible. The hotel has four standard paid parking spaces and one disabled bay on-site, all must be pre-booked. Arrive without a reservation and you have no on-site parking. The Holloway Circus approach requires concentration: one-way systems, bus lanes, congestion zone complications. Miss your turn and you are committed to a full loop. The nearest alternatives are the Britannia Grand Central car park and the local NCP, costing £30 or more per 24 hours.
Arrival Winner: Clayton Hotel Birmingham, for train arrivals it is remarkably close, but the tram stop literally at the door and the three-minute Moor Street walk edge it. For drivers, neither hotel is a pleasure, but the Radisson Blu's five-space parking farce is notably worse.
The Location Trade-Off
Clayton Hotel Birmingham- Moor Street Station: 3-minute flat walk, unbeatable for east Birmingham rail access
- Tram stop directly outside the entrance, no taxi needed for onward city travel
- Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum: 5-minute walk
- Birmingham Science Garden: 4 minutes, free entry
- Bullring and Selfridges: 6-minute walk (visible from the street)
- Birmingham City University campus dominates the immediate neighbourhood, functional, student-corridor feel
- HS2 Curzon Street construction site sits directly opposite the entrance
- No meaningful green space within walking distance
- Canal quarter and Broad Street are a taxi ride away, not walkable for an evening out
- Birmingham New Street: 7-minute flat walk, exceptional for west Birmingham rail access
- Grand Central tram stop: 6-minute walk
- The Arcadian Centre: 5 minutes on foot, visible from the street
- Bullring: 5 to 10 minutes on foot
- Sits directly on Holloway Circus Queensway, one of Birmingham's loudest junctions
- No green space within walking distance
- Select and Save on Hill Street: 4-minute walk, open 24 hours
- Costa Coffee: 7-minute walk
- Evening streets remain active and well-lit, safe but never quiet
Location Winner: Radisson Blu Hotel, New Street access, Arcadian proximity, and broader city-centre walkability give it the edge for most travellers. The Clayton wins only if your visit is anchored to Moor Street, Thinktank, or Birmingham City University.
The Parking Reality
Neither hotel makes life easy for drivers, but the Radisson Blu is genuinely alarming in its inadequacy.
Clayton Hotel Birmingham: No on-site car park. Guests use the Selfridges Moor Street Car Park (approximately £14 per exit, four-minute walk) or the B4 Car Park on Weaman Street (55% discount, eight-minute walk). The hotel sits inside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, non-compliant vehicles add an £8 daily charge on top of parking costs. The approach involves a one-way system, bus gates, and tram lanes. Manageable, but not convenient.
Radisson Blu Hotel: Four standard paid parking spaces and one disabled bay, all must be pre-booked. That is five spaces total for a full-size city-centre hotel. Arrive without a reservation and you have no on-site option. The Britannia Grand Central car park and local NCP are nearby but cost £30 or more per 24 hours. The approach off Holloway Circus Queensway is unforgiving for first-time drivers.
Parking Winner: Clayton Hotel Birmingham, marginally. Neither is good for drivers, but the Clayton's negotiated discount arrangements are more workable than the Radisson Blu's effectively non-existent provision.
The Price Reality
Both hotels sit in the £££ bracket, and nightly rates are broadly comparable. The real cost difference emerges from your itinerary rather than the room rate itself.
At the Clayton Hotel Birmingham, the tram stop at the door means you can reach most of the city without a taxi for the entire stay. That adds up. However, drivers face Clean Air Zone charges on top of car park fees, and the nearest car parks require either an eight-minute walk or an additional daily exit cost of around £14.
At the Radisson Blu Hotel, the seven-minute walk to New Street means transport costs are minimal if you are rail-dependent. But drivers face £30 or more per night for alternative parking, a significant hidden cost over a two or three-night stay.
Price Winner: Tie, both hotels are similarly priced and similarly complex for drivers. The Clayton edges it for tram-reliant guests; the Radisson Blu edges it for pure rail commuters.
The Use-Case Verdicts
For Business Travel by TrainWinner: Radisson Blu Hotel
Seven minutes to New Street on flat, smooth pavement is as good as it gets for city-centre rail access in Birmingham. Early departures, late arrivals, back-to-back London trips, the Radisson Blu handles all of it without drama. The Clayton is excellent for Moor Street access, but New Street's range of destinations is broader and the Radisson's position is unmatched for that specific utility.
For Business Travel (Tech, BCU, or Eastside)Winner: Clayton Hotel Birmingham
If your meetings are at Birmingham City University, in the Digbeth creative quarter, or on the eastern side of the city centre, the Clayton wins decisively. Moor Street in three minutes and the tram stop at the door mean you can reach onward destinations without a taxi for the entire stay. The Colmore Business District is reachable by tram in a few stops.
For an Early Train DepartureWinner: Radisson Blu Hotel
Possibly the best hotel in Birmingham for a pre-dawn departure. Leave the lobby at 5:50am and you are on the platform at New Street by 5:57am. Well-lit the entire way, flat the entire way, no complexity. The Clayton's Moor Street option is also excellent, but New Street's greater range of early services gives the Radisson Blu a marginal advantage.
For Families with ChildrenWinner: Clayton Hotel Birmingham
Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum is a five-minute walk and the adjacent Birmingham Science Garden is four minutes and free to enter. The step-free hotel entrance, pushchair-friendly pavements, and flat route from the station make this a genuinely strong family option. The Radisson Blu offers no comparable nearby family attraction and scores poorly for the constant traffic noise that surrounds it.
For a Nightlife or Weekend BreakWinner: Radisson Blu Hotel
The Arcadian Centre is five minutes on foot, visible from the street. Las Iguanas Birmingham Arcadian Centre, bars, late-night venues, and the broader dining offer along Ladywell Walk are all within easy reach. The Clayton requires a taxi or tram ride to reach comparable evening entertainment. For a group wanting to roll back to the hotel after a night out without a cab, the Radisson Blu wins clearly.
For a Romantic WeekendWinner: Neither, but Clayton marginally
Neither hotel is a natural romantic choice. The Clayton sits on a student corridor opposite a construction site; the Radisson Blu sits on one of Birmingham's loudest junctions. If forced to choose, the Clayton's slightly less aggressive street character and tram access to the Jewellery Quarter and canal quarter give it a narrow advantage. For a genuinely romantic Birmingham base, look at the Malmaison Birmingham instead.
For Light Sleepers and Quiet SeekersWinner: Clayton Hotel Birmingham
The Radisson Blu sits on Holloway Circus Queensway, traffic is constant, sirens are frequent, and the junction never fully quietens. The Clayton has its own noise issues (HS2 construction opposite, tram lines outside) but these are largely daytime and the hotel's double glazing manages most of the road noise. Request a quiet-facing room at the Clayton and your chances of a good night's sleep are considerably higher than at the Radisson Blu.
For Dog OwnersWinner: Neither
Both hotels scored poorly for dog owners in our assessment. The Clayton's nearest green space is Birmingham City University's campus, which is not a dog-walking destination. The Radisson Blu sits on a major traffic junction with no green space within walking distance. If you are travelling with a dog, neither of these hotels is the right choice for your Birmingham stay.
The Hero Verdict
These are two very different business hotels that happen to share the same price bracket and the same city. The mistake is treating them as interchangeable. They are not.
The Clayton Hotel Birmingham is an eastside machine: tram stop at the door, three minutes from Moor Street, ideal for families visiting Thinktank, BCU visitors, and anyone who plans to move around the city on public transport. Its weaknesses are real, the HS2 construction site opposite, the student-corridor surroundings, no green space, and a car-park situation that penalises drivers, but for the right traveller, these are irrelevant.
The Radisson Blu Hotel is a westside rail weapon: seven minutes from New Street on smooth flat pavement, Arcadian and nightlife within five minutes, Grand Central tram connection within six. Its weaknesses are equally real, one of Birmingham's loudest junctions directly outside, effectively no parking, a complex approach for drivers, but for the rail commuter or the nightlife group, these trade-offs are worth it.
Neither hotel is Birmingham. Neither offers canal-side charm, historic character, or a genuinely pleasant street environment. Both are efficient, polished urban bases that deliver exactly what they promise and no more.
Book Clayton Hotel Birmingham if:
- You are arriving at or departing from Moor Street Station
- You want a tram stop literally at the hotel entrance for city-wide travel
- You are visiting Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum with children
- Your meetings are at Birmingham City University, Digbeth, or the eastern side of the centre
- You are a light sleeper who needs at least a fighting chance of a quiet night
- You want to avoid the Holloway Circus junction experience entirely
Book Radisson Blu Hotel if:
- You are arriving at or departing from Birmingham New Street
- You need to catch an early morning train, the seven-minute flat walk is as good as it gets
- You are using the hotel as a base for a Birmingham night out centred on the Arcadian
- You are a solo business traveller who values pure city-centre walkability above all else
- Your meetings are in the city centre, near Grand Central, or anywhere well-served by New Street connections
- You are arriving by taxi and have absolutely no intention of driving anywhere
The Bottom Line: The Clayton earns its keep through tram access and eastern city connectivity. The Radisson Blu earns its keep through New Street proximity and nightlife adjacency. Both are tools. Neither is a destination. Choose based on where you need to be, not which hotel sounds better on paper.
