I am SO thankful to Bob at Rare Transportation! Planning transportation for my son's wedding was a…read morebrand-new experience for me and Bob walked me through each step with such patience and kindness. His professionalism and customer service is like nothing I've experienced with ANY other business in a VERY long time. It is truly "rare" these days. Our guests all raved about how kind the drivers were! Allison Whitfield was one of the drivers and I don't know the name of the others (we had several buses). ALL were awesome! One man went above and beyond helping my best friend's husband who has had a stroke. Driving up to meet him, helping him off and on the bus...just going out of his way to help. Thank you Bob for everything!! Blessings!

REVIEW OF RARE TRANSPORTATION Event dates APRIL 26-28, 2019…read more It has seemed prudent to wait awhile before posting a review of my experience with Rare Transportation. The first draft was admittedly something of a rant; now that I have heard comments from our visitors and have had time to allow the entire episode to settle, I am ready to post. I selected Rare Transportation for our needs because it appeared to have the largest fleet of buses, and because other groups seem to have been quite pleased with Rare Transportation. In the beginning I felt that Peyton understood our needs and wanted to see that those needs were met. By the time the event happened, it was clear that was not the case. It is with regret that I cannot recommend it. There is a laundry list of complaints about the performance of the drivers and managers. Here I will mention only the most egregious one: no bus came to Embassy Suites Saturday morning to take people to the Botanical Gardens, in spite of a signed contact which included that responsibility. Peyton got mad at me because I pointed out various deviations from the agreed plans for Friday, and he vented his anger by cancelling the Saturday morning shuttle, with no notice to me of cancellation. That is simply not acceptable or professional. If anyone wants specifics on other problems, you may contact me. I can point out a number of details which bear watching, though there is no guarantee that they would be handled properly. It gives me no pleasure to post a negative review of any business. The event was a time to showcase Birmingham at its best; Rare Transportation's performance was an embarrassment. Alleen Cater alleenc@bellsouth.net 205-862-7179

Subtly blending into, while also highlighting something new about a destination is a key element of…read morebalance that quality hotels aim to strike. Mountain Brook is a destination synonymous with old money, English and European architecture, uniqueness, gardens and a sense of village like isolation despite being very close to the city. Without a question, it is a very special place that completely lacked a respectable hotel, until 2015 when the Dallas based Kesseler collection opened Grand Bohemian. The hotel also belongs to Marriott's Autograph Collection group, which packages all unique 4 star hotels that don't fit into the cookie cutter of other brands and don't quite meet the requirements of a unique 5 star property, in which case it would sit under Luxury Collection umbrella. ~ Architecture and Design ~ Starting with the architecture, it's a very fitting hotel created in British country house style and fitting very well into the mountain Brook village. The parking deck is concealed very nicely to avoid ruining the views, the sidewalks are connected to the botanical gardens and the spaces inside are open and elegant. The interior is very interestingly crafted with a playful, contemporary take on recreating the ambiance of "Grand" hotels in Europe, while compressing into a smaller footprint and adding colorful energy inspired by the botanical gardens. The Deluxe Room was quite spacious, with a large bathroom and tub, but a cramped shower. The design is done in a mixture of elements that could cut this hotel into 5 star category, but also some pieces that clearly highlight that it's not. Faux marble bathroom and shower tiles are one such example. However, the original artwork by local artists, heavily depicting botanical gardens is an absolute beauty and the hotel is loaded with endless curiosities. ~ Service and Status Recognition ~ The service overall was spectacular. Each item request was very quick, very accurate and staff are very friendly, in many cases going above and beyond. It's one of the best service experiences in 4 star hotel category. As far as status recognition, the story was a bit less smooth. After confirming a Titanium status based upgrade to a deluxe room, I was unupgraded during checkin despite having availability. That was corrected upon me inquiring why. The suite upgrade was not honored despite the hotel having availability, but also only having 1 suite. There was some staff who did not seem to be well versed in benefits, as they also initially did not want to honor a 4pm checkout despite having plenty of availability, then an employee named Terry corrected the issue quickly. There is a breakfast benefit at Autograph Collection also, here providing a continental breakfast and also honoring an American Breakfast. It would be nice if the benefit was provided as a dollar credit also, so that guests would have flexibility to use it for other items and pay extra. But, nonetheless, not a bad breakfast. In summary, all the benefits of being a loyal guest did get honored, but each did require some light nudging to get the hotel to honor them, so that is an improvement area without questions. Benefits should be honored consistently to make the guests feel special for spending the substantial amount of money with the chain, not be an exercise of pushing the hotel to get them. ~ Amenities ~ The hotel does have a nice small pool, a well stocked small gym and a spa, the latter being closed due to pandemic. The gym was very clean, completely empty and very well stocked with cold water and towels. The particularly pleasant in room amenities included comfortable pillows, bathrobes, top notch toiletries and a pull tap bottle opener. The Bose stereo is there, but unfortunately quite useless these days unless you carry a stack of CDs or want to hear radio, so it is time for an upgrade. The slippers were brought quickly upon request. The Grand Bohemian is a spectacular example of a four star property idealism and what it should be. Gorgeously morphs and enhances its neighborhood, provides spectacular service at its price point, surprises with design, art and architecture. Excellent food and pleasant people working who pay attention to details of guests preferences and remediate issues quickly. It's a true pleasure staying at Grand Bohemian and it's such a wonderful addition to Birmingham.

I was disappointed with our experience. The class was small which I thought would mean more…read moreinteraction & attentive teaching. As we sat we were offered a drink menu & the appetizer was passed around, so no info or tips given on this item. One attendee helped chop berries & season meat. Not the chefs fault but at times other teaching was left out due to attendee chatter. Final dishes were self serve so I made a small plate due to concern of those behind me in line. There was no dessert plate so it mixed in with our food. One house wine or beer would be nice for the price point. I would rather make a reservation at a nice restaurant & pay half.

I stayed here for about 2 months. It is nice and quiet. The staff were friendly and helpful.read more

I stayed here 3 months as a travel nurse in Birmingham. 30 minutes from downtown and in a very nice…read moredeveloped suburb that has every amenity/shopping/dining you need. I absolutely enjoyed the campground in the woods and did not mind some of the structural issues other reviewers mentioned.... It's just part of building something like this in the woods. Plenty of shade, a wonderful lake/pond right by the bath house/laundry area and the staff is beyond sweet and accommodating and picked the perfect spot for my needs.

I had an unbelievable experience with Silver Cab at Birmingham airport. First, things were going…read morewell until the car had a flat. I had to stand outside in the dark after midnight holding a flashlight so the driver could see to change tire in the dark. He didn't offer to call another cab to take us home. Driver didn't take out our luggage in the trunk. Instead he moved things around to access the spare tire. Unfortunately, a bottle of oil was spilt and leaked onto a brand new luggage. It wasn't noticed until the next morning in daylight. The owner of the company acknowledged but could only offer $50 to replace a $179 luggage. Owner even suggested that for us to file with Delta airlines knowing that Delta wasn't responsible for the damage. Very disappointing and dishonest.

Called company and could not get picked up at the Amtrak station. Terrible customer service.read more

Not often that I write one up like this but read on to understand the 5 star rating. Make no…read moremistake, this is a BIG parking lot. Nothing more. Little shade and a slight slope. It supports the SEC baseball sports complex. 190 + full service spaces. First, and amazingly, the power never varied from the solid 120 volts I got on day one until I checked out (with temps from ranging from 65 to 96 degrees). Now for the real gold. If doing the right thing for a customer existed anymore I probably wouldn't even be writing this but, here goes. This was an emergency stay. Had a family member undergoing open heart surgery at UAB, about 20-22 minutes up the road on most trips (perfect distance and easy to navigate with our sister's car while leaving the RV parked here. Things didn't go well from the start at UAB and I needed to add a day, then another, then another. They had blocked me as a medical and I guess that kept them from adding anyone into this space. The SEC games were luckily done the week before we arrived and the place was half full. Well when I called to add one more day (making it #5) the nice gentleman said: "We can do one better than that. We can make it a full week, seven days, and even refund you for some of the day you just paid." No kidding, two "free days" and a refund. What planet did I just land on? Thank you Hoover Met for taking care of your customers! You renewed my faith in America.

5 star staff and cleanliness of the park!! 4 star amenities (like no bath house, pool, game room,…read moreetc), lack of WiFi We stayed for the week of the SEC Baseball Tournament. It was so convenient to have a RV site so close to The Met Stadium! We could leave the game, walk to the RV for lunch/dinner, and then head back over! And after the night games we were "home" within minutes vs waiting in the traffic leaving the stadium. Wendy (RV Park Manager) was so helpful and wonderful! During the booking process, she communicated well and once on site, she made sure to check on the guests and make herself available! The RV park is 170 pull through spots. The entire place is paved and very nice. It is basically just a special parking lot with hook ups, but they provide plenty of space for each RV and have some trees and such added for curb appeal. They also have a very nice playground that includes opportunities for multiple ability levels, as well as a fun looking splash pad area! One major negative to be aware of: No WiFi coverage at camp site (they advertise they have it, but it simply did not work. Which was really disappointing considering we planned to stream games and post game coverage, but could not even get a website to load, much less stream anything). Almost no cell service (Verizon) as well. For SEC week, this was an amazing option! If you are wanting a place to vacation, I would say this might just be a place you stop by for a night or two. Overall, our stay was great and we will return for SEC week in the future!

After the drive from Mobile, stopping at my son's home in ft. Dp, taking the highway to…read moredestination, seeing a friendly smile upon arrival was two thumbs up, a clap, and a love it!!!!! The front desk assistant was awesome, room was great, and My shower was just right. Too bad this visit is a short one but don't worry, It's a definite on my list return......

Upon arrival at the hotel at approximately 2am the Front Desk Clerk was no where to be found. There…read morewas a sign on the desk with a number to call for assistance, we called it and it rang to the phone at the desk. After 10 mins. She came out of a hotel room directly across from the front desk very disheveled as if she were sleeping apologizing saying she was checking on her family in the room. We had 2 rooms, different room types in which she confirmed but when I arrived to my room it was not what I booked, I go back to the front desk now she's acting clueless about the room types. I show her my reservation & she now says it was input wrong and they didn't have my room type available. While assisting me she's on her cellphone talking, a guest comes up during this interaction and says hes checking out as if I wasn't standing there talking to the Clerk so I turned around & told him a few things and when I turn back around she's looking at me crazy face frowned up. I told her don't look at me like that she proceeds to say she 37yrs old don't tell her what to do and thats where the argument started. I never received my room, I go back to the wrong room since my type wasn't available only to find toe nails, finger nails, other debris, hair, a Bobby pin in the floor. Finallytried to lay down at 3:30am as i had to be up at 5:30 for a graduationand the refrigeratorstarts howling nonstop untilmy husband unplugged it. The towels shouldhave never been placed in the room as they are very old & worn. The icing on the top is i checked out on 8/1 @ 730am after only being there a couple of hours with the same clerk that ch2cked me In & on the original departure date someone called from the hotel to ask if I was extending. I was never checked out.

What works: nice cars, lovely service What doesn't: the…read morelocation is a bit behind the times in terms of "grab keys and go" for users with established accounts. When this is pretty much the norm elsewhere, this antiquated vehicle check out process becomes such a pain, especially after a long day of travel.

Check and double check your bill. They tried to charge me a $350 drop charge when they knew it was…read morebooked as a one-way rental. They also gave me a car with a paper plate knowing that it was a one way rental which I did not discover until the following day and had to return the car and pick up another before I went out of state. Don't bother calling the branch because no one will ever answer the phone.

Although I am all about living The Art of Taking it Easy, driving across country with the family…read morehas its difficulties, and ours is no different. We needed a comfortable spot to spend the night and The Comfort Inn lived up to its name! Once our heads hit the pillow, we were all comfortably resting up for another day of travel. #socialmediapromo #socialmediainfluencer #comfortInnBirminghamIrondale #comfortInn #Birmingham #Alabama

When you first arrive you will notice from the parking lot that half the hotel is under…read moreconstruction. Check-in was friendly enough. However, when we got to our assigned hotel room the door was left wide open, no need for the key cards which was unusual. Carpet in the hotel rooms are not clean at all (food crumbs, raisins, a nickel, etc.) and the room had lots of different bugs since there is a massive gap at the bottom of the doorway to the hallway. For a one night stay I personally saw at least six different bugs. I was going to report it at checkout, however no one was working at the front desk. They only had a key drop during regular checkout hours. Would not stay at this property again.