The Dilemma
Both hotels sit on Birmingham's arterial western corridor. Both serve the ICC, Broad Street, and the Edgbaston business belt. Both have on-site parking and tram access. On paper, they sound almost interchangeable. In reality, they are decisively different propositions.
The Best Western Plough & Harrow is a genuinely striking 18th-century gothic building stranded on Hagley Road, all architectural drama, zero neighbourhood character. The Delta Hotels by Marriott Birmingham is a modern, functional hotel at the Five Ways roundabout, one price bracket higher, with the significant advantage of sitting just outside Birmingham's Clean Air Zone.
Do you pay less for the gothic building on the busy arterial road, or pay more for the modern hotel that saves you on CAZ charges and sits four minutes from Broad Street? The answer depends entirely on why you are coming to Birmingham.
The Arrival Reality
Best Western Plough & Harrow: The Entrance TrapThe Plough & Harrow's arrival experience has one critical flaw that catches first-time guests repeatedly: the entrance. It sits directly after a busy junction on a three-lane section of Hagley Road. The signage is not prominent. If you are driving and arrive at speed in unfamiliar territory, or after dark, you will miss it. And when you miss it, you do not simply do a U-turn. You commit to a lengthy loop through the surrounding road network before you can make another attempt.
The hotel does have a turning and drop-off area directly outside reception, which means taxis and rideshares can pull in cleanly. That is a genuine advantage over properties where guests have to unload on a live road. But if you are driving yourself for the first time, load the hotel on your sat nav, identify exactly where the entrance is before you approach, and do not rely on spotting the sign from a three-lane road at any speed.
By train: Five Ways station is the sensible destination, not New Street. Five Ways is 15 minutes on foot from the hotel. New Street is 35 minutes on foot, a realistic option only if you are travelling very light and it is not raining. The tram from New Street is around 20 minutes in total, which is the smoothest option if you are not taking a taxi.
Delta Hotels by Marriott: The One-Way TrapThe Delta has a similar arrival problem to the Plough & Harrow, but with a different flavour. The car park entrance sits off a one-way road adjacent to the Five Ways roundabout. Miss the turn, which is easy in Birmingham traffic with the roundabout bearing down on you, and you are navigating the roundabout and looping back. Unpleasant the first time. Infuriating on the second visit if you have forgotten the approach.
Once you are inside the car park, the stress dissolves. The dedicated drop-off area directly outside reception is calm and accessible. Taxis from New Street take around ten minutes and the handover is smooth.
By train: New Street is 25 minutes on foot, too far with luggage. Take a taxi. But the smarter option is the Edgbaston Village tram stop, which is just four minutes' walk from the hotel and connects directly to Grand Central and Snow Hill. That is a genuinely useful connection that most visiting guests never discover.
The Arrival Winner: Draw. Both hotels have entrance traps that punish inattentive drivers. Both have smooth taxi drop-offs. The Delta's tram connection is marginally better (four minutes' walk versus the Plough & Harrow's few minutes to Five Ways tram stop), but neither arrival experience is stress-free by car for first-timers.
The Location Trade-Off
This is where the hotels diverge most meaningfully.
The Plough & Harrow is on Hagley Road, a three-lane arterial road with bus stops, fast food outlets, and commercial premises. There is no neighbourhood to explore. Broad Street is under 10 minutes on foot. The ICC and Arena Birmingham are reachable without a taxi. Chamberlain Gardens is two minutes' walk. For anything else, you are using the tram or a taxi. The gothic building is beautiful. The setting is purely functional.
The Delta is at the Five Ways junction, where Harborne Road, Islington Row, and Broad Street converge. That puts Broad Street itself four minutes away through the underpass. Brindleyplace is under ten minutes. Varanasi, one of Birmingham's best Indian restaurants, is 0.4 miles away. Simpsons, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Edgbaston, is within walking distance for a serious dinner. The dining options accessible from the Delta are meaningfully stronger than those near the Plough & Harrow.
Neither hotel is in a pleasant neighbourhood. Both sit on major arterial roads. But the Delta's position at the Five Ways junction gives it faster pedestrian access to Broad Street, better restaurant options in the immediate area, and a tram connection that is four minutes rather than five-plus minutes away.
Location Winner: Delta Hotels by Marriott. Marginally, but decisively, the access to Broad Street, Brindleyplace, and the Edgbaston dining scene is faster and broader.
The Parking Reality
Both hotels have paid on-site car parks. Neither is free. That is the baseline.
The Plough & Harrow has approximately 40 spaces. The entrance is tricky to find as described above. Once you are in, it is straightforward. The cost is an additional daily charge on top of your room rate, factor this into the total when comparing prices.
The Delta has approximately 45-50 spaces and the same principle applies: paid, on-site, with the entrance trap off the one-way road described above.
The critical differentiator, however, is the Clean Air Zone. The Delta sits just outside Birmingham's CAZ boundary. The daily charge for non-compliant vehicles is £8, applied from 00:01 to 23:59. The Plough & Harrow is also on Hagley Road, outside the CAZ, so both hotels share this advantage over the Brindleyplace cluster. Neither will trigger a CAZ charge, but it is worth confirming your vehicle's compliance status regardless.
Parking Winner: Draw. Both hotels are outside the CAZ, both have paid on-site parking of similar capacity, and both have entrance traps that punish inattentive drivers. The Delta has marginally more spaces.
The Price Reality
The Plough & Harrow sits in the ££ bracket. The Delta Hotels by Marriott sits in the £££ bracket. That is a meaningful difference, not a marginal one.
The question is whether the Delta's premium is justified. You are paying for Marriott branding, a more modern building, slightly better proximity to Broad Street, and stronger nearby dining options. You are not paying for a dramatically superior location, both hotels are on busy arterial roads with no neighbourhood character.
For budget-conscious travellers, the Plough & Harrow offers genuine value for what it is. The gothic building adds architectural interest that no amount of Marriott polish can replicate. For business travellers on a company rate who need reliable consistency and the Marriott Bonvoy points, the Delta justifies its premium. For everyone else, the extra cost needs a specific reason to be worth it.
Price Winner: Best Western Plough & Harrow, for those watching the budget. The Delta wins on points and brand reliability, but the Plough & Harrow costs less.
The Use-Case Verdicts
For ICC Birmingham or Arena Birmingham EventsWinner: Best Western Plough & Harrow
The Plough & Harrow is under 10 minutes on foot to both the ICC and Arena Birmingham via Broad Street. The Delta is 15 minutes. Neither is a taxi-dependent journey, but the Plough & Harrow's closer proximity to the event venues makes it the better base for conference attendees and concert-goers, particularly after a late finish. The lower price bracket makes it even more compelling for multi-night event stays.
For Broad Street NightlifeWinner: Delta Hotels by Marriott
The Delta reaches Broad Street in four minutes through the Five Ways underpass. The Plough & Harrow takes under 10 minutes in the other direction. Both work, but the Delta's extra proximity means a faster return after a late night, and the hotel itself is noticeably quieter than anything actually on Broad Street. The Delta gives you the access without absorbing quite as much of the surrounding chaos.
For Business TravelWinner: Delta Hotels by Marriott
The Marriott Bonvoy programme, the more consistent modern facilities, and the four-minute tram connection at Edgbaston Village give the Delta a clear edge for the regular business traveller. The tram reaches Snow Hill, Grand Central, and corporate locations across the city without touching city centre traffic. For a visiting professional covering multiple Birmingham locations, that is a genuinely useful advantage over the Plough & Harrow's Five Ways tram connection, which covers similar ground but is slightly further from the hotel.
For University of Birmingham GraduationWinner: Draw
Both hotels serve graduation visitors adequately. The Plough & Harrow is the cheaper option and large enough for families. The Delta has the on-site parking advantage with marginally more spaces and the same CAZ exclusion. Neither is a celebratory setting, both are functional bases on arterial roads. Choose the Plough & Harrow to save money; choose the Delta for Marriott reliability and slightly more room confidence for a large family group.
For QE Hospital or Medical VisitsWinner: Delta Hotels by Marriott
The Delta sits closer to the Edgbaston private medical corridor, with numerous private clinics in the immediate area and the QE Hospital around ten minutes by car. The Plough & Harrow also serves this use case but is slightly further along Hagley Road from the medical cluster. For medical professionals on rotation or patients attending private appointments, the Delta's positioning in the Edgbaston corridor is the stronger option.
For a Romantic WeekendWinner: Neither
Both hotels are on major arterial roads with no atmospheric neighbourhood to speak of. The Plough & Harrow has a genuinely beautiful gothic exterior that flatters on arrival but quickly surrenders to the reality of Hagley Road. The Delta is closer to Simpsons and Brindleyplace for a serious dinner, but the Five Ways roundabout is nobody's idea of romance. For a Birmingham romantic weekend, look at the city centre or the Jewellery Quarter instead.
For Light SleepersWinner: Best Western Plough & Harrow (rear rooms only)
Both hotels have road noise issues, neither sits on a quiet street. The Plough & Harrow faces a three-lane road that generates traffic noise until around midnight with emergency sirens beyond that, but rear-facing rooms reduce the impact significantly. The Delta faces the Five Ways roundabout, one of Birmingham's busiest junctions, with morning rush-hour noise described as significant. Request a rear-facing room at the Plough & Harrow; at the Delta, the options for escaping the roundabout are more limited.
For Dog OwnersWinner: Best Western Plough & Harrow
The Plough & Harrow accepts dogs, and Chamberlain Gardens is just two minutes' walk with dog-walking facilities and only one minor road to cross. Edgbaston Reservoir is 20 minutes away for a longer run. The Delta is not well-suited to dogs, the Five Ways roundabout and busy road crossings make the immediate area stressful for walking, and the nearest proper walking route is the canal towpath, around 15 minutes away. For dog owners, the Plough & Harrow is the clear choice.
The Hero Verdict
These are two hotels competing for the same stretch of Birmingham's western corridor, separated by one price bracket and a handful of minutes of walking time. Neither is a destination in itself. Both are functional bases that earn their keep through proximity to useful parts of the city. The question is which trade-offs you are prepared to make.
The Plough & Harrow is the better value option, hands down. The gothic building is genuinely distinctive, you will not mistake it for a generic business hotel when you arrive. The ICC and Arena Birmingham are marginally closer on foot. Chamberlain Gardens makes it the better choice for dogs and families with young children. For anyone watching the budget, the lower price bracket makes a meaningful difference over a multi-night stay, particularly when parking is already adding to the cost.
The Delta Hotels by Marriott justifies its premium for specific travellers. Business guests on Marriott Bonvoy get the loyalty points and brand consistency. The Edgbaston Village tram stop at four minutes' walk is a genuine operational advantage for anyone moving around Birmingham daily. Broad Street is four minutes away rather than under ten, and the dining options in the immediate area, Varanasi, Simpsons, The Physician, are stronger than anything within reach of the Plough & Harrow. Drivers with non-compliant vehicles should note that both hotels sit outside the Clean Air Zone, so the CAZ saving is shared.
Book the Best Western Plough & Harrow if:
You are attending an event at the ICC or Arena Birmingham and want the shortest walk back
You are travelling with a dog and need proper green space within two minutes
You are on a budget and want to keep the total cost (room plus parking) as low as possible
You appreciate architectural character and want a building that looks different from every other hotel on the road
You need rear-facing rooms and a quieter night away from the worst of the road noise
You are visiting for University of Birmingham graduation and want the more affordable family option
Book the Delta Hotels by Marriott Birmingham if:
You are a regular Marriott Bonvoy member and want the points and programme benefits
You are a business traveller who needs the tram connection at Edgbaston Village for daily city movement
Your evening is built around Broad Street and you want the fastest possible walk back after a late night
You are planning a serious dinner at Simpsons, Varanasi, or Brindleyplace and want to walk rather than taxi
You are visiting the QE Hospital or the Edgbaston private medical corridor and need the closest base
You want a modern hotel environment and the Plough & Harrow's gothic building holds no appeal for you
The Bottom Line: The Plough & Harrow is the better deal. The Delta is the better-connected hotel. The gothic building wins on character and value; the Marriott wins on tram access, dining proximity, and brand reliability. Neither will deliver a memorable Birmingham experience in itself, they are both roads to somewhere more interesting. Choose based on your budget, your loyalty programme, and which part of Birmingham you need to reach.
