Halycon House Opens World-Class Day Spa and Boutique
- Written by Sophie Baker
Halcyon House—the one-time surf motel turned Hamptons-style retreat on northern NSW's Cabarita Beach—announces the opening of its luxuriant day spa. Situated on site, behind the hotel's whitewashed exterior, and envisioned by architect Virginia Kerraige and interior designer Anna Spiro (who together have defined the award-winning hotel's aesthetic), the rejuvenating hideaway is open to both guests and locals.
Inside the multi-level wellness space, serenity abounds—think bookshelves filled with chic reading material and stately busts, fringed couches and Oahu wallpaper. There are a host of well-appointed treatment rooms catering to solo visitors and couples, a tranquil relaxation area complete with undercover balcony, a small courtyard to breathe deep in, and a unique, dome-shaped steam bath. (For those needing a break from, well, the break, a perfectly-curated boutique on the ground floor brings a smattering of cult-followed, hard-to-find labels into one place, be it Lucy Folk's frolicsome fine jewellery, swimwear from Matteau and Sold & Stripe, carry-everywhere staples from Heimat Atlantica or the effortless, too-cool linen wares of Muse.)
“With Halcyon Spa, I wanted to create a space that continued to take guests on Halcyon's journey with fresh new arrangements that tantilise the senses and felt unlike any other Australian day spa,” says Brisbane-based Spiro of the interiors. “The palette draws on the ocean; it's peppered with shades of blue, turquoise, pale pink, coral, beige and seafoam. I've used my bespoke textile line throughout on upholstered walls and furnishings—the result is a bolder, cooler take on a spa. Guests will be refreshed with striking arrangements of hand-selected tiles, and unexpected fabric combinations, then plunged to the ocean's depths through the richest shades of blue.”
Mauro De Riso, the General Manager of Halcyon House, is thrilled to of extended the hotel's inimitable blueprint to a spa. “We know we've got something very special happening at Halcyon House,” he says, “and it was important that our spa lived up to those exacting standards. This is a seamless extension of our offering—and we're excited to be able to offer world-class pampering to Cabarita Beach locals and guests alike.”
When it comes to the treatments themselves, almost any revivifying service is on offer here: facial, massage, body and hand-and-foot therapy, along with a menu of additional indulgences that can be added to existing treatments or mix-and-matched.
Whether it's a thermal infusing facial, using warming volcanic clay or an experiential, five-hour 'day of youth' that spans steam baths, body exfoliation, massages and a two-course lunch, each treatment has been custom-designed for Halcyon Spa, and makes use of 100% natural, chemical free products exclusively sourced from the iconic Australian skincare brand Sodashi.
Halcyon House is known, of course, for its lush long-weekender activities—for days spent lazily reclining beside the Med-style pool, and evenings dining on crumbed prawns or fresh oysters at Paper Daisy (the coastal-chic hatted restaurant led by ex-Noma chef Ben Devlin). And like every other element of Halcyon House, its latest addition involves the industry's most discerning experts. Respected consultant Naomi Gregory's magic touch is here—her firm is behind the success of Kamalaya in Koh Samui and Yaukuve Spa Sanctuary at Kokomo Private Island in Fiji. Halcyon Spa is managed by Alessandra Viel, who worked in spas and salons across Italy and London, before taking her place at the helm of Villa Marina Capris and JK Spa at JK Place Capri on the Amalfi Coast.
