Aqua Sana Spa Review & Guide
- Jun 28, 2024
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 19, 2024
The only place I've found I can truly relax and forget about everything is the Spa.
I've tried quite a few over the years but have personally found the Aqua Sana spas at Center Parcs the best value for money, in terms of the number and variety of experiences and overall flexibility.
Having visited a few times, I wanted to share my 10-point Aqua Sana Spa Review & Guide on how to get the best out of your day.
Declaration of interest: I have no affiliation with Aqua Sana, nor Center Parcs and I have not been paid nor offered any inducement to write this post. The opinions and tips included herein are entirely my own, based on my own personal experience. This post is also based primarily on the Aqua Sana at Center Parcs Woburn Forest - other locations may have slightly different experiences.
1. Choose your Spa Package
When booking, you'll find there are a range of different options to suit your needs and budget.
Twilight Spas
If you've never visited before, a Twilight Spa (at the time of writing 5:30 - 9 pm for £69 per person) can be a great way to "dip your toe in the water" both literally and figuratively, to see if you enjoy it, before committing more time and money. It can also be a pleasant way to spend an evening if you're already staying in a Center Parcs or don't have far to travel.
My first taste of the spa was a Twilight Spa while on a weekend at Center Parcs in 2010 and it was a lovely 'treat' that didn't feel as extravagant or time consuming as an all-day visit but, having since experienced the full day, I don't think I would choose the Twilight Spa again if I had the choice.
Firstly, Twilight Spas cost around 60% of a full-day session but last less than 50% of the time and do not include any food; only a glass of bubbly upon arrival. I do not therefore consider them to be good value for money. Secondly, the time constraint made me very conscious of lingering too long in any particular area, as I wished to experience all the offerings. Continuously planning how much time to allocate to each experience got in the way of achieving true relaxation.
Treatment Packages
If treatments are your thing, it might be worth looking at packages that include your preferred choice of massage, wrap or facial. I personally prefer the flexibility of booking my own treatments, not least because I recently realised you can book them after your spa day, so you don't waste valuable time sitting or laying in a treatment room, but it can make a treatment cheaper than booking it separately.
Classic Spa
Since I prefer to choose my own treatments and take the day at my own pace, I now usually book the Classic Day Spa. At the time of writing, this was £119 pp to use the spa between 9 am - 5 pm, including a soft or hot drink and breakfast on arrival, plus lunch, which also includes a hot or soft drink, pasta or panini, plus a small side salad and a glass of Prosecco.
Simply Spa
If you're on a budget, they now offer a Simply Spa option, for £95 at the time of writing, which gives you access to the Spa from 10 am - 4 pm, but doesn't include any food or drink. If you're arriving at 10 am, you may not want breakfast, but most lunch items in Cafe Vitale are around £11 and soft and hot drinks are about £4 so, at best, you might save £10 (unless you skip Lunch and only drink water!) but, in reality, you're missing out on ~£25 worth of refreshments + what is effectively a "free" glass of Prosecco, as well as up to 2 more hours in the Spa. This seems a very small saving relative to the overall cost of the day and for me the benefits outweigh this additional cost.
2. Book Treatments
I personally try to book treatments at the same time as booking the day, so I can build my own itinerary without accidentally double-booking myself or fear of my desired treatment not being available at the time I envisaged. If you don't do this, I would still recommend booking any treatments several days or weeks in advance, particularly if visiting during peak season or on a weekend, to avoid any disappointment on the day.
As mentioned earlier, the end of your spa session is the time you have to be out of the World of Spa, not showered, dry and out of the building. Additional treatments (i.e. those not included in a package) can be booked at any time up until 7 pm, so it's worth looking to book these after your spa day if you can. If you book early, you can probably squeeze in 2 full-length or 1 full-length and 1 express treatment before you go home. This also minimises the risk of washing off products or smudging your nail polish while using the spa after your treatments.
Unless you enjoy a long massage, I find the “express” treatments good value for money, as they take less than half the time (20-30 mins vs. 50), are significantly cheaper and have a similar effect as a longer treatment. This may not be true of all treatments, as I'm not a huge fan of massages, but I really enjoyed the express Eye Treatment, Manicure and Pedicure on previous visits.
3. Arrival
Depending on how far you have to travel, I find arriving at 9:30 for the 9-5 Spa Day to be optimal. Traffic is likely to be better if you travel a bit later and if the majority of guests arrive at or before 9 am, you probably won't actually get checked in any earlier than if you arrive at 9:30.
Upon arrival, it's worth checking (and remembering!) the location of any treatment(s) you have booked. At Woburn Forest, I was told that express treatments no longer take place in the signposted "Express Beauty" area, which is apparently now only used for manicures, so I would advise checking to avoid missing or being late for a treatment due to being in the wrong place.
Although there are signs in the changing room, explaining how to open and lock lockers, they don’t tell you how to find an empty one, which can be identified by a green ring around the handle, which should be in the ‘out’ position, instead of pushed in flush with the door. Before filling your locker, check you can lock and reopen it with your wristband, as at least one of the lockers didn't work when I last visited and I had to take all my stuff out and move to another one!
Finally, I would recommend wearing swimwear under your clothes for a speedy & dignified change.
If breakfast is included in your package, you can then make your way upstairs and choose an item from the breakfast menu and your hot or soft drink and begin to relax!
4. Enjoy the Spa Experiences
For those with a later lunch reservation, I recommend exploring the hot / wet rooms and pool before eating to prevent being in a hot sauna or swimming on a full stomach, especially after that glass of Prosecco, neither of which are to be advised! You can then enjoy the day beds, water beds and relaxation areas when you may be feeling a bit sleepy after lunch. This also reduces the risk of spending too long lazing around in the morning, only to find you haven’t tried everything and are running out of time at the end of the day. If there are particular experiences you enjoyed in the morning, you can always go back to them in the afternoon if you still have time.
Personally, I like to start on the 1st floor, with the Sole Therapy reflexology foot spas, to get me in the mood for relaxation. I then head into the Blossom Steam Room, which I find to be a soothing level of warmth to start the day. A few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth quickly instils that Spa feeling. When I last visited, the Blossom Heat Room was quite cool, although the little booths are quite cosy, but I quickly got bored and moved on to the Fire & Ice experience.
The Stone Sauna was at my ideal temperature, so I spent some time there before eschewing the Lava Sauna, as I find it too hot. I'm not a fan of extreme cold either, so I skipped the Snow & Ice room as well and headed straight for the Rain Walk, which I found very enjoyable. It's not always easy to tell if the Rain Walk is in use from the outside, but a light on the wall at the entrance will be red if occupied and green if available. It may seem obvious, but I observed several people stepping under the first shower and being puzzled by the lack of water, only to realise that someone was standing under the shower at the other end. Unless you see the light turn green though, it is easy to miss the traffic light system, so some additional signposting might be helpful.
I then descended to the ground floor for the Sensory Sauna, which I remembered from previous visits played a loop of images portraying the four seasons on the TV screens, complete with accompanying sounds, smells and mists emitted from the overhead nozzles. This time, however, it seemed to be on a different loop, without any of the sensory effects. It was only when I returned later in the day that it was on the 4 seasons loop, but I only caught the end of it, which was a bit of a shame, as this had been a highlight for me on previous occasions.
I then went on to the Mineral Steam & Heat Rooms, which were so steamy, I could barely see where I was going, but it was very refreshing after the previous 2 saunas. I then took another Rain Walk, this time with light effects and a pleasant fragrance of eucalyptus, to rinse off before heading to the pool.
5. Hit the Pool
The pool isn't particularly large but it isn't really intended for swimming - more like a giant hot tub! There are Jacuzzi jets spaced out along one wall and under a metal shelf / seat on the other, with some waterfall features that offer a very invigorating head, neck and shoulder massage.
The Jacuzzi points are very popular, so you might find yourself having to swim or paddle up and down a few times until one becomes available. The pool is 1.4 m deep though, so worth bearing in mind you might not be able to stand up if you’re 5' or under! The jets are on a 15 minute cycle, after which there is a pause before they restart, so most people take the “hint” after one cycle and move along to let others enjoy the bubbles. I found a perch next to some others on the "shelf", where I remained for the first cycle, before moving across to a free spot in front of a jet on the other side. After swimming a couple of lengths for the purpose of convincing my Fitbit I was doing some exercise, I went back inside.
One of the things I really like about Aqua Sana spas is that the pool also has an indoor entrance and egress, avoiding that horrible dread of getting out and having to make a run for the warmth of your robe if it does happen to be a cold day.
6. Prepare for Lunch
I like to visit the Herbal Spa just before lunch because the smell of herbs makes me hungry! I would allow at least 15-30 minutes to enjoy the Lavender and Herbal Steam Rooms, followed by the Herbal Sauna, to dry off and avoid having dripping hair and wet flip-flops at lunch.
Cafe Vitale is cashless, so pop back to your locker to get a contactless payment method, in case you want anything not included in your package. Alternatively, you can use a smartwatch or payment card. If you own a waterproof fitness tracker or smartwatch, it’s a good idea to wear it anyway for timekeeping (not to mention the step count!), as the only clocks are on the landing of each floor, so it saves having to keep going out to check the time during the day.
There are signs to leave all digital devices in the lockers but phones are generally tolerated in the Cafe area, not least because many people use them for payment these days. Just so long as they're in silent mode and you’re not taking / making calls, photographing others or streaming video content, I don’t think anyone would object! Even Gen X guests probably want a discreet bathrobe selfie holding a glass of Bubbles as a memento of their day!
While in the changing room before lunch, don’t be afraid to make use of an extra towel and fresh robe. Although it isn’t encouraged, they’re not rationed to one per visitor! Also, if it’s a sunny day and you plan to eat outside on the terrace, take the opportunity to put some SPF on your face, ears and neck to avoid burning in the midday sun.
If you have been allocated a slot for lunch, I would advise getting there early for the best choice of table. Seats outside either in the sun or shade are limited and very popular. Unfortunately, on my most recent visit, they didn't seem to have enough staff to seat everyone at their allotted time, so I had a ten minute wait despite getting there on time, which was frustrating, especially as there were a lot of free tables and a long queue of people waiting to sit at them! By the time I got to the desk, they were even checking people in for the next sitting at 1:45 pm. I think this may have been teething problems with the new allocation process though, which a member of staff said they were trialling, so it may not be a permanent fixture and I would have thought it could be resolved simply by separating the sittings by 5 minutes instead of 15, to avoid everyone arriving at once.
7. Enjoy your Meal
As I mentioned earlier, most of the full day spa packages (except Simply and Twilight Spas) include lunch and a glass of bubbly at the Vitalé Café.
If lunch is included in your package, at the time of writing, you could choose from any of the pasta dishes, or a panini, plus a small side salad (NB this is very small and couldn't be considered a dish by itself), one of the vegetarian specials or, if dining with a friend, two can share a Vitalé platter. All lunches come with a hot or soft drink, plus a glass of Prosecco. At the time of writing, I estimate this to be worth a total of approximately £30-£35, based on the menu price of the included items, plus breakfast comprising of a soft or hot drink and breakfast item (worth a further £7.50 - £11.75) so, in my opinion, well worth the extra £24 vs. the Simply Spa Day, which is also two hours shorter.
8. Attend a Seminar (optional)
On my most recent visit, I chose to go to one of the free skincare seminars immediately after lunch because I thought it would be interesting and didn't want to lay down straight after a bowl of pasta.
The session I attended involved pretty much a full facial (albeit self-administered), using the free products they invite you to try, which could save booking an additional expensive and more time consuming treatment, but there's no guarantee what the seminar schedule will be when you visit. Since I did have a facial booked, I ended up getting a double-dose from two different skincare ranges, which left me feeling a bit overloaded by the time I got home, so I wouldn't personally recommend a skincare seminar if you do already have a facial booked.
They do of course try and tempt you to buy the products, so be wary and only buy items you were either thinking of buying anyway, or are genuinely convinced of their suitability for your skin. Beware of testing anti-ageing AHA products that increase sensitivity to sun exposure if you do plan on going back outside and don't have any SPF with you. I would also recommend discreetly comparing prices online on your phone before buying from the shop at the end of your visit.
I believe other seminars, such as Sauna and Sleep Rituals, may be available during the day. Check the board when you enter the spa for the timetable on the day you visit.
9. Have a Relaxing Afternoon
I tend to spend the remaining 2-3 hours enjoying the indoor and outdoor beds and relaxation areas to wind down towards the end of the day.
The Salt Inhalation Room has some really cosy beds with overhead lights that can be switched off for almost complete darkness and the Aqua Meditation Room is great for a few moments of quiet reflection. The other relaxation areas are really just seating areas with loungers, which are nice, but I prefer the indoor waterbeds and outdoor day beds (depending on the weather), especially with a blanket. It's like falling asleep on the sofa without the guilt!
The showers obviously get busy at 5 pm, so I like to take a leisurely shower at 4:30, dry off and put on a dry Bikini (more dignified than underwear!) and a fresh robe, before going for my treatments.
10. Attend Treatments
The website says to go to the treatment area 15 mins before your treatment time. On arrival, they in fact tell you 5 minutes, so I wouldn't bother allowing more than 5 minutes unless you have any health issues that you may need to discuss with the therapist. You only need to fill in a very short medical questionnaire that takes less than 1 minute to complete and in my experience they rarely come and get you before your actual slot.
At the end of your treatment, the therapist will give you a card detailing the products they used. If you really can't resist buying some from the shop, or they have an offer you feel you can't refuse, do check the prices on your phone, as there may be even better deals online. The staff in the shop are however very knowledgeable, so do make use of their expertise if you have any skincare questions, just beware that they are primarily salespeople and are very likely to be on commission.
Conclusion
If you enjoy going to the spa and get bored easily, I would highly recommend Aqua Sana for the variety of different experiences on offer. I personally prefer the Classic Spa package, but others might be better suited to those who enjoy a massage, or don't want to spend the whole day there.
There are cheaper spas out there but there are also more expensive ones and I find that Aqua Sana overall represents good value for money. The cafe is expensive but works out cheaper if you select a package that includes food and drink. At the time of writing, guests could not choose the time of their lunchtime booking on arrival or in advance and there was a wait to be seated at my allocated time, but this may be subject to change and not be the norm at all locations. The service was otherwise very good, as was the quality of the food and drink.
I hope you enjoyed this guide and found it useful. If you have any questions or feedback based on your own spa experiences, either at Aqua Sana or any other spas, please feel free to add a comment below.
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