What is Aqua Sana?
Aqua Sana is a chain of spa's, there are 4 Aqua Sana spa's in England and each of them are situated at a different Center Parcs. You can visit the spa whilst on holiday at Center Parcs, or you can just visit the Aqua Sana spa for the day, or an overnight stay. Full ... Read review
Advantages: Not as expensive as other spa's and they're nicely decorated. Disadvantages: Why can't I afford to come here every day?!
== What is Aqua Sana? ==
Aqua Sana is a chain of spa's, there are 4 Aqua Sana spa's in England and each of them are situated at a different Center Parcs. You can visit the spa whilst on holiday at Center Parcs, or you can just visit the Aqua Sana spa for the day, or an overnight stay. Full details on the soa's and prices are available at www.aquasana.co.uk
Each Aqua Sana spa has 14 spa experiences boasting the widest selection ... ...I have been to the Aqua Sana spa at Whinfell Forest and Sherwood Forest and whilst the different experiences are the same, the layout of each spa is different.
Each spa has a good selection of 'experiences,' and although there are some that aren't at the other spa's I have found the experiences always to be of a good quality and there is plenty to choose from.
When entering the spa's you will always be greeted by the friendly ... more
What is Aqua Sana?
Aqua Sana is a chain of spa's, there are 4 Aqua Sana spa's in England and each of them are situated at a different Center Parcs. You can visit the spa whilst on holiday at Center Parcs, or you can just visit the Aqua Sana spa for the day, or an overnight stay. Full details on the soa's and prices are available at www.aquasana.co.uk Each Aqua Sana spa has 14 spa experiences boasting the widest selection in the UK, and of course there are the usual selection of treatments to choose from haircuts and pedicures to massage's and facials. I personally prefer to go for a spa day without any of the treatments as the spa itself is a very relaxing place and not too badly priced considering the prices of some the spa's in the UK!
Inside the Spa
I have been to the Aqua Sana spa at Whinfell Forest and Sherwood Forest and whilst the different experiences are the same, the layout of each spa is different. Each spa has a good selection of 'experiences,' and although there are some that aren't at the other spa's I have found the experiences always to be of a good quality and there is plenty to choose from.
When entering the spa's you will always be greeted by the friendly staff on the front desk. If you are holidaying at Center Parcs then you may have already pre-booked your spa session, or you can turn up and pay. If you are going for the day you can book by contacting the number on the aqua sana website, or you can often book on www.lastminute.com which is what I do when I am going for the day. You will be given a wrist band and shown where the changing rooms are. There is a seperate changing room for males and females. As you enter the changing room you will notice right infront of you some robes and towels. You can choose your robe and towel here and continue onto the changing area. The changing areas are a nice, warm wooden area with lots of lockers. It doesn't feel like a cheap changing room, it's all very nicely layed out and decorated. I've noticed in both of the spa's I went to that it's mostly benches for you to get changed on, and either one or two small rooms with lockable doors if you are shy to get changed in front of other people. I have noticed people being confused by this and wandering around looking for some changing cubicles! In the changing area there is also a toilet and some showers and sinks. There are complimentary Elemis products to use such as handwash, and shampoo's, conditioners and shower gels in the showers. I must admit these always smell very nice, but Elemis products are very expensive so it's nice to try them for free!
In both of the spa's it was well signposted where to go when leaving the changing area. If you are only there for a treatment you need to go to the treatment area, however if you are there for the world of spa you can go straight through to the spa.
The spa itself is warm, and very nicely decorated. I noticed in the Sherwood forest there was a stone floor however at the Whinfell Forest spa it was nicely tiled. Both were decorated in the same high quality standard. The main difference between both spa's is that the Sherwood Forest spa is situated on 2 levels, whilst the Whinfell spa is on one level. There are plenty of seating areas so you're never stuck to find a seat to maybe leave your towel and book on whilst your wandering around the spa experiences.
So, onto the experiences themselves! I will describe the spa experiences at Whinfell Forest, and there are a few extra ones at Sherwood Forest I will go into after. Outside of each experienve is a small plaque on the wall explaining it and also advises how long should be spent in the room.
Bali Steam Room
This is a very steamy room indeed! As you walk in through the door there are 3 small areas to sit in, and it can be hard to see if people are already sat down when you go into these little areas! The theme of this room is taken from the island of Bali and it has a strong light which slowly changes colour, there is also a lovely exotic smell to this room. The temperature in this room is around 45'C and the humidity is 90-100%, very steamy! This room was not available at Sherwood Forest.
Greek Herbal Bath
This is a more gentle room and not too hot. As the name suggests it has a greek theme to it. In the centre of this room is a bucket above some herbs balanced on a silver plate and some hot coals beneath that. Every so often the water bucket turns upside down and some water comes out of a small tap onto one of the piles of herbs, immediately filling the room with the lovely smell of the herb! There is camomile, sage and rosemary. I noticed at Sherwood Forest that the room was very hot, and no water coming out of the bucket when it turned upside down! When I asked a member of staff about this she seemed to dismiss it, so I wonder if it was broken.
Tyrolean Sauna
This is the traditional wooden sauna. It's in a large room and the seating is on two levels. The higher up you go the hotter it gets! It's very warm and dry in here and it's the hottest sauna available with the temperature being 80-100'C! In the corner is a big 'unit' with hot coals on. In the Whinfell Forest sauna there was a bucket and wooden spoon so you could pour water onto the coals and make the room hotter. This wasn't available at Sherwood Forest so I believe the staff monitor this one.
Ice Fountain
The Ice Fountain is always just outside of the Tyrolean Sauna. Here you can grab a handful of ice to put on your face and body, which is actually very nice when you have just spent 10 minutes in the hot sauna! It apparently helps boost your circulation, however I just love the feeling of it after having been in the sauna.
Indian Blossom Steam Room
The theme of this one is taken from a Maharaja's palace and it's very nicely decorated in a lovely Indian style. I love this room as it's scented with eucalyptus and menthol, which really nhelps my breathing, especially as my nose is always blocked up with my allergies! The temperature in here is around 45'C with a humidity of 90-100%, and I always find this one very pleasant to sit in.
Japanese Salt Steam Bath
This is personally my favourite room! It's a small room compared to some of the other but there are lovely ergonomically shaped seats which are very comfortable to sit in! In the middle of the room is a central table which is also used as a foot rest. On the central table is a large rose quartz rock with a small spout of water coming out of the top. Every so often there will be a jet of steam coming from small spouts either side of the rose quartz and these heat up the room nicely. The music in this room is nice and relaxing and the walls are painted in a Japanese style. You can smell the essential oils and salt in the air which really help with clearing congestion and helping you breathe more easily. This room is also around 45'C with a humidity of 80-100%. I find this room easy to sit in for longer as the seats are very comfortable to relax in!
The Laconium
I very rarely go into this room, it's more of a 'starter' room and it's nice and mild. The temperature is 65'C but it's not very humid at all, only around 15%. The seating area in this room is very comfortable and it's nice to come into here to prepare for the more hotter rooms!
Reflexology Footbaths
The footbaths are always just in the entrance to the spa and can be nice to start off in if you have aching feet! You sit on the tile surface and place your feet into the 'sink.' Press a button and it begins filling up with nice hot water, once it's full the bubbles begin! I love to sit in this one, however there are only 4 of them so sometimes they are all taken, however I've never had a problem managing to have a go.
Spa Pool
The pools at both of the spa's I went to were different. At Whinfell there is a heaed outdoor pool, and a seperate pool which is slightly indoors with different massage jets. At Sherwood there was an outside pool with 2 massage jets at the top end and a jacuzzi area. Both pools however were very nice, I probably preferred the one at Whinfell as it's more 'outdoors' than Sherwood. The pool at Sherwood is in the centre of the spa, and whilst it's outdoors you don't really feel like you are as the building surrounding the pool is quite tall. At Whinfell you can see the forest and it's very peaceful, especially on a dark winter's evening when the stars are out!
Turkish Hamman
I never last very long in this classic Turkish bath! Whilst it states the temperature is 45'C and a humidity of 90-100%, it always feels much much hotter than the other steam rooms! This one is quite large with plenty of seating areas. It's very nicely decorated and is mostly dark blue tiles.
Water Beds
I love the water beds. They have sheets, covers and pillows on them and are unbelievable comfortable. However thre are only 4 beds and it's often hard to have a go on them as they are very popular! There is a sign advising how long to spend on them to give other guests a go, but you know how people are, and some people fall asleep on them... me included! ;)
Zen Garden
I love Japanese themed things and this garden is very pretty. The one at Whinfell however is rather small, but you can walk around it and sit outside in it, it's very calming. The garden at Sherwood was bigger and much better! As you went outside there was a wooden canopy against the building and underneath this were lots of flat beanbags and pillows to relax on. Whilst it was raining I lay on these and fell half asleep whilst watching the rain in the zen garden and seeing squirrels run up the trees! There were also a couple of wind chimes and it made it all very relaxing. I wish it were the same at Whinfell!
I should point out that all over the spa there are showers which often have different settings. You can have a tropical shower, a resfreshing spray, a side shower, a rainfall shower... you get the idea! Even when I have been in a very hot room I still prefer the warm showers, the cold ones are just too cold for me!
There are a couple of extra experiences at Sherwood. Thesae are the Aqua Meditation room, Tepidarium and the Tyrolean Garden. Whilst these 3 were nice, I don't mind them not being at Whinfell as they weren't major ones to be missed really.
Treatments
Personally I haven't bothered with any of the massage's or facials as they are really expensive. You can find a full list of the different treatments available on the website, and there is something for everyone. I have however had the Serail Suite before which is mainly aimed at couples. Here you go into a tiled room and there are dufferent types of 'mud' to apply, before sitting in steam for a while then showering off. This was fun, and at £52 for 2 this was one of the most cheapest(!) treatments on offer at the spa and I was glad to use it, however I've never bothered with any other treatments.
Cafe
At each spa you will find the Conservatory cafe. This is a nice large cafe which also has an outdoor seating area. You can relax in your robe and grab some lunch and a drink. They do soups, sandwiches, bagels, wraps, salad's and jacket's all with different fillings to choose from. They also serve champagne and wine if you fancy it, but I never go for tyhis as I fear alcohol and very hot steam rooms wont mix very well!
Prices
If you wish to go for a spa day then keep an eye out for special offers. At the moment you can pay £79 for 2 people to have a day at the spa (from 9.30am till 9pm) and this includes lunch, dessert and 3 drinks from the conservatory cafe each. However when I am on holiday at center parcs I opt for a spa pass which lets you go in and out of the spa whenever you choose to do so. They often have special offers on with the passes too, but they can be around £50 each. You can of course also pay for one visit to the spa whilst you are on holiday, and Center Parcs do special offers with the kids club too so have a good read of your brochure!
I highly recommend these spa's, I always come out feeling very relaxed and they're wonderful to relax in! Each of the experiebce rooms will keep you busy and you can take everything at a slow pace. If you are intimidated by the thought of a spa, as I was the first time, then you really don't have anything to worry about and the staff will always be there to answer any of your questions. I always find people looking uneasy and unsure also, and I've had people ask me everything from where the robes are to the exit from the changing room! The spa is wondertfully decorated and is always playing nice and relaxing music. Take a book or a magazine and snuggle up on a soft chair and unwind!
As mentioned before, more information on this spa can be found at: www.aquasana.co.uk
