Friday 12 September 2014

New Wellness Center Parcs opens in Woburn Forest, UK

Last week I was  invited to the UK Spa Association ( SPA-UK) networking event held in the picturesque town of Woburn Forest.  At the event Industry professionals were lucky enough to have a private viewing of the new spa and to also hear about how the Spa was developed over a number of years by Development director, Don Camilleri.  Participants also had the opportunity to have a look at new benchmarking software data , that can be used by Spa operators  within the Industry to stay one step ahead of their competitors.  For more information about SPA-UK follow this link, SPA-UK

Here I am at the event discussing the WelDest project and making sure that the delegates were aware of our E-handbook and self assessment tool on destination development and management, part of the outcomes of the WelDest project. 



The Spa called the Aqua Sana covers a vast part of the Center Parcs building around 7,200sq m.  On arrival I was astounded by the sheer amount of tall furn  trees in the forest , the vast amount of natural wood used for the outer buildings and the impressive outdoor cabins and lodges. The scene reminded me of fond memories of my trips to Finland, whilst on this project.   What was really exciting was to see the new World of Spa wet and thermal zone, a first for the UK.  There were 25 multi-sensory experiences and a large outdoor pool.  Clearly, the priory at this Spa is the heat and wet experiences for their customers which really breaks the mould , as most spa's  want high revenue returns from their treatment rooms.  When I viewed the Spa it was like walking around 6 mini Spa's with wonderful rain showers, relaxation lounges, meditation rooms and a vast array of sensory experiences.  I particularly enjoyed the Zen garden and the "lake type" feature that ran around the outside of the Spa in the forest.  With all the talk about " stillness, mindfulness, living in the moment and wellness" this Spa certainly has it all.  At £37 (sterling)  for a 3 hour visit to the World of Spa its a small price to pay for relaxation and wellness.