In an age of hyper-connectivity, it’s important to disconnect and silence the mind. Thankfully, Melbourne and regional Victoria are dotted with tranquil day spas that are sure to alleviate stress. Discover serenity in geothermal waters of mineral hot springs and rejuvenate your body and soul with nourishing treatments. Go on, pamper yourself.
Peninsula Hot Springs
Only 90 minutes from Melbourne is an oasis where steaming thermal pools are scattered among a savannah of Australian bushland. The Peninsula Hot Springs, Victoria’s first natural hot springs and day spa, offer more than 20 bathing experiences including a Turkish steam bath (Hamam), Hydrojet pool, reflexology walk and a hilltop mineral pool with 360 degree views of the region. For a truly tranquil experience, visit the Spa Dreaming Centre where you can choose from a menu of treatments.
The Lyall established itself as the first five-star boutique hotel in the city | Courtesy of The Lyall / Hotels.com
Melbourne’s only privately owned five-star hotel, The Lyall Hotel, offers all the luxuries of a grand resort in an intimate, boutique setting. Also, located at the elegant address is The Lyall Spa which has eight rooms across three floors and a menu of exotic rituals, luxurious holistic treatments and beauty services using prestigious products from spa brands Sodashi and Skeyndor.
Situated within the historic Peppers Mineral Springs Retreat in Hepburn Springs, The Mineral Spa is a sanctuary designed to integrate the body and soul with the Earth’s natural healing properties. Featuring 11 treatment rooms including a lavender sauna, detox box, outdoor sun deck, and mineral water spas, the center is haven for tranquility.
Overlooking the rolling hills of Torquay, Saltair Day Spa is an indulgent wellness centre with a selection of treatments and therapies created to promote relaxation. Day spa packages, facials and beauty treatments dominate the menu. In addition, Saltair offers the hard to come across Kodo massage, which was developed by Aboriginal Australians to re-align energy and balance.
Since 1895, the historic Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa has lured visitors from near and far looking to submerge themselves within the region’s restorative mineral waters. The Bathhouse’s range of invigorating experiences includes a salt therapy pool heated to 38 degrees, creekside bathing, an aroma steam room which drizzles you in a scented mist and a Moroccan-style Hammam experience. You can continue to pamper yourself with selection spa rituals, massage, facials and body treatments.
Nestled within a ten acre rainforest in the Yarra Valley, the Piaf Day Spa evokes a sense of restfulness, with treatment rooms that immerse you into the serene environment. Using natural botanicals, the treatments are designed to nourish and detoxify the body and soul using an array of treatments, including aromatherapy, cocoons facials and volcanic stone therapy.
Crown’s opulent Day Spa is an urban oasis catering to those who appreciate the finer things in life. The wealth of experiences on the menu include La Prairie Hot Stone Therapy Treatment, Caviar Luxury Body Treatment and Pure Gold Radiance Facial. Day Spa also offers complimentary access to the lavish Aqua Retreat to guests with treatments of an hour or longer.
With an eco-friendly ethos Aurora Spa draws on botanical wisdom to deliver innovative treatments. Established over 18 years ago by Lyndall Mitchell, Aurora Spas holds a menu of unique and restorative treatments including their signature steam treatments, advanced facials and body massages, which employ Aurora’s skincare range ASPAR. Aurora Spa is located within the modern Prince Hotel in St Kilda, with a second centre at Palazzo Versace, Queensland.
Believed to calm the kokoro (a person’s spirit or heart), the tradition of Japanese public bathing can be traced back to the 8th century Nara period. While it can be awkward to strip off in public, the revitalising effects of the heated mineral water outweigh the embarrassment. There are public and private baths available at Onsen Ma, as well as a menu of Japanese massages and spa packages created to cleanse and refresh the body and spirit.
The word Shakti symbolises the feminine principal of divine energy, and Shakti Massage inDaylesford embodies that meaning. The boutique studio caters to the needs of individuals with a focused list of therapies promoting rejuvenation. Think remedial massages and relaxation treatments tailored to alleviate stress and improve well-being. Shakti’s menu also includes a pre-natal massage for mothers-to-be.
