This spa and gym may be in a beautiful old red brick building, but the interiors are contemporary and sparing, decorated in shades of slate, bone and taupe. Turn right as you walk through the wide front doors and you’ll find yourself in the day spa, equipped with an infrared sauna, steam room, ice shower and gorgeously heated plunge pool – all in aid of muscle recovery (or just relaxation).
If your skin’s been looking a little blah lately, the signature facial will sort you out. The spa uses Sothy and Pevonia products, and will tailor a regimen to your specific concerns – best of all, it’s an extremely hands-on experience, with lots of facial and scalp massaging to aid product penetration, skin plumping (and chilling out). If you need something stronger, they also offer Omnilux light therapy, hydrabrasion and Dermaquest peels – the mango peel is good for a pre-party brighten-up, but anything stronger will come with downtime. Massages, body masques and the usual range of grooming services are also available. Before or after your treatment you can make use of the facilities, or just loaf around in a ludicrously fluffy robe, with your feet up by an open gas fire.
Those after a more active experience should book themselves in for a class. The gym offers boxing, pilates and yoga – taught by some of Canberra’s most established trainers. You can also hit up a Netflix-and-Foxtel enabled treadmill, or workout on equally high-tech resistance and weight machines from Technogym. If you’re in Canberra for a long time and are super-serious about getting in shape, Hale offers a 12-week training programme, called ‘The Method’, which involves close biometric monitoring and a whole lot of working out. It’s a significant investment of time and money, but you may find yourself training alongside an elite crew of athletes, businesspeople and the occasional parliamentarian.