Check out best reviews for travel places all over the world by our famous Author
Set in a romantic boutique hotel on the shores of Byron Bay, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the exclusive in-house Spa at Rae's on Watego's for a golden lair discreetly nestled at the base of this pink 1960s establishment. With the arched wooden doors wide open and the gold mosaic corridor shimmering, it's hard to resist a closer look let alone eyeing off the spa menu. But once the doors are shut, and work is in progress, you'd have no idea it was even there.
Purveying the same sense of intimacy and privacy one comes to expect fromRae's on Watego's, offering an exclusive mix of three penthouses, two suites and a villa, you can relax assured of impeccable service and high-quality care. Featuring a Vichy room, steam room, and two treatment rooms that also open as a couples room, the space remains perfectly intimate, quiet and soothing. Far from simply actioning the movements, treatments are intuitive, engaging 100% of the therapist's attention. No phones ringing down the hall. No other therapists peeping their heads around the door.
Get the celebrity treatment
Offering massage treatments, skin care therapies, body treatments and nurturing spa rituals, the Spa menu comes celebrity-tested. With a long list of celebrity clients, the small team of therapists are of the highest calibre. Using La Gaia formulations with Naturaceuticals, a range scientifically devised and derived from nature, as well as the occasional product from Spanish line Germaine de Capuccini, quality and results collide.
From busy to bliss
Personally, I'm one of those clients who can only start to relax about ten minutes from the end, at which point I simultaneously begin to panic because I know the end is nigh. I think too much. Even if it's just about the lovely, sweet aromas filling the room, my mind races at any chance. But somehow in the hands of Marionne de Candia, known as a 'celebrity facialist' in the spa world, my brain lapsed into nothingness. All thoughts melted in 10 minutes flat, leaving my hyper-sensitive brain in a deep slumber that took nearly four hours to emerge from afterwards. This truly is a bliss unlike any other.
Standouts from the Spa menu
Spa ritual: Silver Rain
A stimulating body exfoliation and Vichy shower, accompanied by an aromatherapy massage.
Body treatment: The Golden Veil
Coated in a rich, golden algae blend and sealed in silken sheets, includes a body massage that stimulates the anti-ageing properties of this luxurious treatment.
Skin care: The Pink Orchid
Connecting head and heart, this opulent facial incorporates precious gemstones, charka point therapy and acupressure.
Extend the treat
With the Spa opening out onto the Rae's on Watego's pool and tropical gardens, and the hotel perched on a palm-fringed beachfront, the treatment doesn't have to end when you leave the treatment room. And being Byron Bay, where hippy and trendy merge, there are numerous organic and vegetarian delights to be found nearby to keep the goodness flowing.
Services facial, manicure, pedicure, body wraps, hot stone therapy, body scrub, reflexology, reikii, massage.
Contact tel: +61 (0)2 6685 5366, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Stepping into the Emporium Hotel, in Brisbane’s trendy Fortitude Valley, scenes from the infamous James Bond flicks come flashing back. It’s bold. It’s slick. It’s fancy. It oozes a smooth, sexy, mysterious vibe, from the front door to the cocktail bar and through to the luxurious studio suites. Touting a scheme of eye-grabbing reds, blacks and silvers throughout, up close one can see the designs are beautifully detailed.
Recently recognised for not only outstanding design and facilities, but exceptional guest service and attentive hospitality all round, the five-star Emporium Hotel is not a stranger to industry acclaim. For the third year running, it was awarded Best Boutique Hotel at the 2011 national HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence, which recognises leading hotels across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
It’s the finishing touches that many hotels miss, which makes the Emporium Hotel so worthy of standing out from the crowd. From an immaculate, guest-friendly fit out to full-service concierge services and modern, high-tech facilities, the city-cusp location, top-notch dining options and lengthy pillow menu are just bonuses.
Other features: rooftop pool, sauna, gym, conference centre, function rooms, business facilities, valet parking, 24-hour reception, disabled access.
The rooms
Each of the 102 deluxe studio suites is custom designed, both comfortable and stylish. There are five different room types – some with Brisbane city skyline views – as well as rooms specifically designed for those requiring disabled access. Nearly half of the rooms boast spa baths, whilst the Deluxe Corner Suite features two rooms across a generous 76-square metre floor space. All rooms are fitted with a marble kitchenette and stainless steel appliances, laundry facilities, and state of the art entertainment and technology, including a 106cm plasma TV, Foxtel and wireless internet. Interconnecting rooms are also available upon request.
The cocktail bar
The Emporium Hotel’s cocktail bar is a hit with Brisbane locals and travellers alike. Decked out with a collection of locally made, custom-designed pieces and antiques from exotic locations, the setting is ambient and classy. By day, drop by for a coffee and a sweet treat, then by night, be sure to try one of the many cocktails (though choosing can certainly be hard). Thursday through to Saturday night, a live jazz band gets its groove on for the crowd of stylish women and men.
Packages
The Emporium Hotel offers an impressive range of packages dubbed ‘Emporium Experiences’ that are well worth considering. For a birthday, business or romance, there’s a package to suit just about every occasion, whether its bubbly, roses or the morning newspaper that gets you excited.
Local grooves
Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is trendy and crisp, home to many boutiques, op-shops, top-notch restaurants, weekend markets, cool cafes, trendy bars, bopping clubs, and great arts and live-music venues. The Emporium Hotel is also situated within its own classy precint, The Emporium, which means a range of dining, bars and cafes, as well as a few boutiques and a bookshop are literally right on the doorstep.
Ann Street 1000, Fortitude Valley, Australia
Contact tel: +61 (0)7 3253 6999 OR 1300 883 611, fax: +61 (0)7 3253 6966, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Services spa, swimming pool, fitness equipment, parking, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, creche/listening service, room service, business services, internet access, wheelchair accessible, concierge, air-conditioning
BOOK NOW
In the beautiful hinterland haven of Montville, tucked in behind the Sunshine Coast, sits a unique holiday house for you to call home. Considering it costs just a bit more than a cabin or hotel room in the area, there’s no need to forgo the creature comforts of real accommodation and the space that only a house can provide. Perfect for a family with kids, Seadrift Holiday House has wondrous views stretching all the way to the Sunshine Coast’s white, sandy beaches – with a great deck to kick back, relax, and soak it all up from.
Just a few minutes from the centre of Montville’s arty existence, and the great restaurants and local shops, this spacious house is spread out over two levels with lots of connecting rooms and spaces.
Seadrift – upstairs
The very spacious master bedroom has a queen bed, spa bath and pot-belly fireplace, as well as uninterrupted views all the way to the sea through floor-to-ceiling glass. The second bedroom is standard size with a double bed, and leads onto a third bedroom with two bunk beds for the kids. The separate upstairs bathroom also features a spa bath, and there’sa laundry with washing machine and dryer facilities.
Seadrift – downstairs
A spacious lounge downstairs boasts an open fireplace, perfect for the winter, and air-conditioning for the summer. Comfortably seating eight people, there’s also a TV and DVD player. Both the lounge and the adjacent dining room lead onto a large, partially-covered verandah looking out over the hinterlands and to the Sunshine Coast – a perfect spot to sit at the end of each day with a glass of wine. There’s also a BBQ and sun-bed, and two outdoor settings to enjoy. Also downstairs is a bathroom with toilet and shower, and a large open-plan kitchen equipped with cutlery, cooking utensils, dinnerware and a few basics. An extra bed is hidden beneath the stairs.
Local grooves
Montville is full of character for a small village-like town – or ‘area’ more like it – in the hilly hinterlands perched on the Blackall Range. Bursting with galleries, arts and crafts, boutiques, gift shops and cafes, life operates at a lovely, leisurely pace here. Montville is also close to the Kondalilla National Park, which boasts scenic walks and waterfalls, perfect for escaping into nature and possibly even a picnics and a freshwater swim. The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk also passes through nearby for the keen walkers.
Balmoral Street , Montville , Australia
Contact tel: +61 (0)7 5478 5478 OR +61 (0)438 785 478, e-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BOOK NOW
Perched perfectly amongst the native bushland and hidden from the road that leads just a bit further on to Uki, a quaint and historic village in the Tweed hinterlands of northern NSW, Ecoasis lives up to all that it suggests.
An eco-friendly haven that blends in with its surroundings – and built with minimal disturbance – the environmentally-friendly comforts come at no hint of sacrifice for guests. Efforts towards sustainability and conservation only serve to make Ecoasis all the more enchanting.
Water is gravity fed to reduce electricity demand, steel building frames eliminate all need for poisons and chemical sprays, and even better than the fact that not a single tree was removed during construction, more were indeed planted and a regeneration program put permanently in place. Having slowly expanded and maintaining these integral eco values over the years since its inception, Ecoasis has created a beautiful choice of architecturally-designed sanctuaries throughout its piece of 100-hectare heaven, each standing alone and apart, guaranteeing full privacy.
The Morning Mist Chalet, Spa Chalet, Sunrise Chalet and The Hideaway sit in amongst or just above the treetops, proffering stunning hinterland vistas from the Tweed Valley to the mountains, including spectacular views of the dramatic Mount Warning. Huge glass windows and large decks on both levels ensure you won’t miss it, whilst tables and chairs – and sunchairs – make the scenery all the more inviting, if that’s even possible. Nestled in amongst the lush green sub-tropical rainforest, from the canopy to the sloped rainforest floor, the Hidden Valley Chalet and Forest Chalet tout earthy, cosy interiors and fresh outdoor verandas naturally hidden by existing vegetation.
A common feature of all six chalets is their two-storey construction, offering space and privacy, and essentially a more homely, liveable feel. Each Ecoasis chalet comes fitted with queen beds and has its own complete, modern kitchen with the welcoming bonus of some essential supplies, including jam, butter, fresh milk, muesli and eggs. A fresh seafood platter, gourmet BBQ platter, cheese platter and champagne are also available upon request. Whilst the same tranquil yet luxurious feel emanates from them all, the furnishings and finishing touches are unique to each chalet. Double spa baths and double showers are a special feature for some, with views straight out the window, whilst others have single spas and showers. A lovely saltwater pool provides shared access for all guests, as does a dedicated massage room that you can book into in advance for treatments.
Blessed with a prime remote location, enchanting views, 100% comfort and fully self-contained facilities, there’s simply no better place to escape the bustle, immerse yourself in nature, and truly unwind in a setting of pure bliss.
*Ecoasis is a member of the Ecotourism Association of Australia
Tateywan St 55, Uki NSW 2484, Australia
Contact tel: +61 (02) 6679 5959, fax: +61 (02) 6679 5759BOOK NOW