Hampton Inn & Suites – The Tutwiler

Love it! Jeff and the rest of the hotel staff are so helpful and personable, it’s refreshing. Our room was super clean. Honestly all the things you’re after in a hotel, they got cha (high five!)

Impressive hotel in Birmingham! The valet parking is ran very well, even though it is tight maneuvering into the hotel entrance. The folks at the front desk were all smiles, and they were helpful and accommodating from when I arrived until I checked out. I love it when the hotel puts its best personalities out front.
As for the building, it is a historic structure in the middle of town; the architecture and décor are eye pleasing. The rooms are well appointed and modern enough, and they have a good view of the city skyline.
I felt the bathroom was a bit underwhelming, but it was adequate.
Oh, and by the way, the bed slept awesome! I slept like a rock!
I will stay with these folks again as my travels take me through this great city. Until next time…
JM

A year and a half later, I returned to downtown Birmingham for two nights. I opted to stay again here since my last experience was positive. And since the location is perfect for downtown Birmingham, I decided to do without a car.
The hotel is still clean and comfortable, but an odd configuration for a Hampton. They still manage to put the Hampton stuff in here — the small market area and the free wifi and the large breakfast area upstairs.
The room layout is a little strange, but I’ve learned that it’s because the hotel used to be an apartment building and was converted. It still works, it’s just an odd configuration that gives the rooms and the properly a charming character.
Once again, every staff member I interacted with was kind and friendly and welcoming. This is a super hotel and it’s great to have the ability to stay with a «major» brand in downtown B’ham.

Drove 3 hours from Atlanta and tried to check in. The valets were very helpful. However, Sandra at the front desk was having a bad day. My reservation from
wasn’t found. Couldn’t use my confirmation number. Was told no rooms were available. Called
and they were able to send a fax that magically made our room available. The hotel is beautiful but Sandra not so much. Hopefully Sandra at the front desk will be in a better mood when we try to check in later today.

We arrived at 9:30 at night after driving all day in heavy traffic from North Carolina (9 hours). We were given room 706. We were at room 706, about to open the door, when the valet told us that we had been given the wrong room and we’d have to go back downstairs to the check-​in counter. We followed him back down to the front desk, only to be told that the front desk clerk was mistaken and we had been given the right room after all. Not a big deal unless you’re exhausted. I was not informed of the $ 22 parking fee when I made reservations, nor does this information appear on the website. Bath tub drain was completely clogged, so we showered in a foot of dirty water. A $ 25 «Incidentals» fee was placed on my credit card without my authorization. Beautiful building, sloppy service. Will not return.

Looks can be deceiving. I was excited about paying a little extra to have a nice stay overnight in Birmingham. The whole experience would be laughable if this Hotel hadn’t taken my money and run. I arrived at the Tutwiler to be greeted by the lumpiest hotel bed this side of Mississippi. (See the photo) When I came back to my room at about 11 PM, the entire 4^th floor smelled like a book-​burning party in 1940s-​Germany, except the books were marijuana. Now, I have nothing against my neighbors from celebrating in their customary style, but I just happen to not indulge in those activities. In fact, I became very ill by midnight because of the thick smell coming through the vent. My stomach was seizing into cramps. So I called the front desk, and the woman sent a gentleman up with some air freshener. The gentleman and the front desk clerk agreed that the entire floor and the elevator reeked of MJ. I watched her call the room and threaten to call the police and fine them $ 500 IF there is evidence of smoking in the rooms. She hung up and looked at me as if that would solve my problem. I asked for a room on a different floor, and she gave me «the only room left.» When I went back to my room to pack my bag, I received a text from my bank that someone had used my credit card to purchase things at Hollister: fraud. At 10 PM that very evening. Coincidence? I don’t know. But this hotel seriously has some bad mojo. The bank had to cancel my credit card. The only good part: the breakfast staff and buffet.

We had our wedding party stay there and really appreciated the hard work and kind hospitality of the staff! Trisha and Jeff were always ready and available to answer questions or provide help. Thanks so much!

The Location is prime! This Hampton Inn is a remodeled historic building in the heart of Birmingham. It is walking distance to business appointments and has a nice restaurant on site. The rooms are a little smaller due to the age of the building, but it has an old world charm and is very clean. The fitness center is roomy and convenient. I understand it is the site of many weddings and local special events which would be lovely here. The service is friendly and helpful. Valet parking is required and is $ 22 per night. Great central location!

Old fancy hotel. Great for a couple or a single person but definitely not made for a family with small children. Would recommend Hilton Homewood suits for anyone with kids

Fantastic historic building, location, attentive and friendly staff, nice bar. The fish in the restaurant was overcooked (they had no vegetarian entrée), yet I never have high expectations for hotel food. Nice breakfast buffet. I will be back.

You have to pay $ 20 a day for parking and they don’t tell you this when you first check in online. When we arrived the valet men were very rude because we didn’t want to pay $ 20 for them to park our car. You can park on the street for cheaper. He told us to move when we were checking in because we were parked in valet parking that wasn’t marked. Just based on the rude valet people I wouldn’t stay here. It’s a bad neighbor hood and there was broken glass everywhere from cars getting broken into. There was mold in the shower and the breakfast was nothing fancy.

The Tutwiler is a neat hotel in downtown Birmingham, and I don’t think I would’ve found it had Priceline put me somewhere else.
What sets The Tutwiler apart from other Hampton Inn & Suites is the fact that the building is over a 100 years old. Any history or building nerd is going to love staying here. Other than it being the historical building, it’s the same as every other Hampton Inn & Suites.
The amenities were very nice. Complimentary wifi, complimentary continental breakfast, namely. The valet cost $ 22 a night, which is a wee pricey, but since I was staying for 1 night, it wasn’t a huge deal.
My room was nice. Very comfy beds, even though I ended switching beds because the sheets of the bed I initially claimed were obviously dirty. The other bed was fine, so I was ok with staying put. The bathroom itself was nice and spacious, but the tub was less than to be desired as it wasn’t very big.
If I’m ever in Birmingham again, I’d consider staying here again. It’s decently-​priced, if anything!

Best hotel experience I have ever had! Just in town for a night, and the customer service was incredible! Vincent, one of the valet attendants, went above and beyond to help me and my friend! We also witnessed him helping another customer and he was simply amazing! The hotel is beautiful and in the best, most convenient area for the breweries and local restaurants and bars. Will absolutely stay here in the future of I’m ever back in Birmingham.

Everything good from Hampton Inn and the Hilton family plus the charm of a historic hotel, all in one. This is a great place.
The location is nice, downtown, across from the public library, a beautiful church and walking distance from several skyscrapers.
The amenities are what you would expect from any Hampton Inn, with comfortable beds and high def TVs, a nice complimentary breakfast and free wifi. The rooms in this particular hotel are huge — a benefit of its history. The windows are slightly warped, another reminder of the age of the building. (With that said, it’s been maintained well.)
The reason for a one-​star loss is that the wifi was painfully slow. Even for email, it took forever for the emails to load. Of course, for $ 4.95, I could upgrade to «premium» wifi. Not cool, hotel industry, not cool.
Of course, this is not unique to this property, and you’re not likely to find a cooler hotel nearby — a combination of timeless and modern all in the heart of downtown.

The strangest thing after I settled in my room. The pest control guy open my door to
Inspect while I already there without knocking. He apologize that the front desk did not notify him. Half an hour later another guest opened the door for the front desk had checked him into the same room. I was not happy! I called the front desk and informed them of the situation. She apologized for the mistake. The hotel manager followed up with me 15 min later and offer to comp the room or meal. I declined but she personally knock on my door a few minutes later with water and chocolate apologizing for the mistakes they made. That was very nice of her to personally come to my room to say it won’t happen again. I think this mistake was due to inexperience front desk personnel. They need training!
Needless to say, I latched my door now.

I know two Unilocalers. They were getting married and decided to have two weddings. I was going to do a whole «two» theme but that’s it. One wedding was in Alabama. I’m sorry.
The Tutwiler is a famous historic hotel in B’ham that became a Hampton Inn and thus marginally less historic. It still maintains quite a splendor and has lots of cool architectural details and wide, ornate hallways.
Things we liked:
— Room service from their restaurant was quick, the crab cakes were delicious, and the pricing is not too hotel-​inflated
— The beds are super comfortable
— There is a valet service but plenty of free, on-​street weekend parking
Bad things:
— They didn’t come to clean the room during our stay until 5 PM, at which point I was trying to nap.
— We were also woken up by housekeeping at 8 AM on our final day, despite having a do-​not-​disturb sign on the door
— As with so many hotels, the drapes block the light about as well as Kate Moss obscures a Dodge Ram.
— The hotel faces a park that is aesthetically nice, but filled with extremely dodgy characters. We were told by locals not to walk around, even during the day.
Overall, this is a perfectly nice hotel (but for the neighborhood), and were it not for several housekeeping issues, it would be four stars.

This place ain’t cheap. No it’s not too awful expensive but it’s going to cost you a little. But you know what? You get what you pay for and there is a reason Hampton Inn costs a bit more than regular hotels, because it’s worth it. The beds alone are worth it IMO. And this Hampton Inn is a beautiful historical hotel to stay in. We arrived and were helped out to unload all of our stuff by the friendliest folks who valet parked my car. Which brings me to a minor complaint, I don’t like having to do valet but I understand the reason for it here. but I still don’t like it and I don’t know why they don’t include the $ 20 or whatever charge in your hotel fee for it.
Anyways, we got unloaded quickly and got checked in by some very friendly staff and went up to our room. It was already nice and cool and looked really really beautiful. Yes the room size itself is smaller than typical Hampton Inns but that’s the nature of the beast with a historical hotel. The bed was plush and awesome, the shower was powerful and refreshing and overall I have not a single complaint about the actual room. The inside of the hotel is amazing and just begs to be explored a little. We sit in the sitting room and looked through some wonderful engagement and wedding photographs. Apparently a lot of people get married here in the garden.
Yes this neighborhood isn’t the best but it’s not awful either. I’d not recommend going out at night as there looks like some troublemakers in the park nearby but during the day it’s fine and there is a police presence there so you don’t feel too unsafe to go out and about and do your business. I had a stun gun with me during our walk in the park in the a.m. just in case anyone decided to get a little grabby but it was probably overkill. But hey, better to be safe than sorry right?
The next day we checked our bill and our valet parking was not on the bill. No money had been taken when we checked in either. So we loaded up the car, checked out and figured the valet would then ask us for payment. He did not. Being the honest person I am I brought it up and he said I could pay him directly. I figured he might just pocket it but truthfully I didn’t care if he did, I just wanted to not have to live with the guilt of not paying, so I gave him $ 25 and told him to keep the extra $ 5. We got into the car and while getting our GPS going and everything he came back with a receipt for $ 20 from the front desk which was nice, I mean to see another person who was also honest. The kid could have easily just pocketed the entire amount.
This place was a really enjoyable stay. The hotel is pure class. It’s great to see a really beautiful slice of history. I’d give it 5 stars except for the valet confusion and just, in general, the neighborhood it’s in (which like I said isn’t awful but it’s not that great either). Hampton Inn should be proud to call this a hotel of theirs.

This is a unique Hampton, since it’s located in a historic building. The room and hallway renovations are very well done, while at the same time preserving some of the architectural features in the lobby and exterior.
Parking is valet or on the street, but although street parking is free nightly until 8am, the front desk warned me that the meter maids are vigilant. I chose not to take the chance
*** I gave the hotel 4 stars, but I would give their restaurant only 1 star… It is apparently affiliated with a culinary school, but our dinner was definitely NOT chef quality, nor was it worth anywhere near the expensive price. My guess is that there were no instructors on site this night.
The wine list is very simple, and our server was friendly, but not knowledgeable about the food.
Our meal was amateur-​ish and uninspired. My original entrée was the pork shoulder, which came out so overcooked that it was a grey color, and so dry it was inedible. After checking with the kitchen, our server recommended ordering something else, since they apparently didn’t think they could improve on the pork.
My second entrée was the sesame crusted seared tuna, which was okay at best, but had way too many sesame seeds
Overall, a VERY disappointing meal for $ 100… I don’t recommend eating here

I had a very great stay here last week. The hotel itself, is gorgeous! We had a corner room and it was very good sized! Loved the spacious bathroom and the large tub!
The valet staff was great, in fact quite hilarious! They were quick to retrieve our car, and offered a shuttle ride to Regions Field for a baseball game when we were thinking about walking.
The only downfall, and it really wasn’t a bother, was the fact that we could hear music playing in our room and bathroom. It was not loud, but it was all the time. There was no music playing outside that we could hear. The only thing we could think of, was that our room was on the 3^rd floor, directly above the restaurant/​bar? Maybe the music was coming from there?
We happened to be there on Easter Sunday and were awakened at 7:00 to the LOUD chiming of church bells! And again at 9:00 and we heard them again at 11:00 as we were checking out. They were beautiful though!
We also were very pleased with the beds! We slept so comfortably!
We really did enjoy our stay at the Tutwiler! If I am ever in Birmingham again, I will most definitely stay here!

Saturday, March 8^th, Tony and I was walking around the lovely town of Birmingham Alabama checking out their lovely architecture. I call this URBAN HIKING or CITY HIKING… and we do this from time to time. I love to take photos of old buildings especially if they have historical value or just plain GORGEOUS!!!
History: The Tutwiler Hotel was a 13-​story brick and limestone luxury hotel on the southeast corner of 5^th Avenue North and 20^th Street in downtown Birmingham. It was constructed in 1914 by a group of local investors. It closed in 1972 and was demolished in 1974, Another Tutwiler Hotel, named for the original, opened in 1986 in the former Ridgely Apartments.
The new hotel opened its doors in June 15, 1914. Easter lilies filled the lobbies, and leading citizens turned out in formal attire to see the newly proclaimed «Grand Dame of Southern Hotels.» Promotional brochures announced that the Tutwiler «[e]mbodies every advanced thought [that] architectural ingenuity, aided by skilled labor, has so far devised… consisting of 325 rooms, equipped with bath or shower, fire alarms and telephone.» Rates ranged from $ 1.50 for a single room without bath to $ 6.00 for a double room with bath. 70 chefs were hired to staff the hotel kitchen.
The hotel closed for good just five years later, on April 1, 1972. Clem Long Inc. held a liquidation sale of furnishings, carpets, light fixtures, kitchen equipment, finishes, bath fixtures and linens in June.
On January 27, 1974 the Tutwiler was imploded to make way for the First Alabama Bank building. The demolition took longer than expected as more than 2,000 tons of steel were removed from the site.
In 1985 it was decided to convert the Ridgely Apartments building, which had also been built by Robert Jemison Jr. in 1913 and was owned by the Tutwiler family, into a new luxury hotel named after the original. In 1986 renovations of the building were completed and the new Tutwiler opened to guests.