The four rules that can make or break your next spa treatment

There is nothing quite like the mental and physical escape of a trip to a destination spa. Over multiple years of road-testing some divine locations, I have compiled my own list of tips that can be applied to any visit, regardless of location or budget.

This is your time, so be vocal about what you don’t like.Credit: Getty Images

Be punctual

Always try to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for completing any paperwork and changing into a robe. You don’t want admin eating into hands-on time with your therapist.

Disconnect

Put your mobile phone on flight mode. I’ve made the mistake of switching my phone to silent, only to find I can still hear the little sucker vibrating in the background.

Speak up

This is your time, so be vocal about what you don’t like – for me, it’s talking during the treatment. Specifying your preferred massage pressure is also important. And if you don’t want your therapist to leave the room, ask if this can be accommodated. I was once encased in a body wrap and bound in a space blanket, unable to move, then left for what seemed like hours.

Respect the clock

When the treatment is over, resist the urge to drop into a coma. The next client is probably waiting.

Eden Health Retreat, in Queensland’s Currumbin Valley.

Now that you’ve refreshed your spa etiquette, where are the best places to practise it? We love the revamped Eden Health Retreat, which sits in 160 hectares of pristine Gold Coast hinterland rainforest – the location alone is enough to have you zoning out. Our treatment pick is the stress-relieving ZeroBody Dry Float Therapy ($55).

In Brisbane you’ll find the award-winning Kailo Wellness Medispa in the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley’s fashionable James Street. The hotel is a favourite of celebrities including Chris Hemsworth and Julia Roberts, and the spa treatments are equally top-shelf. The 90-minute La Prairie Life Matrix Immersion facial ($700) is a supercharged treatment that starts with deep cleansing and exfoliating, while soothing massage throughout the treatment infuses the skin with corrective ingredients and the lymphatic drainage helps to lift and brighten tired skin.

For one of the highest spa experiences in the country, head to the 64th floor of Melbourne’s Ritz-Carlton hotel to try the 60-minute Age Defying Facial ($240). It includes a deep-brush cleanse, exfoliation and soothing massage, followed by a mask and a scalp massage.

On the west coast, the Margaret River region’s Injidup Retreat and Spa offers adults-only indulgence by the sea. If you can tear yourself away from the ocean view, try the stress-melting Swedish Massage ($160), an hour of pure escapism.

Visitors to the Adelaide Hills will want to make time for a treatment at Gatekeeper’s Day Spa on the grounds of Mount Lofty Estate, which also boasts hot pools fed by artesian springs. We love the two-hour Jurlique Rose Ritual face and body massage (from $400).

Tasmania’s Saffire resort on the Freycinet Peninsula is world-famous, but its spa also deserves acclaim. My choice is the hour-long Macadamia Body Scrub ($225), which uses ginseng, echinacea, oat flour, camomile and vitamin E to give you a new glow.

ASK STEPH

How often should I exfoliate my face?

Over-exfoliation is a common cleansing mistake. Once a week is the rule of thumb to avoid stripping the skin’s mantle and upsetting the microbiome, which can cause irritation, redness and dryness. Try a gentle enzyme exfoliator such as Dr Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser ($117).

Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling.

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