'I could live in a spa. It's not that different to how I am at home - when I can get away with it - walking around in a bath robe and slippers, doing as little as possible, satisfying my cat-like enjoyment of relaxation and warmth'.
Writer Jessie Hewitson reviews the Aqua Sana spa at Center Parcs
A fellow pamper-ee of the Aqua Sana spa - in the middle of the Center Parcs 'village' in Elveden forest, Suffolk - confessed to me that she felt guilty taking time off work and spending half a day indulging herself in this way. For my part, it had never even occurred to me to feel guilty, especially as I glided on a cloud of jasmine from one steam room to enter the rosemary-scented billows in another. Knowing that this spa day wouldn't break the bank only added to my guilt-free pleasures.
One of the main attractions of the Aqua Sana spa is the price. Center Parcs has built its reputation as a family friendly get-away that the weather can't spoil thanks to the enormous indoor swimming complexes. A middle ground between budget Butlins and boutique family resorts, there is a little something for everyone - from golf and fishing for him, to rock climbing, swimming and archery for the kids.
The Aqua Sana Spa in Elveden Forest, Suffolk, is one of four spas attached to Center Parcs villages (there are also resorts in Wiltshire, Nottinghamshire and Cumbria). The spa is situated away from the rest of the complex within the forest, on the edge of a picturesque lake near the golf course. For a £30 day pass, you can take advantage of the seven steam rooms, the Ice Fountain and the other relaxation areas. The steam rooms are all joined at one central atrium; the home of a giant hot tub with a constant flow from huge waterspouts pouring into it. From here guests can try out the seven differently themed steam rooms, each adopting the spa traditions of different nations such as Turkey, Greece, Germany and Indonesia.
My favourite, the Japanese Salt Room, was really very beautiful to look at, with a rose-quartz fountain and added menthol fragrance, which is supposed to have healing qualities, heighten awareness and stimulate the senses. It certainly helped ease congestion, my nostrils where whistling as I padded out on my way to Turkey (after a brief stopover amid eucalyptus blossom steam a la a Maharaja palace in India).
The Balinese multi steam bath had a jasmine aroma, and the Greek Herbal room infused fresh camomile, rosemary and sage. In between steams you could escape to the Japanese Zen Garden or the Tyrolean Garden to cool down - or for the very brave, use the ice fountain which involves rubbing freezing ice flakes all over your body - great news for the circulation, lymphatic and immune systems.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the steam rooms as I've never enjoyed saunas in the past - I couldn't see the point of sitting in one place and getting progressively more uncomfortable, sticky and hot - but the steam rooms are gentler and I felt more refreshed after each experience. I was energised, as opposed to the drowsy claustrophobic feeling that a sauna produces.
As well as the day pass, the spa also offers around 50 other treatments featuring Elemis, Carita and Decleor lines. The menu is vast, from detoxifying dry-flotation mud wraps to luxurious Cleopatra bathing rituals - all within a reasonable price range. I had the Elemis Absolute Spa Ritual treatment (£78), a facial and massage that lasts two hours. My therapist asked me about any 'inner tensions' I may have. I was tempted to rant about my broken oven and subsequent enslavement to microwave meals, but I resisted and instead succumbed to the all-over massage where oven annoyances soon floated away, leaving me in a surreal half-way house between consciousness and sleep.
The usual pseudo-science was used when describing the creams and capsules they put on my skin: oxidising this, preventing that, capturing free radicals (that means pollution, the therapist said). But it must have worked, because friends have since complimented me on my skin - half a week after the facial.
The Aqua Sana spa at Center Parcs offers great value for money, and the treatments and atmosphere put many supposedly higher end day spas to shame. The new Twilight Spa package allows non-residents to enjoy the spa facilities for up to three hours in the evening, including a glass of wine and some cheese and biscuits. Their dual therapies like the Rediscover Romance treatments or Mother and Daughter packages, allow twosomes to enjoy side-by-side treatments. At Aqua Sana, you don't have to be gazillionaire who holidays with the Hiltons to enjoy a rubdown from a therapist with really strong thumbs.
More information
My two-hour Absolute Spa Ritual cost £78 and a three-hour visit to the spa, allowing use of the steam rooms without any treatments, starts from £30, which in is pretty good value. For more information on Aqua Sana Spa, visit www.aquasana.co.uk or call 01842 894000.