12 of Sydney’s best day spas

For an all-inclusive spa experience: SpaQ at QT Sydney  

Located in the heart of the city, SpaQ at QT Sydney is an opulent city haven. The long list of therapeutic treatments allows you to reset, unwind and relax, and can be customised to suit your needs. Spoil yourself with the Metamorphosis package which includes a full day of pampering, complete with a morning soak in the hammam-inspired steam room, a body exfoliation and wrap, massage, facial and lunch in the relaxation lounge. Bliss!  

QT Sydney, Sydney - Credit: QT Hotel

For boutique beauty: Sol Spa  

California meets Sydney at Sol Spa at The Botanica Vaucluse, an Instagrammer’s paradise surrounded by verdant gardens and plush pink loungers, where herbal teas are on the pre- and post-treatment menu. Here modern and Ayurvedic-inspired offerings range from luxurious facials to pregnancy-safe packages for mums-to-be.  

Sol Spa at The Botanica Vaucluse, Vaucluse  - Credit: Sol Spa Botanica Vaucluse

For a one-stop shop: Gillian Adams Salon, Spa & Dining  

In Turramurra (on the upper North Shore) Gillian Adams Salon, Spa & Dining has been providing high-end treatments for decades. Behind the building’s Art Deco facade you’ll find plush treatment rooms, a steam room, an aquamedic pool (that uses massage jets to promote blood circulation), a hair and beauty salon, and a seasonal produce-focused restaurant. Gather your friends for the 2.5-hour Le Social Spa-ing treatment. Available to groups of three or more, it includes pool and steam time, a deluxe body polish or the spa’s signature facial, and a cheese board afterwards.

Gillian Adams Salon, Spa & Dining, Turrumurra - Credit: Gillian Adams Salon, Spa & Dining

For bathing & a locals’ feel: Nature's Energy Glebe Bathhouse & Day Spa 

Step into Nature’s Energy in Glebe for a slice of inner-city serenity. Here, the spa offering is comprehensive: there are hot stone, lymphatic drainage and remedial massages; extensive facial options from hydration to microdermabrasion (gently exfoliates skin to improve tone and texture); and various beauty treatments. There are also several traditional saunas, including a Finnish (heats the air) and two infrared (uses light to heat the body); a steam room; a hot spa; and two ice baths. Make the best of both worlds by booking a spa package which includes time in the bathhouse as well as a massage.

Nature's Energy Glebe Bathhouse & Day Spa, Glebe - Credit: BLK DOT

For specialist skin treatments: The Skin Bar and Bath House 

Those with troublesome skin will feel invigorated by a visit to The Skin Bar in Rozelle, a clinic specialising in skin needling (a treatment that uses tiny needles to promote collagen production and refine skin texture and tone). Choose from a series of needling options, LED light treatments, peels or more typical facials, or a value pack combining different treatments. The Rozelle outpost of The Skin Bar is complete with a Swedish sauna (typically a drier heat than the more humid Finnish sauna) and ice baths.  

The Skin Bar and Bath House, Rozelle - Credit: The Skin Bar & Bath House

For a ladies’ day out: Ottoman Turkish Bath and Day Spa

Ottoman Turkish Bath & Day Spa offers a traditional Turkish bath (hammam) experience alongside an extensive range of spa treatments. Book in with a few friends and experience the utter relaxation of a full-body scrub on a warm marble slab, followed by an olive oil wash. Add a bubble bag treatment (a bag of foaming bubbles is used to envelope the body in soothing foam), massage or honey and milk treatment to really amp up your experience. Note: the spa operates as women-only during the day – men’s or private bookings must be made in advance.  

Ottoman Turkish Bath & Day Spa, Granville

For a Palm Springs-style oasis: The Bathhouse 

Millennial-pink loungers, yellow striped sun umbrellas, lush green palm trees – The Bathhouse in Douglas Park (20 minutes from Campbelltown) will have you transported to the sunshine of California. Here guests can opt for a ‘soak session’ to relax by the pool and drift between the sauna, steam room, heated magnesium plunge pool and hydrotherapy spas. Level-up with a LED light treatment, ageing-focused facial, microdermabrasion or an aromatherapy massage.   

The Bathhouse, Douglas Park - Credit: The Bathhouse

For relaxation by the beach: Slow House

Slow House is a stylish wellness space just ten minutes' walk from the beach in Bondi. While a large part of Slow House’s allure is its sauna and ice bath offering, the rejuvenating skin treatments, facials, and massages available here focus on self-esteem and enhancing mood. The face and body detox offers full body and face detoxification via dry brush strokes and gua sha (an ancient healing technique that can stimulate circulation). Beyond this, look out for calming facials, LED light facials and massages. 

Slow House, Bondi

For a Moroccan-style experience: Moroccan Hammam 

Moroccan Hammam is a traditionally decorated space offering everything from body masks to exfoliation and hair washes in Parramatta. The Deluxe Hammam experience begins with a body soak in hot water with Moroccan beldi (black) soap. You’ll then receive a body exfoliation, followed by a rinse to cleanse and refresh your skin. Next is a nourishing clay body mask, infused with detoxifying coffee and argan oil. The experience concludes with a final wash using organic soap. 

Moroccan Hammam, Parramatta - Credit: Moroccan Hammam

For utter luxury surrounded by heritage: Auriga Spa at Capella Sydney 

Set within the calming upper levels of Sydney’s top-tier Capella Sydney, and surrounded by heritage architecture cut with modern sensibilities, Auriga Spa is peak luxury wellness. This CBD sanctuary offers guests an oasis to indulge in tailored wellness experiences – offering everything from a ‘Connect to Country’ stone massage to enzyme peel wraps and chakra balancing hair and scalp treatments. There's also a heated pool and a vitality pool, available to use at an additional cost to treatments. No matter what treatment you get, you’ll be in a room beautifully fitted to the standard of the hotel’s incredible design. 

Capella Sydney, Sydney CBD

For design-forward surroundings: AWAY Spa at W Sydney 

Enjoy a stylish retreat with designer interiors in this spa set in one of Sydney’s most innovative hotels. Book in for a solo treat, or with a group, and enjoy your treatment in one of five treatment rooms, lounge on plush seating, or take a moment of solitude in a pod, soaking in the extraordinary views. Treatment-wise, expect top-notch classics including detox treatments, massages, manicures and pedicures, facials, LED and access to the pool and sauna facilities.   

AWAY Spa at W Sydney, Sydney

For an onsen with a view: Japanese Bath House Blue Mountains  

Just outside of Sydney in the Blue Mountains, this onsen experience (it’s particularly special in winter) will transport you to the hills of regional Japan. While primarily a bathhouse – there are many baths that guests can dip into – the spa offering is equally noteworthy. Spend time in the scented sauna, before unwinding with an aromatherapy facial or 60-minute massage that blends Japanese and Thai techniques. Each treatment includes three-hour access to the bathhouse, a Japanese robe, refreshing herbal tea and slippers to take home.  

Japanese Bath House Blue Mountains, Bowenfels - Credit: Japanese Bath House