Not a spa day meet up?

[Verbena37]

Anyone got any good ideas of somewhere relaxing to meet up with friends near Nottingham area but that isn’t a spa?

We live far away from each other and Nottingham is about central for us all to meet up.
Last year, we met up at Center Parcs for an over night spa weekend which was fab but wanting something cheaper than overnight and not a spa, unless it’s cheaper and has more than one jacuzZi /sauna etc. Ragdale pricey for a day at £165!

A day shopping won't be relaxing at all and won’t give us chance to chat properly.

Center Parcs Sherwood Forest does full day spa for £95 pp including lunch but no treatments and has loads of different areas.

Yes, we went to Sherwood last year and had a brilliant time!
I thought I’d searched in detail and couldn’t find where lunch was included. I did just put in some random dates though so perhaps that’s why.
I’ll have another look.
Thanks barabaraofseville

Aha yes - £99 for 9am-6pm but think 9am was going to be too early for some to get there and then felt like it was a bit of a wasted day.

Although if they arrived at 11am, that’s still 7 hours in the spa!
And includes lunch.

Yes, look at Eden hall spa, offer on if you book in advance for £70 with a 3 course lunch, think it’s 9 am to 8.30. Or a late escape, 2.30 - 8.30 for £55 but no food. Loads of sauna, steam rooms, hot tubs, nice pool. I went recently and thought it was almost as nice as ragdale.

Thanks so much - that was on the list too.
Can I ask how crowded it seemed? At least at Center Parcs there are loads of rooms so plenty of experiences without too many people in each one.

Oh- £70 is week days only and we defo need a Saturday.
Even the from £79 is £120 on weekends.

Slightly left field suggestion but how about a day at the races? Nottingham has a nice small/local racetrack, you absolutely don't have to get dressed up fancy although you can if you want. There will be lots of nice indoor/outdoor seating just to sit and chat if you want as well as looking at the horses and having a bit of a flutter. Basic entry very cheap (under £20) but for about/less than the cost of a spa day you can get an upgraded ticket which includes a restaurant lunch or afternoon tea... Most racecourses these days also include some other entertainment such as live music on the day as well.

Racing doesn't recommence at Nottingham until April (as its flat racing only) but there are other Midlands options I can suggest if you wanted sooner?

Ahh thanks for the suggestion but one of us actually did part own a race horse so might want to do something different. Plus, I’m a vegan and not actually into horse racing as a sport .

I was trying to think of other left field suggestions and other than a National Trust day out, the only idea I had that fitted all criteria (relaxing place to chill out and chat and somewhere to have lunch) was East Midlands Airport .

Now I’m thinking about it, it doesn’t seem like such a totally bonkers suggestion!

What about a course learning how to do something? Or going to a NT property?

Eden hall wasn’t crowded at all but I went on a wet Monday in January!

Or something like a pottery, crafts or knit and natter at a cafe? There's one near us that does afternoon tea and if there's a group of you, you can have it served in a private room. We're not really near Nottingham though.

Thanks ladies - some good ideas to think about.
I wondered about a day retreat - but not sure how much is listening to a speaker/s rather than relaxing ourselves.
Will have a think.
Eden Hall is looking most likely I think.

The before security part of East Midlands airport is very very small, and no nice restaurants!
Owl House Day spa is nice. Small but has never felt over crowded when I’ve been.

That rules out the airport day then .
I did look at Owl Spa but it looked like it was more treatments than spa pool/saunas/steam etc. The idea is we sit and chat a lot so if we are all having treatments, it won’t be much ‘us time’.

What about a nice air BnB for the weekend with a hot tub? Probably would work out cheaper and you could get a takeaway.

Maybe not what you're after but we've hired them in the past for birthdays and really enjoyed them and it's been around £50pp depending on group size

Donington Park services has meeting rooms for hire and you could get a load of M&S sandwiches and nibbles from the main service station part.

barbaraofseville - hmm, not sure they’d go for a day at the services.
baby yes, I’ve found loads of Airbnb’s but one of us (the one travelling up with me) doesn’t want to stay over so that scuppers that plan. Even if we booked a really cheap one and didn’t stay over (I found a really cute one for £87), you can’t get in until 2pm or 3pm so all day will have gone.

I thought perhaps meet up at a lovely hotel, have coffee and cake, go for a nice walk around grounds, have a relaxing lunch and then have afternoon drinks in the lounge but without staying over.

The Belfry Hotel near Nottingham often has spa day offers . It is just off the motorway so easy to get to if you are driving.

Me and my mum did a mini spa thing at Thoresby hall. It was 10-2, we had coffee and cake before have in the cafe and lunch afterwards. It was perfect.

The food is better at Eden hall than Ragdake. But Ragdale's pool is better.

Thanks ladies. I’ll check out Thorseby Hall too.

Clifford Spa in long Eaton is very good value for money.
Savilles restaurant at rufford park?
New stead Abbey?