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Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Lifestyle

Another Day in Sparadise

Tucked away in the basement of the busy Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle, you’ll find the Mineral House.  An inner city sanctuary I’ve come to know and love over the past six months, the Mineral House is a world away from the hustle and bustle of Newcastle.  With its basement corridor bathed in flickering candlelight and the scent of lemongrass, it really is a treat for the senses.

In a nutshell the Mineral House comprises a gym, pool and treatment spa.  As far as hotel facilities go, this is pretty damn good.  The gym is larger than the average hotel gym and it has everything you’d expect from an unmanned facility.  Sure you won’t find a huge selection of free weights and Olympic bars, but let’s not forget, this is a fitness suite largely populated by hotel guests who use it with the sole purpose of preventing stagnation during their stay.  It’s very well equipped (for what it is) and has a good balance of cardio machines, cable machines, kettlebells and dumbbells – and if my numerous requests for a punchbag are noted then who knows, we may even see that as an addition for 2017.  The Mineral House offers personal training to clients on request and recently extended its hours to offer 24 hour access so now there’s no excuse not to train.

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The pool area is gorgeous, accented with soft purple light; the swimming pool is accompanied by a large whirlpool spa and steam room, perfect for unwinding after a workout and there are several loungers poolside for those who just want to chill and be immersed in the cool ambience.

The Mineral House treatment spa is manned by the best Therapists in the business, during the build the recruitment drive was fierce and only the creme de la creme were selected (a massage from Roberta is otherworldly, I can vouch).  The treatment menu is huge, offering a range of spa treatments with a focus on eastern aromatic spices and warm pindas to encourage deep relaxation within the muscles.  Locker room chat is always about how awesome the deep tissue massage is.

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As such, the team is a tight knit band of industry pros always willing to help out, I’m often offered a person to work with me on boxing pad work in the gym with me when it’s quiet.

In it’s entirety, the Mineral House is a place I’ve come to rely on to escape real world shiz, it’s where I go to get my head in gear and when I’m lacking motivation I can rely on staff there to gee me up with some inspiring words.  I primarily use the Mineral House for the gym, it’s somewhere you can get your head down and get a serious workout in without judgement, or people staring.  With the influx of no frills gyms in the city, the Mineral House offers a refreshing change from the stereotypical functional gym goer.

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My favourite thing about the Mineral House is the convenience.  The location is easy, it’s easy to get in and out of Newcastle from the Crowne Plaza, the parking is free and you’re given towels on arrival.  Seriously Voyeurs, it’s the little details that make the biggest differences: think hot showers with shampoo and shower gel provided, large lockers, separate restrooms and TVs with subtitles so you have someone to watch whilst you train.  Yes, it’s small, we’ve established that, but it’s perfectly formed.

Fancy trying it out for yourself?  Get in touch, they’re a friendly bunch and offer a free trial so you can get to grips with everything on offer and decide whether it’s for you.  With a range of memberships to suit different needs, there’s bound to be something you can work with.  Don’t fancy a long term commitment?  The Mineral House offers two hours exclusive use of incorporated facilities with every treatment booked, spa day sessions are also available.

For a hotel facility I’m really impressed with the Mineral House, whether it’s the cool, calming environment, or the uber friendly staff, it’s a place you’ll feel welcome in from your first visit.  I’m a member and I’ve got to say Voyeurs, I’m hooked, in fact, I’m heading there right now to get my workout on.  If you’re thinking about joining, or checking the place out for a free trial, be sure to tell them Pixie sent you and maybe I’ll see you there some time.

Pixie xo

Categories: Lifestyle

Pixie Tenenbaum: This Girl Can

I’ve been shortlisted for an Active Newcastle This Girl Can Award!

Huge, massive thanks to everyone who nominated me, and also my roller derby league Newcastle Roller Girls, in the Active Newcastle #ThisGirlCan Awards.   I can’t tell you how psyched I am to have been shortlisted and how freaking awesome you all are!

This Girl Can is a national initiative and has existed in Newcastle for a year now with a huge media presence and participation from lots of local sports teams and solo Ambassadors; in a nutshell, the initiative aims to address the gender gap in sport and support more women and girls into sport and fitness.

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The main thing you need to know is that the whole This Girl Can thing is really cool, fact.  There are Ambassadors (just like me) all over the country and we’re out there doing our thing, being active and promoting, supporting and celebrating women in sport.  It’s not about forcing fitness on to people, it’s about saying that no matter what your shape, size, ability or weakness, there’s a place for you in the world of sport.  It absolutely doesn’t matter what you look like when you’re working out, and the more girls who really get that message, the better.  After all, if you’re looking goddamn beautiful after a workout, then you probably didn’t work hard enough.

The Active Newcastle This Girl Can Awards ceremony takes place on Saturday march 5th 2016 at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle and with literally a billion (ok, not quite a billion) awards up for grabs, all voted for by you the public; it promises to be a fun filled and exciting night.  The best bit is that it’s all about how well we’ve done as a region in closing the gender gap in sport, something we should really all be proud of.

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If you’re a girl, woman, lady, queen, whatever you want to call yourself, and you’ve thrown on a pair of sneakers and ran around the park, swung a kettlebell, punched a heavy bag or anything else active in the last twelve months, then you’re officially one of us, you’re one of those girls who can; and man, it’s a great feeling right?

If you’re not yet convinced but your interest is piqued, then take a class, go to the park, head to the beach for a walk, get up, get out and do something active.  Chances are that you’ll meet other girls who can along the way and we’re a great community here in Newcastle.  Whatever you do, do it for you and do it because you can.  It’s easy to stay home and armed with a whole raft of reasons not to it’s easy to convince yourself not to bother but the real winners are the ones out there doing it despite the reasons not to, they’re the girls who can, and wouldn’t you rather be in their gang?

Pixie x

Keep it here to find out the results of the #ThisGirlCan Awards after March 5th.

 

Categories: Uncategorized

Hard Hat Builders Lunch at the Crowne Plaza Newcastle

I was recently invited to take a VIP hard hat tour of the brand new, as yet unfinished, Crowne Plaza Hotel on Forth Street Newcastle.  The upmarket hotel is set to open its doors to the public later this year and is completely different to anything else currently available in the City.  A product of years of market research, the Crowne Plaza Newcastle is geared up for corporate clients, city breakers, day spa members and casual diners and has incorporated the needs of each type of client into its intensive planning and two year build project.

“We’re pushing all the time, trying to move the standards in the city forwards and matching the strengths in terms of location and brand.”

In the last few months the development has really started to take shape, no longer just a shell, the glass fronted hotel is a real showstopper and the planned landscaping for the front area will really highlight the trendy Stephenson Quarter as a destination.  I donned my work boots, hard hat and hi-vis jacket for a behind the scenes tour of the huge project.

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The people behind the Crowne Plaza were adamant that during the design phase, they weren’t going to use a hotel designer for the interior planning.  They’re remained resolute and together with Simon Spiteri (Carluccio’s) onboard as interior designer,  they’ve created a real boutique hotel feel, despite the enormity of the towering Crowne Plaza – something very different for the corporate client.  Sourcing sustainable materials, and using modern finishing techniques, they’ve come up with a cool colour palette of steel blues and greys for the hotels 260+ bedrooms and suites using glass and exposed polished concrete pillars to up the fashion ante.  Room furniture will be walnut coloured with chrome accents bringing a modern vibe to the hotel.

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The hotel will feature a huge glass atrium with an enormous crystal chandelier taking centre stage and each communal floor area will have a glass balcony overlooking this area adding a dimension of light and space.  Walking into the space as it is now, and seeing the projected images of the finished area, there’s no doubt that the Crowne Plaza will have the Wow Factor, and it’s less hotel-like than you might imagine, which is exactly what they’ve gone for.

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The hotel is treating its main functional areas almost as separate businesses, meaning that they aren’t bound to keeping the same decor and theme in each zone of the hotel.  Breaking the mould, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will have its very own Gin Bar at street level where residents and customers alike can choose from an initial selection of over 30 varieties of gin.  The Gin Bar will strip back cocktail drinking to its very core and focus on the Martini, a traditional cocktail of pure alcohol which requires great skill to get right, Food and Beverage Manager Paul Walker told me that a huge amount of research and planning has gone into getting The Gin Bar on point; from the distilling of their very own craft gin, right through to the New York paperboy style uniforms.  Even the furniture has been changed at the last-minute because it was felt the vibe wasn’t quite right.  The mood boards for The Gin Bar show a darker, slinkier, more relaxed lounge environment and just looking at the sumptuous colour schemes is getting me excited…..

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Hawthorns, the in-house restaurant, will serve “good, wholesome, healthy food” to residents and diners alike.  The dining area has been well thought out and aims to integrate large corporate groups, single diners, couples and mobile office workers with a variety of different height seating areas, booths and benches maximising space and light.  It’s a more responsive environment which shuns the traditions of other restaurants allowing customers to select their own table and seats based on their needs.

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The corporate and conferencing facilities in the Crowne Plaza are second to none, with a huge central conference room acting as a hub, it’s been planned with serious attention to detail.  from the acoustic ceiling and targeted lighting, to the coloured wash lighting which can be altered to fit a specific company’s requirements, every little detail has been considered at the planning stage.  The Crowne Plaza is banking on corporate business and it shows, in a big way.  With a number of function rooms, conference suites and break-out areas available, it’s clear that they’ve set their sights on being the best in their field.

Hotel car parking will be designated in the multi-storey carpark currently in development just behind the hotel, although the carpark operator is as yet unknown, the Crowne Plaza have reserved bays for the use of hotel and spa guests only.  The hotel will also benefit from super fast free WiFi Boost meaning that no matter where you are in the hotel there will be no black spots, in addition, each bedroom will also have infinity charging points which charge your gadgets fast and continue to do so after your key card is removed from its dock.  neat, huh?!  Rooms have been kitted out with the best quality bedding and there will designated Quiet Zones throughout the hotel for light sleepers, the Crowne Plaza have really gone all out to make sure your stay is a comfortable one.

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The Crowne Plaza suites, although currently just bare shells, look set to be a real draw for the hotel.  Situated on a corner of the structure looking out over Newcastle Central Station and beyond, the rooms are fully soundproof and feature floor to ceiling glass windows allowing undisturbed views of the city.  Our tour guide told us that since taking over the operation of the station, Network Rail have announced plans to landscape the area of the train station overlooked by the hotel and there are plans underway to build either a bridge or a tunnel to link hotel residents to the train station directly, fancy right?!

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Down in the basement area, like many hotels, The Crowne Plaza Newcastle will house a spa area, named The Mineral Room in homage to the site’s heritage, equipped with a 10 metre pool, whirlpool, steamroom and sauna, as well as three large treatment rooms equipped to provide the latest state of the art beauty treatments.  There will also be a gym with the usual standard machines and free weights, but with the added benefit of 1:1 personal training for guests giving a far more bespoke service.

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The pool area feels very upmarket; it’s dark and decadent and benefits from super high windows at street level which act as a source of natural light without giving pedestrians a view into the spa.  The spa is a welcome addition to the hotel, and something the City has been clamouring for as it’s been starved of an upmarket hotel with really great spa facilities for so long.  For non hotel residents, there will be a membership programme for the hotel gym and pool with an as yet unknown monthly rate, which will also give members access to exclusive discounts across the hotel, Hawthorns and The Gin Bar.

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There are some real nice touches in the Crowne Plaza Newcastle, the green credentials for example, there are two seed grass roof areas which provide a pretty view to guests on the Northern side of the hotel with South facing windows.  Also, the hotel have tried to stay true to North East heritage when planning the development, the menu will be Northern with food sourced in the North and the house gin will also be distilled in the North.

As the prospective opening date of September 2015 draws closer, it’s easy to see, even at this early stage, that the hotel is going to be a crowd pleaser.  With the Stephenson Quarter development gathering pace and new phases unveiled it could be that this becomes the new area to see and be seen, there’s talk of a micro-brewery popping up in the old JT Dove building and with the Royal Mail building now up for development who knows what could crop up next on this über trendy site.  A new residential development of executive apartments is in the pipeline further down Forth Banks which will bring a whole new clientele into the mix for the brand new Stephenson Quarter.

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I don’t know about you but I’m excited about this, it brings jobs to our glorious city and adds another pillar to our amazing skyline as well as opening up a whole new zone of the city which was relatively unexplored……….until now.  So if you’re around the Forth Street area on the Quayside approach, stop, take a look at the new Crowne Plaza building, it’s well on the way to looking like it does in the plans and you might just be looking at the next big thing in Newcastle when The Gin Bar opens its doors in August.

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There’s just one thing I’m a little disappointed about….. I didn’t get to keep the hard hat.

Pixie x

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People will stare, make it worth their while

Pixie Tenenbaum

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