The Brisbane wellness retreat teaching you how to have the best sleep of your life

Struggling to get enough shut eye? One Brisbane hotel is running wellness retreats guaranteed to give you the best sleep of your life.

As I listened to the water fill the bath in my king suite at Emporium Hotel and pressed the button that frosted over the glass wall, hiding the view of the twinkling South Bank skyline beyond, my eyelids turned heavy.

It was only 6.30pm on a Sunday and I wasn’t sure if the manifestation spray spritzer used on my face during the earlier sleep workshop was working – I’d argued I manifested tiredness daily, anyway – or perhaps it was the hour-long massage, the plush king bed or the diffuser expelling a calming blend of scents; but I knew I was about to have the best sleep of my life.

With travel restricted by the pandemic, Emporium South Bank is among the many boutique hotels in Brisbane diversifying their options for staycations.

Emporium Hotel is teaching you how to sleep better.

Their latest offering is a Wellness Retreat, a team up with The Goodnight Co, designed to give guests the ultimate relaxing night away coupled with takeaway knowledge and a goodie bag to improve their sleep thereafter.

I’m the first to admit, I’m not a good sleeper.

I regularly sacrifice it for other’s needs, a good night out, or one too many episodes of a Netflix series.

I’m also the person lying awake wondering if I locked the front door, what else that actor from the Netflix show has been in, or flashing back to childhood memories.

But in reality we spend one third of our lives asleep.

We need it to function, cope with stress and improve our health and while it deserves as much attention as diet and exercise, it often falls by the wayside.

So I was excited someone might help my restlessness when I pulled up to the Emporium lobby on Grey St in Brisbane’s cultural and tourism hub that afternoon and handed my keys to the concierge. Valet overnight parking is included and they take your luggage to your room.

Situated within the $600m Southpoint precinct, Emporium features 143 suites, dining options including Signature restaurant, rooftop venue the Terrace and 24-hour in-suite dining, a 23m rooftop infinity edge pool and bar and uninterrupted views of the South Bank Parklands and Brisbane CBD.

King Suite at the Emporium Hotel Southbank.

As I opened the door to my suite, the blinds opened, letting in sunshine bouncing off the Brisbane River, and I could instantly smell the mist from the diffuser filled with The Goodnight Co’s goodnight blend – a mix of essential oils such as lavender, sweet orange and geranium.

On the bed I found my sleep essentials pack, including a silk eye mask, essential oil roll-on set, sleep mist, and deep sleep drops – their best-selling natural sleep solution designed to relax the mind and reduce anxiety.

A pamphlet explains each product and includes a recipe for a morning juice and bedtime bliss balls.

Emporium has a pillow menu featuring six options – the classic feather down pillow for me – to complement the kingsize Sealy Posturepedic Dynasty bed.

The Terrace at the Emporium Hotel.

I might be wary of essential oils but with this bed, don’t mind if I do.

A quick check of the itinerary revealed I had very few tasks for my overnight stay: a massage, leisure time, a sleep well workshop, and some more leisure.

I headed up to Healing Stone on the rooftop, where I was treated to a foot massage before my 60-minute remedial treatment.

The dual rooms have a curtain separating each bed, so for couples it’s a romantic experience; for solo riders it’s the slight discomfort of hearing a stranger’s skin on skin contact. No matter, the massage was pampering and I left feeling dopily soothed and stress-free.

After a quick lie down poolside I was due at Signature restaurant for the workshop with The Goodnight Co’s Shea Morrison, who co-founded the company with Danielle Morrison in 2015 with a goal to help busy Australians fall back in love with sleep.

The Terrace and pool at the Emporium Hotel.

As we were served herbal teas I learned about the other guests, including a sleep-deprived new mum gifted the retreat for her anniversary.

I’m not prone to anything in the “woo-hoo” category – I’ve never been inclined to sage my house or align my chakra – so I felt apprehensive.

But Shea was beyond helpful and was the first to acknowledge suggestions such as sleep journaling and the manifestation spray might come across as “woo-hoo” to some.

What we discussed, instead, was insightful and scientific.

For example the effects of natural versus artificial light meaning a roofer will sleep soundly at 7pm while an office worker struggles at 10pm.

We talked through foods that increase natural melatonin, the sleep hormone, and learnt the importance of creating a minimalist sleep space; think like Marie Kondo and get rid of anything in the bedroom that doesn’t spark joy, meaning the bedroom is solely for sleep and sex. Yes, ditch the TV.

Goodnight co provides essential sleep supplies.

You walk away with tips to create a sleep routine that will work for you and a renewed motivation to make it a priority.

While you are free to dine at the restaurants, I disappeared for a long, hot spa bath – bath crystals are included – and to settle in for a room service dinner.

I popped the deep sleep drops under my tongue, misted the goodnight blend over my feather down pillow and felt the world disappear in an aroma of lavender and sweet orange.

I woke peacefully, pressing the bedside button to open the blinds, allowing the natural light to fill the suite – and with Shea’s advice to start the day with water, I resisted the urge to make a coffee.

I enjoyed breakfast on the Terrace overlooking South Bank and the activities I was free to explore, well slept and reinvigorated.

Whether you’re looking to become an essential oils sleep expert or just want a night at a luxury hotel, you’ll walk away feeling more mindful of a good night’s sleep and the benefits of treating yourself … and entirely glad you did.

And even if you’re not very “woo-hoo” your house will be bathed in that delicious sleep mist for months to come.

The writer was a guest of Emporium Hotel South Bank