Shopping, restaurants, cinema, bowling, a luxury spa and hotel – Resorts World Birmingham packs an impressive amount into one destination. Whether you’re planning a family day out, date night or simply fancy escaping for a few hours, there are plenty of reasons to make the trip.
Sitting alongside the NEC and close to Birmingham Airport, Resorts World Birmingham is one of those places where you can arrive without much of a plan and quite easily find yourself staying for the entire day.
Rather than being simply a shopping centre or entertainment complex, Resorts World brings together food, leisure, shopping and relaxation under one roof. Throw in a cinema, bowling, casino, hotel and spa and you’ve got a destination which can work just as well for a rainy Saturday afternoon as it can for a special weekend away.
Start with a little retail therapy
Shopping might not be quite the dominant part of Resorts World that it once was, but there’s still a good collection of familiar names to browse.
Visitors can find brands including Nike, Levi’s, Next, Kurt Geiger and The North Face, alongside beauty, gift and specialist stores. Many operate as outlet stores, so it’s worth keeping an eye open for reductions and special offers.
The relatively compact layout is part of the appeal. This isn’t somewhere that necessarily requires hours of determined shopping – instead, you can browse a few stores before moving seamlessly on to lunch, a film or something a little more energetic.
Birmingham dining with plenty of choice
Food is one of Resorts World’s biggest strengths.
There is enough variety to make it equally useful for a quick family meal or a more leisurely evening out.
Steak lovers can head to Miller & Carter, while Las Iguanas brings its colourful Latin American-inspired menu and cocktails to the mix.
You’ll also find familiar favourites including Nando’s, PizzaExpress, Zizzi, Five Guys and TGI Fridays.
The result is a dining destination that works particularly well when you’re visiting with a group. There’s enough choice to satisfy most tastes, whether you’re after burgers and fries, pizza and pasta, steak or something with a little more spice.
Make a day of it
This is where Resorts World really comes into its own.
Hollywood Bowl provides some friendly competition, while Escape Hunt offers immersive escape-room adventures for anyone who fancies putting their problem-solving skills to the test.
Movie fans, meanwhile, can settle in at Cineworld, with the Resorts World complex featuring an 11-screen cinema and IMAX experience.
And, of course, there’s the Resorts World Casino for adults who fancy extending their evening.
It’s this combination that makes Resorts World particularly useful for date nights. Dinner and a film is easy enough, but you can just as easily substitute the cinema for bowling, cocktails or an escape room – or combine several of them.
Time to slow things down
If your perfect day involves rather less activity, head for Santai Spa.
Located within the complex, the spa offers a considerably calmer side to Resorts World, with facilities designed around relaxation and wellbeing.
It’s also home to a 15-metre hydrotherapy pool, while the outdoor hot tub offers the rather unusual experience of relaxing outside high above one of Birmingham’s busiest entertainment destinations.
Combine a spa visit with dinner and an overnight stay and Resorts World suddenly becomes a convincing option for a mini-break without travelling far from Birmingham.
Stay the night
The Genting Hotel means there’s no need to head home once dinner, drinks or entertainment are finished.
That’s particularly handy if you’re attending an event at the neighbouring NEC or bp pulse LIVE, both within easy walking distance.
The location also makes Resorts World an interesting alternative for visitors flying from Birmingham Airport or travelling through Birmingham International railway station.
You could arrive, check in, enjoy dinner and drinks, catch a movie or spend a few hours in the spa – all without having to venture into Birmingham city centre.
One destination, plenty of possibilities
Perhaps the best thing about Resorts World Birmingham is its flexibility.
Families can combine lunch with bowling and a movie. Couples can book the spa before dinner and cocktails. Friends can meet for food before heading to the casino, cinema or an event nearby. And anyone attending a concert or exhibition at the NEC campus can turn a simple night out into something considerably bigger.
It isn’t trying to replace Birmingham city centre – and it doesn’t need to.
Instead, Resorts World offers something different: a self-contained destination where eating, drinking, shopping, entertainment and relaxation are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
And sometimes, particularly when the British weather isn’t playing nicely, having everything under one roof sounds like a very good idea indeed.
Plan your visit: HERE
Location: Pendigo Way, Birmingham B40 1PU
