On Cloud 12 - the first look inside a new Notting Hill members' club for families

Does the world need another family members' club? Possibly not. When I first hear about about Cloud 12 in - where else? - London's Notting Hill, it’s hard to suppress the mother of all eye-rolls. Like me, I’m sure you’ve probably done just fine in life without learning the finer points of mindfulness as a pre-schooler.

Is this a trend to be embraced or something we might cringe at when we look back at a particular strand of Tweenies parenting? Jenya Emets, a former fund manager, trained naturopath and herbalist and the brains behind the club doesn’t think so.

For starters, Emets is keen to stress that the emphasis of Cloud 12 is very much on “family time together” rather than the idea of sticking  your child in a crèche. Part of the club’s philosophy is to allow “parents to be the best version of themselves”. “It’s like a third space between work and home, where you can spend quality time with friends, relax and unwind.”

A 12-year banking stint in Japan where Emets was able to experience spa rituals as a way of life rather than as a one-off treatment was something she was keen to explore on her return to Blighty. Except the concept grew bigger to include wellness and nutrition. “Ultimately we wanted to create a space where families can enjoy quality time together and where kids and parents can have fun.” And naturally she promises a space like no other.

The 10,000 square feet venue spread over three floors will offer an immersive educational experience for children (think cabaret shows and baby raves) who will also be able to tuck into highly nutritious, mostly vegan food in the plant-based brasserie or benefit from craniosacral therapy sessions.

Adults, meanwhile, will be able to switch off on the upper levels and try non-invasive Western and Ayurvedic treatments including cryotherapy from a treatment menu that sounds a gazillion times more progressive and interesting than most top-of-the-range spas. A stellar wellness team includes the nutritionist Eve Kalink and Ross Barr, an acupuncturist rumoured to treat Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into every aspect of Cloud 12 (so named because 12 is - apparently - a magical number that denotes months in the year, star signs and lunar years in the Chinese Zodiac). The more I talk to both Emets and Lucy Prew, who heads up the family educational aspect of the club, the more keen I am to try it.

As a time-pressed working mother of three, I can’t deny the enormous appeal of enjoying family time where I haven’t had to spend hours setting up or organising an activity. Have I ever actually baked with my kids? Hell no.

"We wanted to create a really immersive experience, with lots of discovery elements," explains Prew, "so that parents can be part of it…and have a lot of fun and make the memory together." Given Emets' interest in Eastern wellness philosophies, it’s no surprise that the space has been Feng Shui’d to the max to ensure a free-flow of harmonious energy while its interiors have also been highly considered: sensory, punchy colours for children and more soothing tones for the adults.

So who is this aimed at? For some, the elitist concept of the members' club may grate, but when broken down the cost doesn’t seem exorbitant given how much a couple of family day trips tots up to. “Yes, there is a fee attached,” says Prew, “but it breaks down to a few hundred pounds a month, and if you think of what you end up paying for your Monkey music or what a family trip out to the cinema costs…”.

There are over 14 different classes a week, targeted at different age groups. The ultimate package for unlimited use is £4,500 per year, but afternoon or morning memberships are available too, as are ‘out of town’ packages. “I don’t think the price defines us too much," says Prew. “Yes, it does rule out some people, but then everything does: the school trip sometimes rules out a  percentage of people."

And as someone who is never going to be assembling gingerbread houses this Christmas in any great hurry, you can’t say “sugar sprinkles” quick enough.

Cloud 12 opens Monday 10th September; cloudtwelve.co.uk

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