TRAVEL: Singing Parc spa’s praises from Treetops

It was with a little trepidation, therefore, that my wife and I visited the revamped Aqua Sana Spa at Center Parcs’ Sherwood Forest site for the first time.

Nikki – a Spa-oholic – has always insisted that the Nottingham venue was the best she had visited of its kind and we were fearful that the short-break holiday market leaders might be guilty of committing the same kind of faux-pas as former PM David Cameron and UEFA’s meddling governing body.

After all, having converted myself – a product of the 1990s’ lad era – into a fan of pampering during our marriage, Nikki and I had spent many a happy birthday and anniversary at Aqua Sana.

Not long after entering the building, though, it was clear our concerns were unwarranted.

Center Parcs had achieved the unexpected and made improvements where past guests might not have thought possible.

Happily, we immediately saw that the layout, with the majestic roof-less swimming pool still centrally placed and the focal point, remained importantly familiar and all the saunas, steam rooms and meditation areas had just been refreshed with new themes that were, to our delight, better.

The highlight, for me, was the Treetop Sauna, which is a completely new concept and addition that allows you to flush out those toxins and relieve stress levels, as you look down on a peaceful stream in an idyllic spot of the forest, with enough seating for 20 people.

In terms of arty coolness, it would not look out of place on the set of a stylish Swedish 1960s’ film set.

The Rainforest Steam Room, meanwhile, offered something different with intermittent showers providing a refreshing surprise and the ice rub was reinvigorating once we had summoned up the courage.

Our old favourites have been given subtle makeovers, meanwhile, such as the Scandinavian Snug and warm hard beds – not sure of their official title but, trust me, they will have you snoring within seconds given their unlikely comfort levels.

The Snug – a welcoming heated outdoors’ hut - also remains the best place to read a book or magazine while sharing a fake-fur blanket with your other half.

With six new zones and 25 experiences in total, it is easy to see why the Good Spa Guide – the industry’s Oscars in effect – recognised Aqua Sana as the country’s Best for Design this year.

All in all, we felt the makeover represented an excellent facelift, which is pretty much what I received in the adjacent treatment rooms afterwards.

Aside from a brief period in my early 30s when I applied wrinkle cream under my eyes after crows’ feet emerged for the first time following a Stag Do to Amsterdam, my daily washing routine has never amounted to more than a splash of soap and water.

Having enjoyed a Man’s Decleor Back Massage and Facial, however, I might just revise my tired cleansing habits.

The massage was excellent, addressing all those knots in my upper back and shoulders, caused by continuously bending over laptops to write articles like this one.

But the facial was the real revelation.

I had no idea it would be so relaxing and, afterwards, my mum declared it had made me look “ten years younger”.

Yes. I know she’s my mum, but still.

The spa session was part of our fabulous five-day break in Sherwood Forest, where we stayed in a three-bedroomed Woodland Lodge with my 64-year-old mother, 13-year-old niece, eight-year-old daughter, and 19-year-old son, who enjoyed the respite from his university studies, as Center Parcs remains unrivalled in its appeal for family members of all generations and ages.

Our girls Mia and Ruby loved the enduringly popular subtropical swimming paradise which, unlike many other attractions, is free of charge.

The rapids are great fun, with the currents carrying you down a course of twists, turns and thrilling dips.

Both of them were also strangely enticed by the outside well-shaped plunge pool – submerging themselves completely in the ice-cool water, while fully grown men dithered and recoiled after dipping their big toes in.

The tube slides, meanwhile, are good for an adrenalin rush and a new attraction is soon to be opened, with work currently being carried out, but impressively discretely and with no disturbance to guests.

We booked a series of paid-for activities too.

The aerial adventure saw myself and Mia tackle a series of tree-top obstacles, culminating in a thrilling zip-wire finale.

With Tom, meanwhile, father and son combined to win a pairs’ competition at Laser Combat, although my attempts to win a Capture the Flag contest ended in Platoon-style death when I was taken out by a six-year-old sniper.

Ruby – the youngest in our party – learned how to swim like a mermaid too, with a specially-fitted tail.

The experience included a complimentary underwater professional photograph to take away as part of the price.

On the same day, Ruby’s cousin was the other side of the lens, as she received a tutorial in wildlife photography.

With a great informative guide, she was taken off the beaten trail and we ran over our allotted time by 15 minutes in search of the perfect picture.

Muntjak deers, Kingfishers, stoats and weasels had all been spotted in the weeks prior to our stay.

We were not as lucky, but Mia grabbed multiple shots of squirrels and absorbed some great tips.

She was provided with a Nikon camera, but guests can use their own and she was delighted by the CD of images she was given to take home.

For a family activity that everybody could participate in, we opted for Geocache, which involved taking part in a competition based on collecting a series of clues, armed with a compass and site map.

This proved a fun form of collective exercise but, with our questionable navigation skills meaning it took us one hour and 20 minutes to complete the challenge, we just squeaked on to the winners’ rostrum behind the only other two teams!

Getting around the village is a pleasure in itself.

We hired bikes and the safe environment – no cars are permitted between arrival and departure times – offered an excellent chance for Ruby to gain cycling confidence.

Back in the lodge, meanwhile, the novelty of an indoors log fire was special, as was the gaggle of geese, who pecked on our patio door every morning wanting to share breakfast.

As part of our Winter Wonderland break, there was an excellent festive firework display one night, following a chorus of carol singers and culminating in Santa’s surprise appearance on the lake in a boat.

Dining options, for those wanting to eat out, are also plentiful.

We tried the Rajinda Pradesh restaurant and were really impressed.

The dishes were on a par with some of the most-flavoursome Indian food I have tasted.

All our meat was lean and the portion sizes, including generously-sized onion bhajis, were as tasty as they were filling.

For more information on holidays at Center Parcs, please visit www.centerparcs.co.uk