The worthy alternative to Center Parcs with outdoor pools and a luxurious spa

This article includes affiliate links. When you book accommodation or other travel products through these links, we may earn a commission. This does not affect our recommendations or opinions Looking for a Center Parcs-style escape without heading into the forest? Just outside Birmingham, The Belfry Hotel and Resort is making a strong case for an altogether more luxurious alternative, with outdoor bubble pools, a sprawling spa and plenty to keep the whole family occupied. Spread across 550 acres, the resort has undergone an £85m transformation, adding four restaurants, a new leisure club and spa, crazy golf course and adventure playground. The result is something that feels a little like a mini Center Parcs – but without the endless extra costs. Golf remains at the heart of The Belfry, with three championship courses including the famous Brabazon, but you certainly don’t need to be a golfer to enjoy a stay. With plenty of family-friendly activities and plenty of space to roam, it has evolved into a destination that’s much more beyond bunkers and tee times. Shorts The bedrooms Spacious family rooms are available throughout The Belfry Hotel & Resort (Photographer: Kev Foster) The expansion added the new Brabazon House wing with an events suite and 149 bedrooms, including a two-bedroom suite, and balcony rooms with views over the fabled Brabazon golf course. This has increased the resort’s bedrooms to 468, arranged across the original hotel building, a cluster of lodges and Brabazon House. There are 22 wheelchair-accessible rooms across these buildings and many that are dog-friendly. We stayed in a spacious family room in a standalone lodge with 18 rooms in the Parkland area, a five-minute walk from the main building. With shuttered windows, the room was bright but cosy and kitted out with all the high-spec touches you’d expect. While the decor leans into beige, there are uplifting flourishes in decorative bird motif wallpaper, potted orchids and framed Ryder Cup photography. The activities The new family splash pool in The Club features a slide and bubble pool A round of golf is an obvious draw – you’ll need to book in advance for tee time on the Brabazon course, which costs from £66.50, as well as the PGA National (from £38.50) and the Derby (from £21). The Club opened at the end of 2025 and is free for guests to use. It includes a 25-metre pool and family-friendly pool with slide and water features, sauna and steam rooms, indoor and outdoor bubble pools, a vast gym with more than 50 pieces of equipment, children’s climbing wall and a café. There’s also a separate Spa, where I enjoyed a signature massage before exploring the Fire & Ice facilities (saunas, steam rooms, ice buckets and aroma cave), swimming pool, hot tub and a relaxation lounge. Pool hoists are available in both the Spa and Club pools. There’s a woodland trail in the grounds and the owl-themed adventure playground features cargo nets, slides, tree houses and trampolines alongside a 12-hole Ryder Legends mini golf course. During school holidays, there are additional child-friendly activities that include go-karting, games on the green, movie nights, arts and crafts activities, archery and air rifle shooting, some of which incur a £10-per child charge. Drayton Manor theme park and Cliff Lakes Aqua Park are less than 10 minutes’ drive from the resort. After parking our car we found plenty to do, eat and drink within the resort – despite being a non-golfing family – meaning that we didn’t leave until it was time to check out. Golf remains at the heart of The Belfry The food and drink There are four restaurants: Sam’s Bar & Kitchen, a sports bar serving pub food; Rocca’s Mediterranean restaurant in the Spa; The Revive Café; the lively Brabazon Bar which serves decadent afternoon and cocktails; and The Ryder Restaurant which combines the best bits of all. Our dinner, bed and breakfast package included a buffet breakfast and evening meal at The Ryder Restaurant in the main hotel building, which is bright and spacious and therefore doesn’t feel crowded even at busy times. The Ryder Restaurant is bright and airy with loads of space for diners The evening buffet options included pizza and curries, Moroccan lamb and vegetable lasagne. The salad bar was a thing of beauty with a particularly delicious and creamy potato salad. The à la carte menu is meat-heavy, with plenty of steak and a couple of vegan options. The details Double rooms start at £161. The resort is just off the M6 on the north-east outskirts of Birmingham near Tamworth and Sutton Coldfield. Birmingham Airport is 15 minutes’ drive south, an the nearest train stations are Coleshill Parkway and Water Orton, served by CrossCountry trains from Leicester and Birmingham New Street.