How does the spa at Center Parcs work?

[Blastandbollocks]

I have been to Center Parcs before, and this time I want to visit the spa which DH is adamant I deserve.

Except, I've never been to a spa before, and I have anxiety, and I need to know all the ins and outs so I can go and actually enjoy it.) without worrying about getting it wrong.

How does it work? Do you go in, have a treatment and leave? Can you do anything else?

Help?

You can use the spa facilities for 3 hours for a fee of about £95 I think… or you can pay for a treatment which you have then leave. Or a combo of both. Hope that helps?

So I haven’t been for a few years, but the one at Whinfell Forest was lovely.
You arrive and they normally give you a towelling robe and possibly slippers, you change into a swimming costume. The spa experience itself is a series of rooms mostly warm with different types of heat, some dry and some steamy. Generally most people stay in each room for about 10-15 minutes. In between you can relax on recliners. There may also be an outdoor heated pool and it’s nice to have a dip in that.

I would say that not everyone enjoys spas, so if that doesn’t sound like something you would enjoy then I wouldn’t bother.

You can just go to the desk and ask them if there’s availability for you to book in or have a treatment. Ask to see a brochure. They’re a business who want customers not a cult!

I went on Tuesday to Elvedon for an afternoon tea birthday treat and it was gorgeous ! That one has 25 rooms and you basically bimble in and out of them as you wish , till the end of your time . Our slot was 4 hours and it was enough that we had afternoon tea , did all the experiences except the hot tubs ( very popular!) and then my daughter went off to the treatment lounge for a scalp
massage and a full deep massage and still had time for a bit of a nap in the fireside retreat room. Trust me , you cannot get it wrong . I’m no spa aficionado, but you turn up , they give you a towel and a robe , a wristband that you use to lock your locker , and off you go ! Some experiences I can only do for a few minutes, some I spend ages in , like the pool. I drink a lot of water because otherwise I end up with a headache after . Then when we’re done , have a nice shower with all the products provided , drop me robe in the laundry , dry my swimsuit in the spinner and go home . And stop for KFC on the way back . I love it .

It’s bloody lush.
you book for a half day or day then just chill. There’s usually an outdoor pool, hot tub, then inside there’s loads of different rooms with sauna/steam/ different experiences. I’ve shower, foot spa, comfy beds to lay on etc. you just wander around in your dressing gown and try the rooms. They have instructions outside each one for how long to sit.
it’s bliss.

The evening sessions are lovely particularly as there is outdoor space where you can wrap up in furry blankets and lie down and enjoy the night sky. Also if my memory serves me right, the pool is open to the sky too. It's a really lovely experience

They are good at explaining when you arrive but give you a gown to wear over your swim suit and you just go from room to room, staying longer or returning to the rooms with the smells or relaxing vibe you prefer. I love it and dh is taking me next week for a twilight session. You can have a treatment but I don’t tend to.

You don’t have to have a treatment and in fact I wouldn’t as 1) they are expensive and 2) there is so much to do at a centre parcs spa without needing one! Basically there are lots of different heat / thermal rooms like steam rooms and saunas which you go in and out of and then nice places to relax and cool down in between, plus a nice outdoor pool and a cafe. You spend the whole time in the robe they give you and your swim suit, even in the cafe. Take a book or enjoy a snooze in between the experience rooms, start with the cooler ones and work up to the hotter ones (they’ll be information outside each one). There is a map to see your way around and also usually plenty of workers there to explain it all to you. Enjoy, they are incredible!

I have done this several times. Here is a video from 6 years ago but basically they are all the same. I have been to at least 3 of the CP spas. If you book a morning session you get access to any room you want to go to. Treatments cost extra and have to be booked separately. I have never had a treatment just the 3 hour spa sessions.

Lots of different rooms you can spend time in, some hotter than others, the pool, foot spas etc. This video gives you a good idea of what to expect.