First came the mammoth new public bar and beer garden. Then it was well-known Melbourne chef Scott Pickett’s first regional fine diner, Audrey’s, as well as lavish late-night speak-easy Barlow. And what followed was an extravagant Intercontinental hotel.
The final piece of the puzzle at the Conti in Sorrento, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, is Aurora Spa & Bathhouse. It’s now open, spearheaded by the Aurora Spa Group, which until recently had a location in St Kilda, in Melbourne’s south-east.
The dramatic 1000-square-metre relaxation destination has room for just 60 people at any one time. Immerse yourself in four steamy, interconnecting hydrotherapy pools, starting with what has been dubbed the Daydream Pool; it’s sky-lit and a steamy 36 degrees. Or block out the world around you in a magnesium float room.
There’s a seriously sizeable, timber-clad Nordic-inspired sauna; an aromatherapy steam room; “sensory” showers; and a whole suite for halotherapy, which involves breathing in air with tiny salt particles.
Another feature is the “glacial mist room”. Set at an alpine temperature, it’s a refined bathhouse version of the Finnish tradition of rolling in the snow after a sauna.
Plus, expect to find eight treatment rooms where you can unwind solo or with a partner, and a store with a dedicated apothecary station where you can make your own bath-salt blend. (The spa and store opened ahead of the bathhouse.)
Behind the design is Woods Bagot, which drew inspiration from the region’s breathtaking coastline; think soft oak, sandy terrazzo and brass furnishings.
Aurora Spa & Bathhouse
23 Constitution Hill Road, Sorrento
Hours:
Bathing
Daily 9am–9pm
Spa
Mon to Thu 9am–6pm
Fri & Sat 9am–7pm
Sun 9am–5pm
auroraspa.com.au
This article was originally published on September 20, 2022. It has been updated to reflect the opening and include new images.