The Dilemma
Both hotels sit in the £££ bracket and both serve Birmingham city centre. But they serve very different versions of it.
The Cube Hotel Birmingham is a canalside architectural landmark next to Gas Street Basin, with Marco Pierre White on the rooftop and Brindleyplace eight minutes along the towpath. It is a hotel with a genuine sense of place, a building that announces itself and earns its price tag through character as much as convenience.
The Radisson Blu Birmingham is a blue glass tower on Holloway Circus Queensway, seven minutes flat from Birmingham New Street station. It is a hotel that earns its keep through sheer transport utility, brilliantly connected by rail, brutal for drivers, and positioned on one of Birmingham's noisiest junctions.
Do you want atmosphere or efficiency? A canal view or a seven-minute sprint to the platform? The answer determines everything.
The Arrival Reality
The Cube Hotel Birmingham: The Landmark Drop-OffArriving at The Cube is one of the cleaner hotel arrivals in this part of Birmingham. There is a dedicated taxi pull-in bay directly outside the hotel entrance on Commercial Street, no dropping at a busy junction, no walking from a distant kerb. Your driver pulls in, you step directly onto the pavement at the entrance. From Birmingham New Street by taxi, expect around five minutes under normal conditions.
The caveat is for drivers navigating independently. The Cube sits within a one-way road system, and what looks straightforward on a map can involve a loop if you miss the correct entry point onto Commercial Street. Once you are on the right road, the entrance is clear and well-signed. This is not a disaster, but it is worth knowing in advance. On foot from New Street, the walk is 10 to 12 minutes, largely flat and manageable with luggage, though the final section toward Commercial Street is not the most intuitive pedestrian route. Travelling light it is perfectly pleasant. With significant luggage, the dedicated taxi drop-off is the better call.
The Arrival Verdict: Good. The taxi drop-off is clean and direct. The one-way system catches out first-time drivers, but it is a manageable inconvenience rather than a genuine gauntlet.
Radisson Blu Birmingham: The Efficient PlungeArriving at the Radisson Blu by train is genuinely excellent. Birmingham New Street is a flat seven-minute walk on smooth, wide pavements with just one road crossing. With a rolling suitcase at any hour, the route is easy and well-lit. You can be on a London train within 15 minutes of leaving the lobby. For rail travellers, this is as good as it gets in Birmingham city centre.
Arriving by car is the opposite experience. The hotel entrance comes directly off the Holloway Circus Queensway roundabout on a one-way system with bus lanes and congestion zone complications. Sat-nav can route you incorrectly. Miss your turn and you are committed to a full loop. And when you do arrive, you will find there are only four standard paid parking spaces on-site and one disabled bay, all of which must be pre-booked. If you have not reserved one in advance, you do not have parking at this hotel.
The Arrival Verdict: Brilliant by train, painful by car. The Radisson Blu arrival experience depends entirely on how you get there. Rail travellers will find it the easiest arrival in the city. Drivers will find it one of the most stressful.
The Location Trade-Off
The Cube Hotel Birmingham, Gas Street Basin, Canalside
- Gas Street Basin immediately outside the entrance, canal walking starts from your doorstep
- Brindleyplace is an 8-minute walk along the towpath, flat, well-lit, genuinely atmospheric
- The Mailbox is directly behind the building, premium retail and dining on your doorstep
- Broad Street is 7 minutes on foot
- Birmingham New Street is 10–12 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi
- Quiet canalside street, Commercial Street is not a through-route
- Marco Pierre White rooftop restaurant in the building itself
- Not ideal for pure urban efficiency, slightly removed from the city core
Radisson Blu Birmingham, Holloway Circus, City Centre
- Birmingham New Street is 7 minutes flat on foot, the best raw train access in this tier
- The Arcadian Centre is 5 minutes on foot, bars, restaurants, Las Iguanas visible from the street
- Grand Central tram stop is 6 minutes away
- Bullring is 5–10 minutes on foot
- Select & Save on Hill Street is 4 minutes away and open 24 hours
- Positioned on one of Birmingham's busiest arterial junctions, traffic is constant
- No green space nearby, this is a concrete city-centre location
- The street outside is functional and loud, not pleasant to linger on
Location Winner: The Cube. The Radisson Blu wins on raw transport proximity, but The Cube wins on the quality of the location itself. A canalside landmark with the Mailbox behind it and Brindleyplace along the water beats a noisy roundabout junction, even with an extra five minutes to the station.
The Parking Reality
Neither hotel is a driver's paradise, but the Radisson Blu is genuinely poor for cars.
The Cube Hotel Birmingham: The hotel has no dedicated car park of its own. The confirmed nearest option is Q-Park at The Mailbox, directly behind the building. Birmingham city centre car parking typically costs between £8 and £20 per day depending on whether you pre-book. Note that The Cube sits within Birmingham's Clean Air Zone, non-compliant vehicles are charged an additional £8 per day.
Radisson Blu Birmingham: Four standard paid spaces and one disabled bay on-site. All must be pre-booked. If you have not reserved one, you have no parking. The nearest alternatives, the Britannia Grand Central car park and the local NCP, cost £30 or more per 24 hours, on top of a complex one-way approach with bus lanes and congestion zone considerations.
Parking Winner: The Cube. Neither hotel is built for drivers, but Q-Park at The Mailbox is a proper, accessible car park directly behind the building. The Radisson Blu's five-space arrangement is not a car park, it is a footnote.
The Price Reality
Both hotels sit in the £££ bracket, and neither offers budget-level value. The price you pay at The Cube includes the architecture, the canalside setting, and access to the Marco Pierre White venue. It is a hotel where you are paying for character and experience as much as a bed.
The Radisson Blu's pricing reflects its transport utility and brand positioning. You are paying for a seven-minute walk to New Street, a recognisable brand, and a central city address. The room itself sits in a glass tower above a busy junction.
Factor in the true cost of each stay. At The Cube, add Q-Park fees plus the CAZ charge if your vehicle is non-compliant. At the Radisson Blu, add £30-plus per night for nearby parking if you are driving. For rail travellers, the Radisson Blu may represent slightly cleaner total cost. For drivers, The Cube's Mailbox car park is the more predictable and manageable option.
Price Reality Winner: Draw. Both sit at the same price tier. True value depends on your travel method and what you are actually using the hotel for.
The Use-Case Verdicts
For a Romantic WeekendWinner: The Cube Hotel Birmingham
This is the Cube's strongest argument and it is compelling. The Marco Pierre White rooftop restaurant, the canalside setting, the 8-minute evening walk to Brindleyplace along Gas Street Basin, this is a romantic itinerary Birmingham's corporate hotels cannot assemble. Pre-book the restaurant before you book the room. The Radisson Blu's blue glass exterior has a certain drama, but stepping onto Holloway Circus roundabout is not a romantic moment.
For Business Travel by TrainWinner: Radisson Blu Birmingham
Seven minutes flat to Birmingham New Street. Well-lit. Easy with a rolling suitcase at any hour. For the business traveller who is in and out by rail and needs to catch an early London train, the Radisson Blu is simply better positioned. The Cube is 10–12 minutes from New Street, which is not far, but when you are leaving at 6am, every minute counts.
For an Early Morning Train DepartureWinner: Radisson Blu Birmingham
This is the Radisson Blu's headline use case. Seven minutes walk, flat pavement, no navigation stress, well-lit at 5:30am. You can leave the hotel at 5:50am and be on a 6am train. The Cube requires either a 12-minute walk or a taxi, adding time and logistics to what should be a simple morning.
For Driving GuestsWinner: The Cube Hotel Birmingham
Q-Park at The Mailbox is directly behind the building. The approach on Commercial Street, though part of a one-way system, is navigable with some advance awareness. The Radisson Blu has four pre-bookable spaces and a roundabout approach on one of Birmingham's busiest junctions. For anyone arriving by car, The Cube is the decisively better option.
For Nightlife and an Evening OutWinner: Draw, different evenings
The Radisson Blu puts you five minutes from the Arcadian Centre and Las Iguanas on the Ladywell Walk strip. The Cube puts you seven minutes from Broad Street and eight minutes from Brindleyplace along the canal. Choose the Radisson for a group night out on the Arcadian strip; choose The Cube for a canal-walk evening ending in Brindleyplace or the Mailbox.
For Dog OwnersWinner: Neither, do not book either
The Cube Hotel Birmingham does not accept dogs or pets, except for service animals. This is confirmed policy. The Radisson Blu's position on Holloway Circus Queensway offers no green space within any reasonable walk. Dog owners should look elsewhere in Birmingham entirely.
For FamiliesWinner: The Cube Hotel Birmingham
The canalside location, flat walking routes, proximity to the Mailbox and Brindleyplace make The Cube a workable and genuinely engaging family base. The building itself is remarkable for children. The Radisson Blu sits on a heavy traffic junction with no nearby green space and no family-specific amenities in the immediate area, the constant noise and road-heavy environment is a real consideration.
For a One-Night Business StayWinner: Radisson Blu Birmingham
If you are in for one night for a meeting or conference and need to be back on a train early, the Radisson Blu's New Street proximity is the deciding factor. The Cube rewards guests who linger; a single high-efficiency night does not make use of what the building offers.
The Hero Verdict
These two hotels are not in competition. They serve completely different types of Birmingham visit, and booking the wrong one for your trip is an entirely avoidable mistake.
The Cube Hotel Birmingham is a place. It has architecture, a canal, a rooftop restaurant, and a building that gives you something to talk about. The Radisson Blu is a tool, an exceptionally well-positioned tool for rail travel, but a tool nonetheless. One earns memories. The other earns punctuality.
If you are arriving by train and your priority is getting to New Street fast and without stress, the Radisson Blu is genuinely hard to beat in this price tier. Seven minutes flat is difficult to argue with, and for the business traveller on a tight schedule it is the correct choice.
If you are here for any other reason, romance, a proper city break, a long weekend, a dinner worth remembering, The Cube is the answer, and it is not particularly close.
Book The Cube Hotel Birmingham if:
- You are here for a romantic weekend or special occasion
- You want the Marco Pierre White rooftop restaurant on your doorstep
- You are arriving by taxi or car and want a calm, direct drop-off
- You value atmosphere and a genuine sense of place over raw transport efficiency
- You want to walk the canal to Brindleyplace as part of your evening
- You are staying two nights or more and want a hotel worth the price tag
- You are visiting the Mailbox, Brindleyplace, or Broad Street
Book Radisson Blu Hotel Birmingham if:
- You are arriving and departing by train and need to be at New Street fast
- You have an early morning train departure and cannot afford to add taxi time to your morning
- You are on a one-night business stay focused on efficiency over experience
- You want the closest quality hotel to Birmingham New Street in this price bracket
- You are heading to the Arcadian Centre for a night out and want to walk back
- You do not have a car and need maximum walkability to central Birmingham
The Bottom Line: The Cube is Birmingham's most distinctive hotel address. The Radisson Blu is Birmingham's most rail-connected hotel address. They are both £££ hotels in the same city, and that is roughly where the similarity ends. Know which type of stay you are booking, and then book the right one.
