Spa night in Birmingham? Pick the city or the countryside first. A city-centre spa hotel lets you walk to dinner along the canals, while the country-house spas give you gardens and grounds to wander between treatments. Resorts World by the NEC is a mostly covered walk from Birmingham International station, so you can leave the car at home for that one. Here’s where I’d book, depending on which kind of night you want.
Quick answer: Book Fairlawns Hotel & Spa. Its 18-metre indoor pool is long enough for real lengths, and the spa adds eight treatment rooms and outdoor hot tubs.
At a glance, per night from
Table of Contents
Birmingham Spa Hotels
Medieval Moated House
1. New Hall Hotel & Spa
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: 28-minute drive to New Street station, Sutton Coldfield
Highlights: terrace drinks, Eggs Royale breakfast, Garden Room dinners, sticky toffee pudding, mini fridges, robes and slippers
Best Room: Suite
Good to Know: Book treatments before you arrive; the spa has just three treatment rooms.
From USD $235 – $305 per night
Amala Spa with Turkish Hammam
2. Hyatt Regency Birmingham
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: 13-minute walk to New Street station, Broad Street
Highlights: Regency Club Lounge, Aria afternoon tea, canal-view rooms, city views, floor-to-ceiling windows
Best Room: Suite
Good to Know: The pool has no shallow end; non-swimmers should stick to the whirlpool.
From USD $200 – $335 per night
Outdoor Hot Tub Overlooking Pendigo Lake
3. Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: 31-minute drive to New Street station, Resorts World by the NEC
Highlights: Sky Bar, breakfast omelettes, casino, spa treatments
Best Room: Deluxe Suite
Good to Know: Head to spa reception straight after check-in; the spa takes no advance bookings.
From USD $140 – $380 per night
Former Royal Mail Sorting Office
4. Malmaison Birmingham
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: 11-minute walk to New Street station, The Mailbox
Highlights: cocktails, city views, Double Double rooms, free-standing baths, walk-in showers, gym
Best Room: Junior Suite
Good to Know: Bring your own flip-flops and a coin for the spa lockers.
From USD $145 – $315 per night
Thermal Suite with Ice Falls and Salt Room
5. Fairlawns Hotel & Spa
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Location: 35-minute drive to New Street station, Aldridge
Highlights: landscaped gardens, pizza oven, chateaubriand, cauliflower bites, two-storey suites, Dyson hair dryers
Best Room: Junior Suite
Good to Know: Take a book to the pool; it sells drinks and small snacks too.
From USD $195 – $275 per night
Which Birmingham Spa Hotels Have a Swimming Pool
The pools run from one with hydrotherapy jets to an 18-metre pool you can swim lengths in.
- Swimming Lengths: Fairlawns Hotel & Spa has an indoor pool built for proper lengths. In the city centre, Hyatt Regency Birmingham has a heated 16-metre pool and a cold plunge pool.
- A Pool and a Spa Pool: New Hall Hotel & Spa pairs a 14-metre pool with a separate spa pool. Swim in one and warm up in the other.
- Where Are the Jets? The indoor pool at Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham has hydrotherapy jets built into it. Swim a few lengths, then sit back against the jets.
- No Pool at Malmaison: Malmaison Birmingham has no pool at all, and its spa is built around a hot tub. Book it for heat and a soak, and swim elsewhere.
For a real swim, I’d book Fairlawns Hotel & Spa.
Hot Tubs, Saunas and Steam Rooms
- Outdoor Hot Tubs: Fairlawns Hotel & Spa has outdoor hot tubs under a roof, with an outdoor shower beside them. The hotel calls them the highlight of its spa.
- Which Steam Room? Eucalyptus scents one steam room at Fairlawns Hotel & Spa and rose the other. Try both in one visit.
- Take a Sauna in Town: Both city-centre spas have a sauna and a steam room: Hyatt Regency Birmingham in its spa, and Malmaison Birmingham next to its hot tub. Malmaison Birmingham adds a relaxation room for lying down between rounds.
- Lie on Hot Stone: Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham has hot stone loungers by its pool. Warm up on one after a swim.
For heat without a swim, I’d book Malmaison Birmingham.
Spa Treatments at Birmingham Hotels
Count the treatment rooms before you plan a day of massages and facials.
- Eight Treatment Rooms: Fairlawns Hotel & Spa runs eight treatment rooms, enough for a day of back-to-back bookings. Its menu goes from a private mud ritual to couples treatments.
- Where Can You Book a Massage in Town? Hyatt Regency Birmingham has five therapy rooms in its spa. Book a massage there before dinner on Broad Street.
- Comfort Zone Facials: New Hall Hotel & Spa uses Comfort Zone products for its facials and body treatments. Pick it if you already know and like the brand.
I’d book Fairlawns Hotel & Spa for a full day of treatments and stay the night.
City Centre or Countryside for a Birmingham Spa Stay
City-centre spa hotels put you by the canals and the shops. The others trade that for grounds, or for the outlet shops at Resorts World.
- By the Canal: Malmaison Birmingham sits in a building that backs onto the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, with a bridge to the towpath near Gas Street Basin. Walk the towpath to Brindleyplace for dinner.
- Shop the Outlets: Resorts World, home to Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham, has outlet shops beside Pendigo Lake. An arena stands next door on the NEC site.
- Walk the Grounds: New Hall Hotel & Spa stands in wooded grounds with ponds. Go for a walk between spa sessions.
Away from traffic and shops, I’d book New Hall Hotel & Spa.
Reaching Birmingham’s Out-of-Town Spa Hotels
Plan how you’ll get there before you book a spa outside the city centre.
- Taxi from Sutton Coldfield Station: Sutton Coldfield station is a short taxi ride from New Hall Hotel & Spa. Take the train there and a cab for the last stretch.
- Driving to New Hall or Fairlawns? New Hall Hotel & Spa sits close to the M6 and M42 and has its own car park. Fairlawns Hotel & Spa has a car park too, with chargers for electric cars.
- Parking at Resorts World: Drivers heading to Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham can leave the car in the hotel’s parking garage. Rail passengers walk in from Birmingham International.
Without a car, I’d take the train to Resorts World.
Busiest and Quietest Times for a Birmingham Spa Break
Across England, January is the quietest month for hotels and July the busiest.
- January: England’s hotels run at about two-thirds full in January, their emptiest month of the year. Expect plenty of free rooms for a midwinter spa night.
- July Peak: In July, occupancy across England climbs close to nine in ten rooms full. Book a summer spa weekend well before you travel.
If Birmingham follows the national pattern, I’d look at January first.
Ready to book? Per night from
FAQs
1. Is Sutton Coldfield part of Birmingham?
Yes, Sutton Coldfield has been part of the City of Birmingham since the old borough was merged into it in the 1970s. It still calls itself the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, a title that goes back to a charter from Henry VIII. The town also has its own town council alongside the city council. Sutton Park, a national nature reserve, sits within the town.
2. How do you get from Birmingham Airport to the city centre?
Take the Air-Rail Link from the terminal to Birmingham International station, a ride of about two minutes. Trains from there reach New Street in 10 to 20 minutes and leave several times an hour. A taxi from the airport takes 25 to 35 minutes, depending on traffic. Pick the train if you’re heading for the centre at rush hour.
3. Can you walk from Birmingham International station to Resorts World?
Resorts World is a 10 to 15-minute walk from Birmingham International station. The route is signposted through the NEC and past Pendigo Lake, and most of it is indoors or under cover. That makes Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham easy to reach by train from New Street or the airport. Wheel your bags along the walkway and skip the taxi queue.
4. Does Birmingham have more canals than Venice?
Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, according to the Canal & River Trust. The Birmingham Level alone runs for 53 miles without a single lock. Gas Street Basin, where narrowboats moor in the city centre, is a short walk from New Street station. Start your canal walk there.
5. When does Birmingham’s Christmas market run?
The Frankfurt Christmas Market runs through the weeks before Christmas, opening in early November and closing on Christmas Eve. Stalls fill Victoria Square and line New Street in the city centre. Walk through it on the way to dinner if you’re staying in town. Book a December spa weekend early, or stay out of town and come in by train.
6. Which Birmingham spa hotel is best for couples?
For a massage side by side, book Hyatt Regency Birmingham, whose spa has a couples treatment room. Fairlawns Hotel & Spa also offers couples treatments, and its outdoor hot tubs suit a slow evening for two. Malmaison Birmingham works for couples who want dinner at Brindleyplace after the hot tub. Pick by whether you want the city or the countryside on your doorstep.
7. Where should you stay in Birmingham for a concert?
Stay at Hyatt Regency Birmingham for Symphony Hall or the ICC, since a bridge links the hotel to the ICC. For the arena on the NEC site, Genting Hotel & Spa at Resorts World Birmingham is next door at Resorts World. Either way, the walk back to your room after the show is short. Book as soon as the concert date is announced.
