The Club and Spa

It’s very strange to write a review of somewhere I’ve been and admit that I’ve no idea how to actually get into the premises, but it’s true! I noticed that Vicky O had issues finding her way and she was not alone. I brought my sister for a «festive» afternoon tea thanks to a group buy voucher and thought I knew where it was. Not so! We traipsed up and down escalators in the Cube, following other similarly lost looking people, before eventually being directed outside. There didn’t seem to be any door to open, just lots of windows. After seeing us all standing there looking bewildered, a waitress came over and opened the secret door from inside. Success! Entry achieved!
We were impressed by our welcome when checking in. We were even asked what we didn’t want in our sandwiches. Neither of us likes fish, so that was a relief. We got to choose between mulled wine and prosecco and plumped for mulled wine, it being close enough to Christmas to make that sound legitimate.
Service was pretty quick. We had no choice of tea-​it was just regular tea in a pot. The sandwiches were only fair, I’m sorry to say. One finger of a chicken one, 2 with grated cheese and the rest made up of packet ham. Reminded me of the Apprentice when they tried to make lunches for the absolutely lowest price they possibly could. The cakes were Christmas themed and were nice enough-​bakewell, coffee cake, Christmas cake and a mince pie. Small scones with jam and cream were definitely the best bit!
One bathroom which was a bit grubby and didn’t really match the general ambience. It’s a pity because the main room is pleasant with lovely canal views. We weren’t rushed to leave and everybody was very pleasant. I’d kind of like to go back and see if they could do better with the sandwiches and cakes the next time. Still not sure how I’d actually get in there to do that though…

Decent place, bit pricey though. Climbing wall is a must!
I’ve been here twice now for the ‘spa day’ package. Once was a present and this second time with a significant discount. Unless you pay for the extra add-​ons or just go for a beauty package it’s basically a gym and huge jacuzzi for £80 for the day. This is fairly pricey, but with a decent discount, almost works out especially if you manage to get some climbing in.
I had some head massage thing which was OK, bit odd though. We used the facilities for around 6 hours swapping between gym, climb, swim, sauna and also had lunch. The lunch was great for me, just a salad but well done. My parters salad did have a bit much onion but not enough to complain, added bubbly water washed it down :)
All in mostly we just wanted to use the climbing wall, gym, sauna and jacuzzi thing, which we did and enjoyed it, although the main sauna room was closed for repairs.
The décor is modern, staff are pleasant and helpful. Booking the climbing can be a bit of a hassle though so keep pestering them for it. Other people there are mostly women in dressing gowns wandering between the beauty package rooms & café area, I did see a few gym people coming in around 5. For most part the gym was fairly empty and the machines were in good condition. The setup also allows you to sit somewhere in relative peace surrounded by fashion magazines and wait for someone or read for a bit.

I managed to get a good deal for a day spa visit here for my mums birthday for the both of us. The staff were welcoming on arrival even though we did have to call twice to find out how to get there as neither of us had been there before! There is a good size changing room for women, with showers and hairdryers.
The pool would seem to be too small for swimming lengths but good for relaxing, which I’m sure is the point of a spa. There are 2 jets which massage your back while your in the pool, though initially they can feel slightly harsh you do get used to it. There are showers by the pool to rinse off afterwards. There are also two saunas (at different temperatures) and a steamroom. Around the corner is a chill out area with pods which can fit in two persons. It is very relaxing.
Our day visit included lunch but to get to it we had to walk back through the main reception, which was strange. It also felt rather weird to eat while in a dressing gown while others are fully clothed. People don’t seem to walk by the fully glass walls that often but I did feel slightly uncomfortable being in a dressing gown. It was quiet which was nice and there were sofas so you could relax with a glass of wine. The wine cost more than I expected to pay but then I realised it was a spa in city centre Birmingham.
We had facial included in the price and got a pedicure for extra. The staff were very knowledgeable when it came to the facial and they took care considering my nose job. The young lady talked me through the process beforehand and tailored the facial to suit my personal needs. It was very relaxing and my skin felt fabulous afterwards. The pedicure included a nice glass of champagne and a massage. It was worth it and the nail polish lasted ages!
The day was perfect but did not last long enough but came out feeling very relaxed. It was the best way to end the week.

So, the Cube hasn’t been around for –very– long in Birmingham, but I hadn’t had a chance to properly check it out as yet. As I very rarely come to the Mailbox area of the City (this probably stems from being a student and not being able to afford to come here), when I saw an offer for Afternoon Tea; I thought it was about time to get down and properly have a nose.
I was looking for an excuse to meet up with my friend (Lula Belle of
) for sparkly and chats, it was a good an excuse as any to book up and invite her down to join me. First thing of note, the renovations/​work that is currently going on in the Mailbox has made it a darn confusing place to be. Rather than going in the main entrance, we had to walk around the side of the building and then travel the escalators to then go down the stairs to get to the Bridge for the Cube. This, however, was only the start of our incredible journey to find the Lounge in the Cube.
Once we had got in the Cube, we went down to the ground floor (where the are is most visible) just to realise all the doors are closed off. There was signs on the doors advising us to go the level 6 though. «Great!» we thought and toddled off. Are there any signs telling you what floor you’re on? No, No there aren’t. After finding an exit had been closed off (for more work), we finally found a friendly security guard who advised how we could get to the Club and spa (up the escalators, around the building, along the bridge and down yet more stairs).
Once we had finally got into the building, however, it was worth the trek. We were greeted at the smart reception (by a gigantic climbing wall, who knew that was there?) by a friendly member of staff who gave us directions to get through the warren like building to reach the café/​bar. Once we had reached it, it was like a little breath of fresh air. Greeted by bright purples and yellows with fabulous design details and obvious cleanliness and care; we knew this was the right place to be.
Once we had confirmed our reservation, we were asked whether we would prefer tea or coffee, if we had any allergies and whether we wanted sweet Prosecco (the answers were coffee, no and Of Course!). We found ourself some comfy high backed chairs towards the back of the venue and sat back to await our Afternoon Tea. First thing of note, I have never HAD afternoon tea before. As another hit in my «Festival of First’s» activities, I thought this might be one I would really enjoy (spoiler alert: I wasn’t disappointed).
The coffee and Prosecco was delivered within a couple of minutes. The coffee was hot, strong and delicious. The staff (and the company) was wonderful throughout the whole experience. As soon as we had finished a pot of coffee, it was refilled and bought back promptly. The selection of finger sandwiches, cream scones (with fresh fruit and jam) and cakes were fresh and delicious (and we were given just the right amount).
We were booked in for tea at 3pm. By 6pm, we were still sitting and enjoying the chilled out atmosphere (as well as the last of the coffee). Even though the venue closed at 6pm, we weren’t once hurried out or asked to move on. The food, staff and overall experience was fantastic. As a note to the Cube though; better signage would be a good idea!