Imagine this. Your bestie arrives at your house for the weekend. What do you decide to do? Sit around, drink wine, eat food and go for afternoon tea and a spa day… obviously! I knew that I had to make the weekend special, so I searched for the best spas in Birmingham. The Shakina Spa in the Park Regis Hotel (You may have seen that I was invited for an overnight stay before) hasn’t been open for long, so I thought I’d treat Laura and myself to a day of facials, gel nails and afternoon tea. And boy, were we surprised!

Shakina Spa is spotlessly clean and showcases mirrored shelves full of ESPA luxury oils and creams. How gorgeous is the purple packaging? A wonderful beauty therapist named Jessica greeted us at the reception desk and also delivered my treatments. After filling in a few forms, Laura and I were whisked off to one of the therapy rooms. The dark ambience was partially illuminated by candles and shelf lighting which was a very relaxing setting, perfect for facials and some much needed down time. I asked if we could have our treatments together so they prepared two beds for us which were kept warm with loads of comforting towels.

Relax and indulge

My hair was shoved into a messy bun, I stripped off and lay snug on the bed. I felt at ease which is always positive when you’ve never visited a certain spa before. I opted for the Re-Hydrator Facial (£60) which lasted 55 minutes and Laura chose the Skin Radiance Facial (£60). Soft music played and Jessica massaged my skin with a variety of different oils, lotions and potions. She tended to my scalp, neck and shoulders which was absolute bliss, I tried my hardest not to fall asleep! She used the right amount of pressure, but not too firm on my skin. I remember being whispered to: “would you like to aromatherapy oil in your hair?”. Of course I said yes and ended up looking like Tina Turner afterwards. I don’t regret it one single bit.

Girl, I wanna take you to a nail bar

After drinking cups of refreshing cucumber water we were shown through to the nail bar. Beauty therapists Jessica and Natasha did our gel manicures, massaging our hands and complimented us the whole time, I felt like a goddess! Considering I’m not really a girly girl they made me feel extra pretty that day. Talking to them was like sitting in your living room having a chat with old friends. The ladies made us feel completely at ease and effortlessly relaxed. Laura and I chose similar nail colours (that’s besties for you) and our stomachs were rumbling at the thought of our final afternoon tea treat. The whole experience was a complete dream and I cannot thank Shakina Spa enough for looking after us. I honestly couldn’t fault their service as they were incredibly professional. It’s just a shame more people don’t know about them, the service is faultless.

Dainty sandwiches and tea

Once we left the dry spa, we slowly shuffled to take our seats inside a comfy booth opposite the bar area. I recently wrote a review on Park Regis’ Afternoon Tea and gave one reader the chance to sample it for themselves. As we had been out the night before, drinking wasn’t really on the cards but were kindly given a complimentary glass of prosecco! The Classic Afternoon Tea is £24pp and is worth every single penny. I honestly think the Park Regis tea is one of the best in Birmingham, I’m obsessed with their cheese scones with garlic butter. I’m dribbling just thinking about it. There are choices of fruit, green, herbal and normal teas to choose from. The first course this time was a copper pot of spicy tomato soup.

They serve a traditional afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, tender roast beef in a toasted brioche, smoked salmon wheels, warm scones both savory and fruit and a wonderful selection of hand made cakes and sweet treats. As a result of the amazing food, we were so stuffed after our savoury courses that we had to take our sweet treats home with us. To save them from waste, we ate them later on with a cup of tea. Thanks to Park Regis and Shakina Spa for an amazing experience, I cannot praise them enough for how well they take care of their customers. There’s no doubt I’ll be back soon to try out the Rofuto bar!

Address: 160 Broad St, Birmingham B15 1DT – To book into the spa or for more information call 0121 369 5555.