If you’re in the market for an absurdly luxurious experience – even if only for a few hours of real-life denial – visit this secluded Eastern Suburbs spa. We came here to pamper, and Sol Spa provided the herbal-infused, revitalising, soul-nourishing goods.
It’s hidden away on the ground floor of Botanica Vaucluse, beneath the adjoining café and restaurant, but natural light and green ferns fill Sol Spa with a fresh, airy ambience. You’ve got some hardcore relaxation ahead of you, so throw on a fluffy rob and hydrate with pear water or herbal tea in the very plush waiting room.
When Time Out visited, we then made our way to the private treatment room, bravely stripped down to the provided disposable G-string (woo hoo), clambered aboard the heated massage table and started with a dry body brush. This essentially feels like a soft-bristle hairbrush making its way across your slightly surprised skin. Think of brushing a super elegant horse, but you're the horse.
It does the job of removing dead skin cells and stimulating your lymphatic system before the coconut body scrub comes in for the exfoliation and hydration hard yards. There’s an essence of ouch in this intense scrub, but it leaves you with that good tingly feeling.
After whipping in and out of the shower, which is in a curtained corner of the huge candlelit treatment room, a full body massage was the next highly anticipated adventure. It's quite literally head to toe, with brief hand, foot and scalp massages. They go easy on the pressure so don’t be afraid to ask the therapist to ramp it up a few notches. This treatment combo leaves you as relaxed and rejuvenated as a lazy summer holiday without the sunburn.
They offer other individualised treatment options, too. Iron out knots and tension with remedial and traditional Chinese tui na influenced massages, or become a happy blob of playdough after a revitalising, de-stress kneading. There are facials, manicures, pedicures, mud cocoons, steam showers, holistic therapies and packages to help you bliss out, followed by lunch in the spa garden. It doesn’t come cheap – the most affordable massage costs $95 and the packages go up to $500 – but the friendly, attentive care and next-level indulgence is worth a splurge.
