The best day spas on the Gold Coast
Want to know where to bliss out on or around the Gold Coast? These spas with a difference will work their wonders on you.
By Katrina Lobley
The Gold Coast, with its rhythmic crashing waves and quiet hinterland, is a haven for wellness and rejuvenation. Take time out for yourself and pamper the mind, body and soul with caviar facial, a four-handed massage or a trip to a spa tucked within a rainforest.
Experience utmost indulgence at SpaQ
The ultra-hip QT Gold Coast hotel is home to spaQ, where the array of sumptuous treatments will make it hard to choose just one. The signature Pure Gold experience kicks off with a foot bath ritual that includes a wild thyme scrub and massage, before a back massage with tangerine and rose-infused oil. After the facial, sit back for a mani-pedi that includes a choice of nail polish colours. The Plush Princess treatment takes inspiration from the royal palaces of central Java, with a cleansing potion incorporating aromatic bergamot and green tea, and a face massage with jasmine-infused oil.
Unwind at the Golden Door
Across the street from the upmarket Marina Mirage shopping complex on Main Beach is the Golden Door Spa and Health Club. Inside, be pampered with a five-hour Total Indulgence package that includes being cocooned inside a layer of volcanic clay, an anti-ageing facial, and a pedicure or hand spa – as well as a healthy lunch. For an instant glow, try the Complete Bronzed Body option – exfoliation and an organic spray tan that lasts up to eight days.
Find your calm at Lost World Spa
Nestled in the Gold Coast hinterland is the evocatively named Lost World Spa, part of O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat that sits within the World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park. Nature-inspired treatments include a signature 90-minute massage that showcases Australian botanical products. The spa also specialises in vinotherapy, using grape extracts sourced from O’Reilly’s own Canungra Valley vineyards located a 40-minute drive north. Surrender to the three-hour vinotherapy ritual and your body will be slathered in a nourishing red grape and clay mask.
Live the high life at Q1 Spa
There’s no problem tracking down the Q1 Spa – just look up to find the tallest building along the glittering beachfront. Q1 is the world’s tallest residential building and its poolside spa specialises in dual treatments, accommodating to couples, mothers and daughters, or best friends. Splash out on a luxurious caviar facial or try the Kodo massage that uses ancient Aboriginal techniques to reharmonise mind, body and spirit. The Hydro Magic experience includes a salt scrub followed by immersion in the Hydrostorm capsule.
Indulge at Aurora Spa
One of the signature treatments at Palazzo Versace’s Aurora Spa is the Allawah four-handed massage. Two therapists apply aromatic body oils while kneading the back, neck and shoulders. Turn over for a facial and, as a mask rehydrates the skin, enjoy an abdominal and leg massage. To finish, there’s more massaging – this time of the arms and scalp. To extend the pampering, bundle your treatments into a three or four-hour retreat, or even escape to the spa for an entire day.
