Wellness leadership: an exclusive interview with Stuart Angus

It’s been a busy 12 months for Center Parcs’ Aqua Sana spas. The unveiling of the new £6.5m Aqua Sana Elveden Forest was followed by the launch of its new Aqua Sana Forest Spa identity.

This was topped off by winning Employer of the Year at the 2025 World Spa & Wellness awards for the second year running.

With plans now submitted for a new Center Parcs resort in Scotland, we caught up with director of spa, Stuart Angus, to find out what else is in store.

How do you plan to evolve the Aqua Sana Forest Spa brand?

“Aqua Sana is one of the only areas within Center Parcs where we’re open to external guests. For me, the rebrand was crucial to raise awareness of our spas with both in-village and day spa guests. I was conscious that Aqua Sana didn’t expressly tell people we are a spa.

“The other focus was to really put across our USP – that our spas are uniquely located in the heart of the forest.

“The next step is to focus on our strengths, making sure our product reflects both our core values and our brand identity.

“That might be visually, through the sounds and senses of the forest, or from an investment perspective in terms of the thermal experiences and treatments we offer as we move forwards.”

How do you ensure your many thermal experiences are used correctly by guests?

“Mainly through engagement from the team – we’ve deliberately created a lot of touch points on the guest journey.

“Because of the sheer number of guests who come through our doors, it can be challenging to communicate everything at reception. So we have stations throughout the spa, manned by hosts, who talk guests through how to utilise the spa in the best possible way.

“We also offer discovery sessions – sleep sessions, thermal rituals, that kind of thing – as another way to engage guests and promote correct usage.

“Guests are often surprised we’re giving away free, guided 15-minute sessions to help them switch off and embrace where they are. These sessions are a key pillar of the Aqua Sana Forest Spa identity.”

What’s coming up in the next two years?

“We’re waiting to hear about planning for Scotland, so it’s a little bit too early to discuss the details, but I can confirm an Aqua Sana Forest Spa is included in the proposals.

“Longford Forest in Ireland is still relatively new and we have plans to further invest in the spa, to support the additional capacity that we’ve started to see.

“There’s also some investment to come in some of the more established Aqua Sana sites, to ensure we remain relevant and maintain our differentiation.”

How else do you maintain that differentiation?

“Our teams play a pivotal role in how we grow and develop as a business. We’ve got truly outstanding team members across all of the villages – they’re engaged, they’re proactive, they go the extra mile.

“We’ve won Spa Employer of the Year for two consecutive years, which is a good indication of how important we know our teams are to our business success.

“With more than 600 team members across the spa division we’re very much committed to training and development. We’re seeing a much more complex guest coming into our treatment rooms, with greater needs, so we know our teams need greater support.”

Are you looking to introduce more touchless technologies?

“We are considering a number of innovative technologies and have met with key suppliers to get a better understanding of what’s coming next with touchless therapies.

“Touchless technologies have advantages – they take pressure off teams and, from a guest perspective, open a door for the people who aren’t comfortable having a hands-on treatment.

“So yes, we’re looking into it, but we want to make sure that, if we invest, it’s in something unique that fits in our experiential setting.”

What’s the long-term vision for Aqua Sana Forest Spas?

“Our ambition is to become the number one spa brand in the UK and Ireland. There is room for growth within our business, but we need to grow tactically so it’s not at the detriment of guest experience, which remains our top priority.

“There’s an enhanced level of personalisation I’d like to get to, which ultimately will help us in terms of repeat bookings and referrals.

“The biggest challenge for us as we grow is around controlling guest volumes. We’re moving at pace and it would be easy to say ‘let’s just grow the numbers’ and see that reflected on the bottom line.

“But in reality that would be detrimental to our business at some point. As demand increases, the challenge will be expanding in the right way, while remaining committed to a strong guest experience.”

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