Returning to our roots

Outdoor pool surrounded by sun loungers.

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Which spa?

You must select a spa.

What date?

You must select a date.

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Are you flexible?

The story of Aqua Sana Forest Spa

With a number of extraordinary transformations taking place over the last four decades, Aqua Sana has come a long way since we opened our first spa at Sherwood Forest in 1987. To celebrate the launch of Aqua Sana Forest Spa, we’re looking back through the archives at Aqua Sana’s fascinating journey.

Take a trip down memory lane and explore our image archive

The first UK Aqua Sana opened at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest as an innovative hair and beauty concept salon consisting of four treatment rooms, two Thalasso therapy rooms (using saltwater and seaweed to cleanse and revitalise), three Flotation rooms and a hairdressing salon. In addition to this, there was also a small spa located next to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, which was home to a sauna, Turkish steam room and plunge pool.

In 2000, these two facilities were merged into a single spa offer, the World of Spa at Center Parcs Longleat Forest. The iconic building façade was inspired by classical architecture, featuring columns and a triangular roof, and inside were a variety of spa experiences around a central outdoor pool, alongside a treatment suite, café and hair and nail studio.

Group sitting in a bubbling outdoor hot tub.

In 2002, this concept was taken to the next level with the opening of the new Aqua Sana at Sherwood Forest. This magnificent building housed 23 treatment rooms and 12 thermal experiences across two floors, inspired by ancient wellbeing practises from around the globe - from the Japanese Salt Steam Bath to the Tyrolean Sauna and Balinese Multi-Steam Room. It was also home to a hydrotherapy pool, two gardens, a hair and nail studio and a conservatory café. Guests loved the new spa, and our other spas soon followed suit!

In 2014, we decided it was time to go back to our roots. Aqua Sana is in the heart of the forest – and of course, we know nature isn’t just nice to look at, it’s incredibly important for our health and happiness. And so, with the opening of our Woburn Forest village in 2014, a new prototype spa concept emerged, inspired by the natural world. The state-of-the-art spa design at Aqua Sana Woburn Forest features 25 spa experiences across six spa zones including the Fire & Ice Spa, Blossom Spa and Salt Spa.

Woman sitting in the Nordic Sauna taking in the forest views.

But we still didn’t stop there. In 2017, following a £3m investment, we unveiled our brand-new Forest Spa concept at Sherwood Forest. With 25 immersive spa experiences across six spa zones from the fiery Volcanic Forest to the icy Nordic Forest, the Forest Spa takes inspiration from our own beautiful woodland setting, the world’s most spectacular natural landscapes and the Japanese art of forest bathing.

Soon after, our Forest Spa concept was rolled out across our other spa locations - and in 2019, we unveiled our spa at Longford Forest, with 21 spa experiences inspired by the natural world. Our Ireland spa has been a runaway success and has won an array of awards including Spa of the Year 2023, Best Spa 2022, Best Destination Spa 2022, National Spa of the Year 2022, and Best Spa in Ireland 2020.