The Hawkesbury Valley is about to welcome a major new wellness destination, with VELA Spa & Bathhouse officially opening its doors in Windsor on September 22. Set within eight hectares of gardens at Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley, around an hour from Sydney, the new spa and bathhouse is a complete transformation of the former Villa Thalgo Day Spa, which had been part of the Hawkesbury wellness scene for more than 25 years. Rather than just giving the longstanding day spa a refresh, the team has significantly expanded what you can do there, bringing thermal bathing, contrast therapy, traditional spa treatments, float therapy, relaxation spaces, dining and overnight wellness escapes together in the one destination. The new bathhouse centres around a thermal circuit, where you’ll be able to move between magnesium-enriched mineral and hydrotherapy pools, a Nordic sauna, steam room and a dedicated Fire & Ice Room with an infrared sauna and cold plunge. There’s also an outdoor courtyard with a barrel sauna and cold plunge, followed by a relaxation lounge when you’re ready to stop moving between hot and cold and simply switch off. One of the more unusual additions is VELA’s new float therapy offering. Instead of the enclosed pods typically associated with floating, VELA has created private open float pools filled with magnesium-enriched water and heated to skin temperature. Each sits within its own private room beneath a starry ceiling that can be switched on or off, offering the sensory-reduction experience of floating without being enclosed inside a pod. The float rooms are still being completed and won’t be available when VELA initially opens on September 22, but bookings are expected to open shortly. If treatments are more your speed, the spa side of the destination remains a big part of the experience, with massages, facials and body rituals alongside skin treatments incorporating technology. You can also extend the visit with high tea at the Champagne Bar or choose from an all-day dining menu. The transformation marks a new chapter for a site with a long history of wellness in the region. Villa Thalgo operated here for more than two decades before the facility was affected by flooding twice between 2020 and 2023. Rather than reinstating the spa as it was, its owners used the rebuild as an opportunity to rethink the offering and create what VELA describes as NSW’s first nature-immersed luxury spa and bathhouse. Even the new name retains a connection to its surroundings and its past. VELA takes its name from the Latin word for sails, referencing the Hawkesbury River and the mist that moves through the valley, while the “V” is also a nod to Villa Thalgo. And if a couple of hours in the bathhouse doesn’t feel quite long enough, its location within Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley means you can turn the visit into an overnight wellness escape. From October 1, new VELA Signature Escapes will combine accommodation with bathhouse access, treatments, float therapy and dining, depending on the package. Casual bathhouse sessions and Foundation Memberships are available, with memberships currently starting from $45 per week and including daily bathhouse access. VELA Spa & Bathhouse officially opens on September 22 at 61 Hawkesbury Valley Way, Windsor, with bookings now open.
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