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Center Parcs Longleat Aqua Sana Spa, Warminster - 4 bubbles
We sent an intrepid Good Spa Guide reviewer to take up the invitation to visit the Aqua Sana spa at Center Parcs Longleat. She loved her very firm deep-tissue massage, and relaxing Elemis facial, and we almost lost her forever in the World of Spa.
First impressions?
How did they welcome you?
What happens next?
Which treatments did you have?
What were the treatments like?
How did you feel afterwards?
What happens afterwards?
Long-term effects
Was it worth it?
What else could you have?
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Any special features?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
First impressions?
Is it open? The steps to the impressive looking Roman-style Aqua Sana spa building were boarded off, but there was still good access via a slope to the side. I managed to resist the call of the large product display in the foyer (Elemis, Carita and Decleor), and checked in at reception.
How did they welcome you?
Enthusiastically and efficiently, giving me a consultation questionnaire to complete there and then. The receptionist asked whether I had a £1 coin for the locker. Embarrassingly, I didn't, so she kindly lent me one.
What happens next?
The receptionist gave me a towel and a bathrobe from the stacks at the entrance to the changing rooms. No slippers, though.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the Elemis Absolute Spa Ritual. This involves a seriously firm deep-tissue massage and a relaxing facial (£95 for 1 hour 55 minutes of treatment time).
What were the treatments like?
My therapist collected me from the stylish waiting room and led me to the treatment room. Again, this was stylish and relaxing, furnished in chocolate and cream, with a dark fabric canopy above the massage couch and an arty Elemis display on one wall. The room was clean and tidy with nice touches, such as a colour-changing light to watch through the head-hole of the massage couch.
My therapist offered me a seat, had a quick look at my consultation form, and then talked me through the treatment. She was keen to stress that the massage was a firm one, and that if I was fine with that, it would deliver greater benefits. Factoring in her slight frame, I confidently went along with the plan.
The massage: After an invigorating body brush, the massage action began. I began to question the wisdom of my bravado as my pain threshold was tested to the limit. My therapist's surprisingly strong elbows and forearms tackled my knotty shoulders and back robustly. I bit my lip, literally, while claiming that I was fine with the pressure (going on the no pain, no gain theory). It really did feel like it was doing something good.
After twenty minutes or so of super-firm smoothing, the pressure abated and the treatment took a turn for the altogether more relaxing as my therapist gently soothed my limbs. I felt like I had earned this. As the massage part of the treatment came to an end, I was on the verge of sleep and felt seriously relaxed. Something I wouldn't have thought possible half an hour previously. Respect to the masseuse.
The facial: The Elemis facial continued the relaxation theme. My therapist deftly applied pleasant-smelling products with soothing strokes. It had been a while since I'd had an Elemis facial and I'd forgotten how much I liked the products. I emerged feeling rejuvenated in mind and body, very impressed by this rollercoaster treatment.
The treatments were high quality. The firm massage felt like it had really tackled my shoulder tension and the rest of the massage relaxed me into a virtual stupor. My therapist was gently confident and very professional. The Elemis products felt and smelled good, too!
How did you feel afterwards?
Pleasantly dazed and confused, and like my back and shoulder muscles had had a serious workout.
What happens afterwards?
My therapist led me to the treatment relaxation room - a large lounger-filled room with a glass wall overlooking a lush green hillside complete with small waterfall. The temptation was to have a half-hour lie-down, but the World of Spa, Center Parcs' boldly entitled spa area, was calling...
To enter the main spa area, you go back through the conservatory café. You are greeted at the spa entrance by four brightly coloured aroma boxes (lavender, rosemary, camomile and rose) to awaken your senses - well, at least one of them - and get you into spa mode. The idea of the spa experiences is that you "make a slow journey around the spa, which gradually increases in temperature, interspersed with quiet contemplation... refreshing showers and bracing ice flakes stimulate the circulation, lymphatic system and immune system".
The advice is to start off with a foot bath - one of four Romanesque mini foot Jacuzzis - then make your way to the laconium to gradually warm up. Next, I visited the Greek herbal bath, another gentle sauna featuring a rotating centre-piece with the effect of a bucket being emptied onto various herbs. The rosemary was particularly fragrant.
Fancying something a little more steamy, I checked out the Indian Blossom steam room, a large room with 14 stone seats, glittering lights and a Buddha. Very ambient, and one of my favourite experiences.
I followed this up with a visit to the Japanese salt room, another steam-oriented experience, this time salty, with the suggestion to shower-off to avoid dehydration. I dutifully obliged and topped it all off with a bracing ice flake rub, swiftly followed by a visit to the intensely steamy and warm Turkish hammam.
I was impressed by Aqua Sana's attempt to recreate an authentic feel in the spa. The steam rooms were all beautifully tiled and each had their own individual characteristics.
Having sampled most of the experience rooms, I decided it was time for some lounging. I made my way over to one of the oversized leatherette beanbags covered with faux-fur throw in front of a log-effect gas fire. The beanbags in Aqua Sana's new Cosy Corner work well, and a couple of their occupants looked like they had taken up residency. I, however, had one or two more experiences to sample.
My deliberation was interrupted by an invitation from one of the spa staff to an "interactive session" in the Tyrolean sauna. I didn't feel this was an invite I could decline. I cosied up alongside a dozen other intrigued spa guests to witness an original soft-sales pitch for Elemis products with a "guess the scent" quiz and a sample of a face mask.
Mask rinsed, I went to try out the Finnish sauna to see what the difference was. The Finnish sauna is slightly cooler than its Tyrolean sister - in case you're wondering - and has an automatic water spray. A cold shower and a dip in the large outdoor hydrotherapy pool completed my tour of the World of Spa and I flopped out on one of the water beds to regroup my senses.
Long-term effects
As well as feeling pretty chilled for a few hours afterwards, I felt that the massage had really tackled my shoulder tension and I made a conscious effort to try to keep them relaxed and knot free.
Was it worth it?
Yes, it was. I was really impressed by the whole experience, from the facilities to the treatments. With spa sessions from £27 midweek, Aqua Sana's spa menu is quite reasonably priced.
What else could you have?
Choose from a variety of massages for one or two people, Elemis, Decleor and Carita facials, teen treatments, dry floatation including champagne and strawberries and Belgian chocolate wraps, or a serail mud treatment.
There's also a one-hour session for couples looking to learn to massage, and various options to enjoy the World of Spa experiences, including the Twilight package, ladies-only spa sessions and "natural choice" evenings where "swimwear is optional within the spa experiences".
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
That they didn't provide slippers of any description. It detracted from the spa feel somewhat to have to walk through the café from the changing rooms to the treatment area in bare feet.
Any special features?
Try out the waterbeds in graduated levels of firmness for an original and amusing spa relaxation experience. The new cream-leather-clad Aqua Meditation room is also worth a visit for its mesmerising bubbling water cylinders.
Who do you think would like it?
Most spa-lovers looking for a wide variety of facilities and good treatments. It's particularly well-suited to groups of friends as the facilities are larger than most with room for eight or more in many areas.
It's also good for couples where one partner has less patience than the other as it would be hard for even the most R&R-resistant spa buddy not to find something to occupy themselves with for an hour or two.
It's also a good way to combine a spa retreat with a family holiday. Ask to stay in the recently refurbished executive accommodation and treat yourself to an infra-red treatment in your own Physiotherm IR Therapy Room! If you really want to splash out (no pun intended), you can even have your own hot tub or bag a bathroom with a Jacuzzi bath. And with upmarket organic welcome packs containing everything from honey to washing-up liquid, and the delights of the new Strada restaurant to sample- the lobster risotto is a taste sensation - it's the perfect way to continue the indulgence beyond the World of Spa.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave Aqua Sana 4 bubbles. The facilities at Aqua Sana Longleat are impressive and extensive. The spa and staff are unpretentious and the guests I spoke to were all happy.
I wouldn't describe the spa as immaculate, but it was well-kept and had plenty of Elemis products on hand in the showers. The cloakroom could do with having more changing space during busy periods though as it got quite cosy when I was there with a dozen or so other spa goers.
Aqua Sana provides the perfect escape from the activity frenzy that is a typical Center Parcs holiday and, to stereotype, a welcome refuge for mums looking to recapture a little Me Time.
See more on how we rate the spas.
Would you go again?
Yes. I have to organise a girly reunion later this year and will put Aqua Sana high on my list.
We visited Aqua Sana Longleat in March 2008
Like the sound of this? You're in luck.
Follow this link to book a special spa offer at Aqua Sana with our partners lastminute.com
See also:
* Details of Center Parcs Longleat
* What should I pack to take to a spa?
* What should I wear on my feet at a spa?
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