Best of the Gold Coast 2019: the region’s top 10 day spas for a pamper session
In need of some me time? Wish upon a spa because we have your ticket to tranquillity with 10 of the best day spas on the Gold Coast.
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In need of a pamper sesh? Wish upon a spa because Amber Macpherson and Chantay Logan have your ticket to tranquillity with 10 of the best day spas on the Gold Coast.
ONE SPA
RACV Royal Pines Resort, Ross St, Benowa
THE GOLD COAST’S TOP HAIRDRESSERS AS VOTED BY YOU
It’s usually holiday-makers that stumble on this secret in the suburbs, but why let them have all the fun?
Tucked inside RACV Royal Pines Resort, One Spa is a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art pamper palace.
“You don’t realise how big the spa is until you turn the corner,” senior spa supervisor Emma Sirett says
Set the soothing tone by sipping a fragrant herbal tea in the private lounge, wrapped in a snuggly robe and slippers while you look out at the surrounding lagoon.
You can choose your own adventure, but many people opt to start with one of the water therapies.
Experience the detoxifying warmth of your own private steam room, slip into the outdoor jacuzzi and let the massage jets work their magic, or daydream in the Japanese bath blended with aromatic oils.
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The vichy shower encourages sensory surrender with seven warm rain showers moving across your body.
“I describe it as like lying under a waterfall,” Emma says.
“The benefit of having water therapy before your treatment is that it really relaxes and warms up the muscles, preparing your body for a massage.”
Speaking of massages, there’s a menu to suit your mood.
“My favourite massage is the Tranquillity Pro Sleep,” Emma says.
“A neuroscientist developed the blend of oils we use with notes that evoke relaxation in the brain.
“It’s perfect for people who are fatigued, jet-lagged or just want better sleep patterns.
“We use beautiful soft brushes all along the body — very slow movement — and there’s a specific song that’s like a heartbeat in the background.
“It settles the breathing and it’s just a beautiful treatment to have.”
If you want to leave looking as good as you feel, there’s a hair salon on-site too.
GREENHOUSE THE BATHHOUSE
7/37A Tallebudgera Creek Road, Burleigh Heads
HEMBROW SISTERS LAUNCH FIRST BEAUTY PRODUCT
The bathhouse tradition has ancient roots in Turkey, Greece and Japan, but the creators of the Greenhouse restaurants have reinvented the concept for modern serenity seekers. Their communal, unisex bathhouse, which operates by appointment only, specialises in soaks and steams. Take your time hopping from pool to pool in the detoxing rotation of moving your body from hot to cold. Pit-stops include two heated hydrotherapy spas, a custom-built wet steam room, a magnesium plunge pool and a sun deck in the treetops. To make a day of it, packages are available with signature massages, bubbly (or kombucha), raw treats and a plant-based lunch.
GWINGANNA LIFESTYLE RETREAT
192 Syndicate Road, Tallebudgera Valley
It’s the largest spa in the Southern Hemisphere, but you’ll have to check in to check out this Tallebudgera treat. The sprawling spa’s 33 rooms are for the exclusive enjoyment of guests and many of the therapies are unique to Gwinganna. “Rockupuncture is one, a combination of soothing hot stones and gentle Japanese style acupuncture,” marketing manager Tracy Willis says. Spirit of Sound is another treatment you won’t experience anywhere else, developed by professional drummer, percussionist and spa therapist Petrina Tonkin. “This unique therapy combines meditation with a fusion of massage techniques, live percussion including drums and rainsticks and Hawaiian basalt rocks all choreographed to carefully selected music,” Tracy says.
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RUBY SPA
Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa, 158 Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise
THE GOLD COAST’S TOP 10 BEST PRESONAL TRAINERS
How does two-and-a-half hours of bliss sound? Ruby Spa’s signature Ruby Bliss Package takes its clients to relaxation land with an hour deluxe facial, an hour full-body massage and 30-minute body scrub. “We have fantastic beauty therapists who excel in massage,” Ruby Spa owner Cathy Lawless says. “It’s definitely a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We are located in the five-star Marriot Resort and Spa — clients like coming to that space within the hotel, which is a bit exclusive.” Customers aren’t quickly ushered out the door after their treatment — Cathy says they’re welcome to take advantage of the relax room to ease back into reality. “It’s a designated area where guests go at the end of their treatments for sparkling wine, herbal tea, and the all-important chocolate.”
Q1 SPA
Q1, 9 Hamilton Ave, Surfers Paradise
THE GOLD COAST’S BEST WINTER WEEKEND GETAWAYS
With the towering Q1 resort a global tourist attraction in Surfers Paradise, this spa offers treatments worth writing home about. “After 14 years the Q1 Spa has won accolades and awards from all over the world,” owner Carol Fleming says. “Q1 Spa offers clients a memorable experience in five-star surroundings.” From mind-melting head massages to cleansing body wraps, Carol says every pamper request is catered to. “Over a period of two to three hours our clients get to experience just about every fabulous spa offering there is. Our most popular treatment is our Decadent Duo, a fabulous combination of massage and facial, taken as either a 60 or 90 minute experience. Both men and women love this.”
EARTH AND SKIN
2 Regency Place, Mudgeeraba
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Giving yourself permission to pamper feels better when it’s eco-friendly. Mudgeeraba’s Earth and Skin spa offers treatments using products that are organic, vegan and cruelty free. Owner Louisa Hollenberg says the ethical approach doesn’t compromise on luxury. “We are the only day spa on the Gold Coast that is organic, vegan and cruelty free. All our treatments and products have been selected with the environment and our clients’ health in mind,” she says. Earth and Skin has recently updated its services menu with 10 new treatments, including a four-hour Sensana Ritual and a parent and child spoiling session called Bloom and Bud, while the Earth and Skin Experience featuring a 30-minute facial and 30-minute massage remains a popular choice.
GOLDEN DOOR SPA AND HEALTH CLUB
73 Seaworld Drive, Main Beach
FLASHBACK: THE GOLD COAST’S BEST DAY SPAS OF 2018
Golden Door and Spa offers up one of life’s greatest pleasures minus the guilt — taking an extra long hot shower. After a rejuvenating exfoliation with a pink pomegranate scrub, guests are invited to lie on a bed underneath multiple showerheads and wash away the treatment with muscle-thawing water pressure, revealing soft, glowing skin below. “The vichy shower treatment finishes with a moisturising body lotion gently applied to the body, leaving the skin feeling silky smooth,” Golden Door manager Shireen Matheson says. “It’s Golden Door’s absolute favourite.” The Main Beach facility is located only steps from the sand and uses BABOR skincare products from Germany.
ON EAGLE WINGS MOUNTAIN RETREAT AND SPA
59 Lowry Court, Neranwood
While some spas strive for tranquillity with soundproof walls and birdsong soundtracks, On Eagle Wings delivers real deal peace and quiet. Manager Sophie Nijskens says many customers make a day of their visit to the Mudgeeraba spa, perched on the mountainside. “Our most popular are our half and full day spa packages,” Sophie says. “They come with lunch as high tea, and they include full use of the facility — we have a detox saunsa, a 25m infinity lap pool and a mineral spa. We’re up high, we overlook the whole Gold Coast hinterland. We’re unique in that we’re not an enclosed day spa. It’s very peaceful and tranquil, but only 10 minutes from the Pacific Highway.”
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SPAQ
QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Ave, Gold Coast
GOLD COAST’S ONLY BABY SPA CELEBRATES FIRST BIRTHDAY
It takes a little while for reality to evaporate when you enter a day spa, so SpaQ offers guests the use of a relaxing steam room to prep for their appointment. “We have our beautiful hamman steam room included in our packages,” SpaQ manager Sarah Hayes says. “You’re not going straight from the real world into the treatment bed. You can unwind and switch off between the treatment room, loosen the muscles and detox.” The Weekend Warrior at SpaQ package is ideal for those in need of some me time with a revitalising scub, massage and facial. “It’s a nice pick me up, it gets your circulation going,” Sarah says. “It’s for someone who’s been a bit busy.” Between Monday to Thursday, locals can take advantage of a 20 per cent discount on all treatments.
EFOREA SPA
Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel, 6 Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise
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Unlike at most addresses in the party precinct, visitors to Eforea emerge looking and feeling brighter. Cocooned in the luxury Hilton hotel, the contemporary spa offers both results orientated and relaxation focused therapies, combining innovative techniques with organic and natural products. Hilton Surfers Paradise general manager Fiona Pryde says the Renewing Vichy Shower Exfoliation is at the top of most wish lists. “The treatment features a revitalising waterfall shower that is placed above you and gently massages the entire body while you relax,” she says. The treatment wraps up with a blissful head-to-toe massage.
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