Steamed, soaked and sitting fireside, the therapeutic effects of Alba Thermal Springs & Spa on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula are taking hold. I’m here to stay in one of the five new luxury villas opened in this 15-hectare hub of geothermic bathing. Given my state of stillness, I’m grateful that the new additions mean I don’t have to leave.

The villas, launched in June along with two studio rooms, are undeniably lovely. Simple, private and elegant, they are set on a ridge in native bushland with floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and sweeping views. Villas 4 and 5 look across to Arthur’s Seat, with faraway glimpses of the bay. Villas 1 to 3, which have stone baths in their ensuites, look over the spas.