Purple haze

Unsophisticated types like you and I would hang the label "cheap and cheerful" round the purple neck. Our stay at the Birmingham hotel - currently one of 10 in England and one in Scotland - made me think that's too sweeping and simple.

But let's get back to Mr Spacey. The artistic director of the oldvictheatre (no, I'm being silly, it's The Old Vic) is angry that Andrew Lloyd Webber gets months of free TV plugs every time he puts on a new musical in the West End. The publicity takes the form, as we all know, of searching out talent for the shows in the BBC's prime time slot on Saturday nights.

Spacey naughtily asks why the Beeb can't screen talent hunts for his shows? Good question, Kev. It's the kind of thought that would get you out of bed in the middle of the night to wander around a London park.

I've always avoided the shows proper, although you can't totally avoid the trails for them, which are everywhere on all Auntie's channels. One of the things that puts me off is that I think the BBC have gone out of their way to put put together two of the most unattractive males ever born in one show - that's Norton and Lord Webber, in case you had any doubts.

Anyway, here we are, me, daughter and two grandchildren having a purple patch down in Cuckoo Road.

Don't tell Andrea Gubbins (she's the general manager) but the girls had already tested the huge bed in our executive room for its bounce factor (excellent, apparently) and sat on the handy seat in the walk-in shower (they hadn't seen one before).

Grandfather had quietly tested his squishy duvet and single bed pillow (it's allegedly "bounceback") and daughter had inspected the internet facilities - there's wi-fi everywhere, even in the café-bar and spread throughout the four dedicated meeting rooms.

So it was time to sample the gastropub-style menu. The café-bar is open all day, with an admittedly limited range of meals, but all excellent and well presented. Great mashed potato, apparently, which is high praise from our seven-year-old.

While we're drinking and waiting for our grub the girls hunker down on the easy chairs in front of the big screen to watch the potential Olivers (they know of a local lad who auditioned) and watch John Barrowman do some judging - they adored him in last year's Hippodrome pantomime, but so did everyone.

Interesting to note that as we ate, spread round the large room were corporate types dressed down in rugby shirts obviously still carrying on the meetings that had brought them to Brum in the first place as well as family groups like ours. All very friendly, informal and relaxing.

I must say the open neck shirt style was borne out by the staff who oversaw our buffet breakfast the next day (it's in the price and on the premises, not always the case in this end of the market). The food was great - full English and healthier alternatives available - and the staff was helpful and attentive without fussing.

Same on reception checking in and out - good luck with the baby, Nicola, hope it inherits your dazzling smile!

Executive rooms (there are 23 in Brum) sleep two adults and two kids under 14 and at £73 a room per night midweek and from £39 at the weekend the hotel is a brilliant choice for a stopover. There's justice in the group's rather stilted slogan "A real hotel for the price of an inn."

We were in the city for events on succeeding days and it made sense to stay overnight rather than drive home and get up at dawn to be back next morning. It's the kind of choice many people regularly have to make, and at these prices and with this location (NEC, Villa Park, and city centre not many minutes away, Star City over the road) many Birmingham visitors will be turning purple.

Meanwhile, a couple of rival establishments just the over the other side of the M6 targeting the same business and leisure punters will be turning green.