Is there anything more rejuvenating than a good soak and steam session? Here at Urban List, we don't think so. Luckily, Brisbane/Meanjin has turned into quite the city of wellness lately, and you know longer have to head for a swanky day spa to find a sauna, mineral pool or salt room—you just have to head to one of the many bathhouses and wellness centres around town.
Whether it’s spending so long in a spa you wind up looking like a prune or just a good old sweat out in the sauna you're after, you and your achy muscles will be feeling in tip-top shape after visiting one of these Brisbane sauna and spa-filled bathhouses.
The Bathhouse
64 Nariel Street, Albion
This is perhaps the most opulent bathhouse in Brisbane. Designed by award-winning architects Hogg & Lamb, The Bathhouse has joined the Albion Find Trades Precinct (where you'll find Botanica, Jocelyn's Provisions and Raw Power Yoga) with a luxurious, stunning space filled with endless opportunities to relex. Featuring a heated vitality pool, cold plunge, ice bath, steam room, float room, traditional sauna, infrared saunas and even a tea lounge, it looks like something straight out of ancient Rome, with stone walls, atmospheric lighting and a phone-free environment. Best of all, a casual session here will only set you back $59.
TH7
196 Montague Road, West End | 26 Queens Way, Yeerongpilly
Ever wonder how elite athletes seem to recover so quickly, but when you do one leg day you can't walk for a week? Wonder no more, for TH7 have all the equipment for your recovery needs in two locations—West End and their brand new clinic in Yeerongpilly. Infrared saunas, traditional saunas, ice baths, contrast pools, compression boots, red light therapy, hyperbaric oxygen and the list goes on. What we're trying to say is it has everything you could need and more, all at affordable rates. For just $44 you can spend an hour jumping in and out of contrast pools and saunas, with a variety of other protocols available. You'll be good as new and ready for round two in no time.
P3 Recovery
1-15 Lexington Road, Springwood
Newly landed in Springwood is the first of P3 Recovery’s Brisbane locations, with more soon to come for the Australia-wide franchise. These wellbeing centres are world leaders in wet and dry therapy, and after a peek at what’s on offer inside, we can see why. Featuring ice baths, infrared saunas, IV therapy and breathwork treatments, P3 is all about helping you find your best self, whether you’re training, recovering or just in need of some serious down time.
Soak Bathhouse
Level 2/111 Boundary Street, West End
Image credit: Soak Bathhouse | Website
If you're chasing a moment of escapism, Soak Bathhouse in West End is the ideal spot. Decked out with rooftop spas and baths, you can wind down and engage in a little self care against the Brisbane cityscape. Soak is open from 6.30am for those early morning, post-gym spa sessions and close at 10pm, so you can do the same under the stars. A 90-minute plunge is just $49, with more elaborate packages ranging up to around $159.
Evergreen Spa Bathhouse And Massage
12 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba
In need of a day of steam but not flush with coin? Evergreen Spa Bathhouse is Woolloongabba's new underground spa spot—and a visit will only set you back $25. You can stay as long as you can handle sweating it out in the sauna, soaking in the hot spa and cooling off in the magnesium pool, with refreshing vitamin C showers to duck under when you're ready to leave, feeling as relaxed as you've ever been. This ones ladies only though, sorry boys.
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Vikasati
147 Musgrave Road, Red Hill
Combining physical, mental, holistic and dietary health into one, Vikasati have created a paradise where you can micro dose peace and get away from your hectic schedule. Vikasati's space includes a modern gym, a nutritious cafe and a blissful, open air batthouse under one roof (the spas are outside, but you get it). For $79 a week you can have unlimited batthouse visits or pop in when you like for a casual 90 minute session for $44. They've also got infrared saunas, ice and hot baths and a Finnish hot rock sauna, so you're covered on all recovery fronts.
Merse Wellness
1904 Sandgate Road, Virginia | 31-49 Logan River Rd, Beenleigh
Image credit: Merse Wellness | Supplied
At Merse Wellness it’s not just the spas that will leave you feeling relaxed—the stunning interiors themselves are an oasis of calm. Inside these tranquil, indoor spaces (there's now two of them, thanks to a second location opening in Holmview) you’ll find a number of heated spa pools and cold plunge pools at varying temperatures surrounded by greenery and seating areas. Once you’ve had a long soak (or an invigorating contrast therapy session—you do you) you can hit the traditional and infrared saunas, magnesium float pools, compression therapy room or book in for a massage. A casual 45-minute session at Merse Wellness will set you back $49pp, but they also offer a variety of membership options so you can visit as often as you need.
Restoration Zone
Level 3/194 Breakfast Creek Road, Newstead
If you need regular sweat sessions, and not just the working out kind, unlimited access to Restoration Zone’s steam room, sauna, infra-red sauna and ice bath will set you back $69 a week—that’s UNLIMITED access people. You’ll also get 24/7 gym access, unlimited yoga and as many group fitness training classes as you can fit in at Function Well, the massive gym in which the wellness space is located, but frankly, if a daily post-work steam session sounds like your jam, Restoration Zone is the place to do it.
Stephanie's
Level 3/249 Turbot St, Brisbane CBD
Another day spa offering situated inside a hotel, Stephanie’s at the Sofitel is well worth a look in if you want to be pampered into sheer heaven. Their signature Opal Rasul Steam Temple experience is an hour of pure bliss, combining mud therapy, warm steam and tropical rain showers. Do it on your own or bliss out with a few friends, and afterwards, if you feel like you could take a bit more heat, you can make use of the pool and spa.
Contro Wellness
488 Lutwyche Rd, Lutwyche
Image credit: Contro Wellness | Supplied
Lutwyche's Contro Wellness is a bathhouse with a difference, because here you don't have to share a sauna with strangers—all their treatment rooms are totally private. With bespoke services that include float therapy (with both open and pod options available), infrared therapy and traditional saunas paired with ice baths for contrast therapy, mineral soakers, steam rooms, red light therapy and salt therapy, prices start from just $40 for a session. If you opt to bring a friend, it’ll wind up being less per person, and you can also lock in discounted multi-packs if you know you’ll be coming back again and again (and again).
City Cave
Various Locations
With multiple locations all across Brisbane, City Cave’s state-of-the-art infrared saunas will have you melting into a puddle of pure relaxation without all that water-and-hot-stones situation. Pop into one of the private rooms and sweat your worries away while the heat seeps deep into your muscles, detoxifying, destressing and basically just unwinding you from head to toe.
Healing Stone
Level 21/267 Grey Street, South Brisbane
The Japanese are really on to something with their steaming and soaking traditions, and it’s no wonder—the rituals have been around for over 1000 years. The Healing Stone at Emporium Hotel in South Bank offers ‘Ganbanyoku,’ a hot rock spa originating from Japan with special volcanic stone beds capped with Himalayan rock salt that infuse the air. Best of all, you don’t have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy it—just book in for an hour long sesh and add a massage treatment to your visit if you’re feeling extra tense.
River Styx
3a Snowden St, Tarragindi
Image credit: Rivery Styx | Instagram
Named after the revered point of transition and source of power for the Gods, River Styx allows you to recover and relax in a private outdoor spa space hidden in residential Tarragindi. A private hour-long session in the gorgeous, greenery-adorned bathhouse will set you back $50 and give you access to compression pants, an infrared sauna, five-degree plunge bath, magnesium plunge pool, sun stand and outdoor showers. It’s said that bodies that enter into the River Styx will receive the gift of immortality, or at the very least a good soak.
Iremia Recovery
131 Rainbow Street, Sandgate
Prompting rest, recovery and restoration, Iremia Recovery has a little bit of everything for everyone—and seaside breezes to enjoy to boot. For a holistic wellness approach, take a dip in their magnesium hot pool or mineral cold plunge before sweating it out in the traditional rock sauna or infrared sauna and end the trip with some compression therapy. A 90-minute recovery session starts at $40, or you can lock in weekly sessions to add a soak to your regular scheduling.
Ritual Haus
1/6 Edmondstone Road, Bowen Hills
Boutique bathhouse Ritual Hause has been designed to embed a ritual of nourishment and self care into your everyday routine by offering access to deep rest, recovery and repair. Lucky for you their services extend beyond their bathhouse to kinesiology, naturopathy, nutrition, psychology and more. Introductory offers include a bespoke wellness experience with an infrared sauna and cold plunge starting from from $69 for 60 mins.
Total Fusion
18 Longland Street, Newstead
Image credit: TotalFusion Platinum | Facebook
You've probably heard of TotalFusion Platinum in Newstead—as one of the boujiest gyms in Brisbane, their offering of fitness classes, gym services and rooftop wellness areas is unmatched. What you might not know, is that you don't have to be a member to book in a contrast therapy session inclusive of a visit to their incredible rooftop pool, snow room, saunas, ice baths and more. We've got to be honest, this one is probably the pricest on this list at $160 a visit, but for a splurge, it's well worth it.
Away Spa At W Brisbane
81 N Quay, Brisbane City
Away Spa is more than just a little bit luxe. It’s the in-house spa facility at W Brisbane in the city, but is also open to the public if you book in for one of their uber-luxurious treatments. It’s definitely a treat yourself kind of spot, but with facials, body scrubs and massages on the menu, why wouldn’t you? Pre or post-treatment you can make the most of the spa’s vitality pools, relaxation pods, rain showers, saunas and aromatherapy steam rooms—or hit the bar. We feel more relaxed just thinking about it.
Aquarius Health & Medispa
Level 2/70D Mary Street, Brisbane City
For anyone who just wants to spend a few hours jumping from steam room to sauna to spa and back again, Aquarius is the place to go, with a casual visit pass at just $39. That gets you access to their Turkish style steam room, hot and cold plunge pools, Finnish dry spa AND indoor heated swimming pool. For as long as you want. Any time you want. You can even get a 10 visit pass for just $255. Consider us there.
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Image credit: Vikasati | Facebook
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