In the heart of the Hunter Valley, hidden under the broad red roof of the Chateau Elan, the Hunter Valley Day Spa offers pampering treatments that quieten the mind, relax the body and nourish the soul. And there’s wine.
Whether it’s a relaxing massage, a facial treatment or the remedial whirlpool movements of a balneotherapy, the benefits of a spa day can’t be overlooked. Mind you, it has taken me a while to realise that.
In fact, you may be surprised to learn that out of the two of us, it’s Jim who’s the spa rat. He always has been.
But because he hadn’t heard this expression before, it took a bit of explaining to convince Jim that ‘spa rat’ isn’t an insult.
Now he announces his ‘spa rat-ness’ with pride.
And when we were invited to a couples’ massage at the Chateau Elan’s impressive Hunter Valley Day Spa, Jim couldn’t wait to get into the changing room and climb into those funny undies.
Here’s a quick video of the Hunter Valley Day Spa and what it’s like inside. This is part of a longer video walkthrough of our stay at the Chateau Elan.
Check out our full review of Chateau Elan’s hotel rooms and facilities here.
The Hunter Valley Day Spa at Chateau Elan
From the outside, the Hunter Valley Day Spa doesn’t look that big. In fact, even the entrance and reception adjacent to the main hotel reception seems quite low-key.
However, this day spa is in fact one of the largest in the country—certainly the biggest in the region.
It has 17 treatment rooms and a menu of over 20 pages of different types of pampering, and even a ‘Hydrolounge’ with mineral pools on a deck looking out over the countryside.
As soon as we had changed into our ‘funny undies’, thick white gowns and slippers, we were led into the Reflection Lounge—a wonderfully peaceful room of comfortable armchairs and sofas, an open fire and beautiful flower arrangements.
The aroma—that special scent you only find in a high-quality day spa—filled our senses and set us up for our massage.
We were met by our specialists, who took us through to our treatment room.
It was only then as we walked down the corridor, that we realised how big this spa is. Doors on either side opened onto other massage rooms, rooms for balneotherapy, skin therapy rooms, and rooms with phototherapy and LED light therapy equipment set up.
Our 50-minute relaxation massage at the Hunter Valley Day Spa
I really enjoy a couples’ massage. I can feel quite nervous at first, not having the spa rat gene Jim seems to have developed. So having him in the room with me lets me relax quicker.
There’s also something about the shared experience that’s lovely too.
From beginning to end, our relaxation massage was sublime. You can always tell when it’s a good massage when—at the end—you’re surprised that it’s over already but it also feels like you’ve been lying there for hours.
And this treatment is aptly named; from head to toe, we both had that extraordinary sensation of complete relaxation.
Wobbly from our massage, we wandered through to the Reflection Lounge and relaxed on the recliners.
We were pleasantly surprised with the offer of a glass of sparkling—usually it’s a herbal tea, but then we are in a wine region after all. Chateau Elan takes full advantage of its locality and offers an extensive wine and food menu too.
The Hydrolounge and the end of our treatment
After a while, we went through to the Hydrolounge. Set on a broad deck looking out over the landscape and nearby mountains, two swirling bubbling pools—one warm, one cool—are full of mineral-rich water.
You need to bring your own swimwear to go enter these pools and the infrared sauna, but all guests are welcome, which is a generous touch.
You don’t even need to leave the pools as call buttons for food and beverage services are located within easy reach.
We finished our glasses of sparkling, changed back into our regular clothes and made our way reluctantly to the exit.
From beginning to end, our experience at Chateau Elan’s day spa was bliss. Completely relaxing and entirely indulgent. Is there a more perfect way to end a visit to the Hunter Valley?
