Fancy jumping over the ditch soon for a spot of rest and relaxation? Brisbane and Melbourne are home to some of the best spa retreats in the Southern Hemisphere, with both cities easily accessible from North and South Island airports. Grab the champagne, your robe and slippers, rally the girls and book that long-overdue weekend because here is a guide to five of the best indulgent getaways found across Australia. Spas in Australia abound!
Stephanie’s Vintage Spa, Cleveland, Queensland
Located in a building established in 1852 and formerly serving as the village doctor’s house, Stephanies Vintage spa brings style, class and calm together to create something quite magical. The spa includes a Medi Spa quarter, a provincial garden, a vintage lounge, and many other warm and welcoming spaces — complete with fireplaces — making it a wonderful setting to kick back and relax.
Nestled in the quaint seaside village of Cleveland, the cottage style spa is perfect for private parties, romantic escapes or solo experiences. A myriad of different treatments are available, including a range of two-hour signature packages during which guests are served complimentary healing herbal tea, lush fruit sorbet and decadent chocolates. One of their best packages is the “Spa Spirit,” offering a 2.5-hour experience encompassing a rose petal and milk foot bath, a skin brushing exercise, a body scrub treatment, an hour-long massage and a rejuvenating body wrap. By all accounts, this is simply divine.
Sakura Day Spa, Brisbane
If you’re looking for a great spot in Brisbane, book a session at the Sakura Day Spa at the same time. It’s a modern Japanese spa promising a “complete mental and physical getaway”. Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom, and stands for good fortune, love, energy and vibrancy. This is a motto the business lives up to, providing a reenergizing yet relaxing experience for all of their clientele. They have a wonderful selection of couple’s packages if you are planning on going away with your other half, but you’re just as welcome to come in groups if you have friends who would like to join you. Check out the “Sakura Escape” package, which includes a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure and body treatment over a period of three hours.
Aqua Day Spa, Noosa Heads
If you were thinking of staying by the coast, check out Aqua Day Spa in the beautiful region of Noosa Heads. Another lovely hotel spa, this time by the Sheraton, Aqua boasts more than 60 different treatments to soothe the mind, soul and body. The therapists are big believers in the Bowen technique, which was introduced by an Australian — Thomas Ambrose Bowen. Bowen Therapy involves gentle and repetitive rolling motions along the muscles and tendons. The objective is to allow the body to reset itself back to its ideal state. If this all sounds like a lot, the Roman-style Aqua Therapy Centre is another nice option. Here, you can book anything from an hour to an entire day.
Lyall Spa, Melbourne
Part of the sophisticated and sleek Lyall Hotel, the Lyall Spa is a favourite of socialites and celebrities. The team’s approach to health and beauty is holistic, utilising only non-invasive techniques. They stand by a local Australian spa brand, Sodashi, which is made up of 100-percent natural ingredients. Along with their eight treatment rooms — providing everything from hydrotherapy to events makeup — they offer advice and develop wellness programs for clients wishing to shake up their overall lifestyle for the better.
Chuan Spa at The Langham, Melbourne
If you are flying to Melbourne, tick the accommodation and relaxation box at the same time by booking at the beautiful Langham hotel. The Langham prides itself on its Chuan Spa retreat, which competes at the same level as the top independent spas. The spa area itself is an impressive 11,410 square feet, with treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. The spa also boasts an indoor salt-water pool, purely for relaxation purposes. Only a few years after it opened, it scooped up the Top Hotel Spa award in Travel + Leisure USA’s “World’s Best Awards” (2009). More recently in 2012, they were named in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Spa Awards as one of the world’s “Top 30 Spas.” Now, that’s some serious international kudos!
