Book a cheap hotel in Coventry

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands. It is the ninth largest city in England and 11th largest in the United Kingdom as well as being the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of over 315,000. The city is both an industrial centre and a cathedral city, while also boasting two universities.

Coventry claimed the status of a city by ancient prescriptive usage, was granted a charter of incorporation in 1345, and in 1451 became a county in its own right. By the early 20th century Coventry became a major centre of the British motor industry, home to both Rover and Jaguar. Although all car production has ceased to exist in the city since 2006 the design headquarters and head office of Jaguar still remain in the city. Coventry is perhaps most famous for its role in the Blitz in WWII when Adolf Hitler singled it out for heavy bombing raids. The attack destroyed most of the city centre and the city's medieval cathedral and killed 568 people. A new cathedral was built in 1962 as a replacement.

A two-day trip
Two days is the perfect amount of time to get to know the city of Coventry. Premiere Classe Coventry Hotel is just a short taxi ride from the city centre where you will find the city’s star attraction: Coventry Cathedral. Noted for its striking post-war design, it is also next to the site of the medieval Cathedral bombed in WWII, in which only the tower, spire and outer walls remain. The city is also host to Coventry City Football Club who play their games at the Ricoh Arena. If they are playing while you are in town be sure to catch a game for a true British experience. Coventry is a city steeped in history make sure you spend your second day venturing into its different museums. The Midland Air Museum and Coventry Transport Museum will give you an insight into Coventry’s motoring past, while the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum displays some impressive art work.

A one-week break
A full week will give you the perfect opportunity to both fully explore the city of Coventry as well as being able to discover what the rest of the county of West Midlands has to offer. Just 19 miles away from Coventry lies an even bigger city in Birmingham which will have plenty to keep you busy. Cadbury World, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Symphony Hall, Think-tank Planetarium and shopping in Selfridges are just a few of the options on a very long ‘to do list’!

A family holiday
Coventry is a great place to take the whole family! Whether it is exploring the Lunt Roman Fort, relaxing in the Brandon Marsh Nature Centre or going ice-skating in the Coventry Skydome Ice Rink there is something for everybody!

Transport
Coventry is only about a 30-minute drive from Birmingham Airport which has flights round the UK, to Europe and the rest of the world. From the airport you can take a taxi or the free AirRail Link to Birmingham International rail station, where trains to Coventry depart regularly. Coventry is also on the main London to Birmingham rail route operated by Virgin. There are usually three trains to and from London Euston station every hour and the journey takes about an hour. Trains to central Birmingham are even more frequent, with a 25-minute journey time. The city is conveniently situated at the centre of the UK Motorway network. The M6 passes the north of the city, the M1 is easily accessible via the A45 towards London and the M69 northbound, while the M40 is accessed along the A46. Bus service operators in Coventry include National Express Coventry, Travel de Courcey and Stagecoach in Warwickshire. Pool Meadow Bus Station is the main bus and coach interchange in the city centre.

Gastronomy
A real tradition in Coventry are Coventry Godcakes. They were traditionally handed out at the beginning of the year by godparents to their godchildren. Similar to jam puffs, they are pastry filled with mincemeat, rather than jam. Coventry is also host to a range of award-winning eateries. From cafés to restaurants, and from Thai to Italian, the city has pretty much every kind of food covered.

Events
Coventry has a whole host of different events throughout the calendar year. Due to the city’s motoring past there are a wide range of motoring events with The Coventry Festival of Motoring in September, Supercar Sunday in June and the Historic Rally in January the highlights. However Potato Day in January, the Caribbean Festival in July, the Easter Eggstravaganza in April and the Christmas Frost Fair in December prove there is also plenty of different eclectic events on offer too.

Interesting fact
Coventry was the world's first twin city when it formed a twinning relationship with the Russian city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) during World War II. The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Useful Links:
http://www.coventry.world-guides.com/coventry_events.html
http://www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk/
http://www.ricoharena.com/