The ambitious £3m plan to create city spa unlike any other in Nottingham

The spa will have technology that’s not been see in the UK before

A new spa unlike any other is to open in Nottingham city centre. City Spa will be a state-of-the art urban wellness retreat.

The owner of Nottingham’s multi-million-pound ‘super gym’, Luke Willmott, is behind the ambitious plans. He has ditched a scheme to turn the 20,000sq ft space above Castle Gym into offices and to focus on health and leisure instead at the site in Maid Marian Way.

The development is part of wider plans, which will also involve the transformation of the former Raleigh shop next door into a restaurant. Milo’s Restaurant and Social will be place for breakfast, lunch and dinner and host wedding receptions.

The entrepreneur, who opened the gym in January after years of setbacks, said: “The spa is going to be the same level of the gym but a spa unlike any other. We’re going to change the game with it.

“Normally, for something like this, you’d have to go all the way out to Center Parcs or the countryside, whereas we’re going to be city-centre based. We’re bringing absolutely incredible technology and a space unlike any other.

“It will be a full-day spa so there won’t be membership but anyone involved with the gym will get special discounts.”

The spa will have both red and blue light therapy, non-invasive treatments which can improve the skin by reducing wrinkles and sun damage, stimulating collagen production, and killing acne-causing bacteria.

Cryo chambers will be another feature, exposing the body to extreme sub-zero temperatures to stimulate physical recovery and reduce inflammation.

“We are bringing technology from all over the world. Some of it has never ever been in the UK,” said Luke.

Alongside a hydro pool, steam rooms and saunas, there will be non-surgical wellness treatments such as IV infusion therapy, where a customised blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants is administered into the bloodstream via a drip to boost energy levels and stimulate the immune system.

Another treatment will be NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) IV therapy. Naturally occurring in every cell of the body, NAD+ levels decline with age, leading to fatigue and brain fog so the drip replenishes the levels essential for energy and DNA repair.

Traditional spa treatments such as massages, facials and pedicures are also part of the plan with an offer of a 90-minute session comprising a treatment and use of the saunas.

“It will be a full wellness hub as well as being a full day spa. I’m a massive advocate of Nottingham. We want people to come to the city for the weekend, come to the spa, come to the restaurant and the gym and invest in our local economy and just be a real big beacon for the city for tourism. There’s just nothing like it, especially in the city centre.”

As well as serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, he wants Milo’s to be an “incredible space” for occasions and weddings.

“We want couples to get married at the Council House and then come and have their wedding breakfast with us.

“We want to be a space where we can bring people to Nottingham who want to hold events, very much like a cross between Sexy Fish and The Ivy. We do think there’s a massive gap there for us.”

He hopes to open both the spa and restaurant by this time next year.

On Thursday night the gym was given a nightclub vibe for a university freshers’ event, called Castle After Dark, with the tagline ‘the night out where you feel better in the morning’.

“A lot of students don’t drink and aren’t into partying so they’re being alienated. It was a safe space where they could lift weights and train or just comes and socialise with like-minded peers. Hopefully it’s going to be something that might be a staple every week for us to do.”

Instead of pints and shots, students were able to consume protein shakes and pre-workouts drinks.