Why am I rating this apparant well-liked place so low?
1. Location - Right on one of the most trafficated streets in Solihull, the noise level from the street is significant. The noise from adjacent rooms as well as the hallways is also surprisingly high.
2. Room - The bathroom sets a new record in how narrow it was, just as an example: no room for a hanger for the toilet paper which is placed behind you. Ice cold bathroom floor. But the killer is the bed. It was way too firm for many (eg. my wife would have hated it), but I like firmness so that was not the issue. But there was a big hole from compression where my hip was, deeper than any I have ever experienced.
3. Service: I am not used to being offended by hotel managers, and I am not one to talk back. Instead I let the initial encounter linger on my mind and ruin my entire evening, which happened to be my birthday. But I ended up in a room with a single bed, even though I had paid for a room with a double bed.
From my point of view, there are reasons this place comes relatively cheap. But there are better B&Bs, particularly if you are willing to stay two train stations away.