Ex-Gold Coast health resort at Willow Vale that hosted Sting and other celebrities hits market

The Willow Vale resort was once described by its founder as the “world’s best” but is long past its glory days.

The former Golden Door Health Retreat at Willow Vale was once described as among the “world’s best”.

AN EMPTY health resort in Willow Vale that was once described as the world’s best and hosted rock star Sting has hit the market.

Singaporean owner Six Senses Mountain Resort Pty Ltd, linked to Jenn Ong, has owned the resort since 2014 when it bought land and the facilities, consisting of restaurant and amenities buildings, for $1.76 million.

Six Senses added three villas the following year for a total of $416,000.

The remaining 27 villas have different owners, with some leased to permanent renters and others used as Airbnb properties.

The former Golden Door health retreat at Willow Vale has hit the market.

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The retreat was first established in 1993 as the Golden Door Health Retreat by Brian Looker who described it as the “world’s best health resort”.

It hosted Sting, horseracing tycoon the late Robert Sangster, and a number of other celebrities in its heyday but the resort has not operated for the past five years.

Ray White Special Projects’ Dax Roep, who is marketing the property with colleague Matthew Fritzsche, said they have fielded 35 inquiries, mostly from private and corporate health and fitness groups, interested in returning the resort to its glory days.

“People do know the Golden Door,” he said.

The former Golden Door health retreat at Willow Vale has hit the market, including three villas.

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“It was one of the top health retreats back in the day. We have fielded interest from Melbourne, Sydney, Europe, Asia and New Zealand. A lot of people would like to see it return to being a health retreat.”

Mr Roep said interest had even come from schools interested in hosting school camps at the site and religious groups.

He said the owners of the 27 villas not owned by Six Senses held a body corporate meeting last week where they showed enthusiasm for a new resort owner coming in and re-establishing a health retreat.

“Because it has sat empty for so long they are positive about seeing something happen because it can only benefit them.”

The former Golden Door Health Retreat at Willow Vale was once highly successful. Pictured here is the swimming pool in 2001.

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Mr Roep said there is scope for a new owner to build 30 more villas on two lots spanning 1.8ha — one sitting atop the main ridge line and another occupying a hillside positive on the northern boundary of the 74ha site.

Mr Roep said any development on the rural-zoned land would be subject to council approval.

The full offering consists of three one-bedroom villas, two blocks of land, one 1.54ha and another 2624sq m, large timber building with reception, dining/lounge and offices, separate manager’s residence and another timber building with day spa, steam room, lap pool, basketball court and gymnasium.

An expressions-of-interest campaign closes on October 15 at 4pm.

Six Senses bought the retreat in 2014 from Singapore casino owner Lasseters International Holdings, which took a heavy loss after buying it from Cypress Lakes for $5.6 million in 1998.

Rock star Sting was once a guest at the Golden Door Health Retreat at Willow Vale.

Lasseters put it on the market without success in 2012 and it was briefly rebranded as the first Biggest Loser fitness camp, linked to the hit reality television show, before it was shut down in August of 2014.