One of my favorite hotel experiences has got to be the Wynfrey in Birmingham, Alabama. It is Alabama's only 4 diamond hotel and they do indeed deserve their diamonds. The Wynfrey is attached to the Riverchase Galleria and very close to other wonderful shops. During my college years in nearby Tuscaloosa, we visited Birmingham at least twice monthly and during football season, it was often more. On this particular visit, my family arrived for a big game and we all decided to splurge and get rooms here at the Wynfrey. We rented one suite with an adjoining standard room. I love to tailgate, but let me tell you, this is the way to do a 'Bama game!

With all of this talk about football, you may be getting the idea that this is not exactly a high class establishment, but that is just not so. When you first walk in from your car, after having given the keys to the valet, you are greeted with opulence. Above you can see crystal chandeliers and below you is a polished Italian marble floor. Though the hotel is 4-diamond, you still feel quite comfortable as the hotel is pretty busy with guests and curious shoppers. There is a spa on site called Japonika along with 3 restaurants: Winston's, Chicory Grille and Ivory's lounge.

Winston's features a Sunday brunch that is out of this world with anything you could imagine. Some of my favorites were the crepes, snow crab legs and fresh fruit. We also ate breakfast there on Saturday and it was uneventful. As my family arrived, we all met in Ivory's lounge for drinks and snacks, which was nice. I do feel I should mention that the service at both establishments was severely lacking, which is unusual since we had such a pleasant stay.

The rooms are spacious and elegant. They are decorated so nicely, you don't even feel like you are in a hotel. One thing that impressed me was that the bedspreads didn't feel one bit like polyester! They even brought up a playpen for my son to sleep in, but it was so old that we felt safer with him in bed between us. We had a large picture window that was beautiful, but unfortunately we only had a view of the parking lot. The room had all of the little perks you would expect of a 4 diamond hotel from nice toiletries to ironing boards. We were very comfortable.

The room rates were pretty pricey for our new family, but reasonable for such a nice establishment, all things considered. For a standard room rates were from $179 a night, for a Deluxe room from $209 a night and for a Suite from $275 to $1000 per night.

They also offer package deals that are nice if you are close to Birmingham. The one I'm most familiar with is the Shopper's Dream. With this comes a coupon book for the stores in the Galleria with savings of over $100 and a nice shopping bag.The bag is something of status symbol around the mall. They also had a Valentine's Day package complete with a bottle of Dom Perigion and breakfast in bed and A Touch of Romance and Newlywed's Escape with a bottle of Champagne. The Taste of Wynfrey comes with a 3-course dinner from Winston's and a bottle of wine with dinner. Another popular package is called the Golfer's Bag.

The Wynfey, as mentioned earlier, is attached to the Riverchase Galleria. This mall is special because of its beautiful skydome that is decorated with hundreds of twinkling lights at Christmas time. It truly is a breathtaking spectacle. With its over 200 stores and 30 restaurants and eateries, you can easily spend a weekend here. Also within a twenty minute drive is a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course.

If you are looking for an upscale hotel that is convenient but attentive, then give the Wynfrey a try. It is unequaled.


Recommended: Yes