Aqua Sana Spa: affordable relaxation (Aqua Sana)

Member Name: MarieHHH

Product:	Aqua Sana
Date:	23/06/09 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good range of experience rooms, great changing rooms, lots of nice touches

Disadvantages: can be slightly noisy, no footwear provided

Setting the scene:

Stressed couple in mid twenties, one previous spa experience, on holiday at Center Parcs Elveden and keen for some pampering.


The spa changing rooms:

Beautifully lit (the kind of lighting that makes you look good) and tastefully decorated, the changing rooms implied the spa experience was going to be good. The wooden-fronted lockers took £1 coins and the helpful receptionists checked you had one before you went in. The white towel robes and white towels would be best described as adequate rather than luxurious. Private changing areas were available for the shy, and for afterwards there were private showers with free delicious-smelling shampoo and conditioners and free hairdyers.


The spa itself:

Arranged over 2 levels focused around an outdoor spa pool, the spa was full of areas to discover and I feel there should have been something to suit everyone. Different experience rooms included a sauna, Turkish bath, Indian steam room and lots of others. There were a variety of different temperatures and humidities so it was just a case of trying each room until you found your personal favourite! All rooms were decorated to a high standard and beautifully designed. In between the rooms there were luxurious beds to relax on covered in welcoming blankets, furs and cushions. There were also lots of nice touches, such as baskets of green apples (free) and hot and cold drinking water dispensers. The outdoor pool had lots of powerful bubble areas which provided a free alternative to a massage! It appeared to have been well thought-through, in that there were ample hooks to hang your robes on while in an experience room and lots of showers to cool off in once you came out. Only fault is possibly the lack of provision of footwear - personally I would have liked to have had some form of flip-flop to use between the treatment rooms. Overall at around £30 for half a day it was a bargain, and especially if you are staying at Center Parcs it has the added benefit of being an oasis of calm away from children.


Treatments:

A wide menu of treatments were available. We chose to have the serail mud treatment and a dual treatment. The Serail mud treatment was both fun, sensual and relaxing. This involved sitting with your partner in a tiled steam room for 15 minutes, then covering each other in a clay type mud, then going back into the steam to rub it into each other before eventually showering to get it all off. Messy, certainly, but left you super soft and feeling very close to your partner. Also (relatively) cheap, at £52 for 2 people.

The dual treatment was more expensive at £120 but did involve a back, neck and shoulder massage and a facial. The therapists were excellent and it was so relaxing I almost fell asleep. I also enjoyed it as I have a short attention span and have in the past found hour long facials rather boring, whereas a half hour massage and half hour facial felt like the perfect length!

Summary:

Great value for money and a good introduction to spas for those who aren't sure what they will like.

Summary: Great value for money and a good introduction to spas for those who aren't sure what they will like.