10 Of The Best Day Spas In And Around Christchurch
Lachlan Woods-Davidson
Freelance Sub-Editor | Urban List NZ
There's simply so much to love about Ōtautahi Christchurch. From hiking and cycling to hitting the slopes, browsing boutiques to catching a show—whether you're scaling mountain peaks or dancing until dawn, our great Garden City delivers. And after all that adventure? There's no better way to reward yourself than with a well-deserved spa day.
Whether you're looking to elevate your holiday itinerary or planning the perfect 'wellness day' off work, Christchurch offers an impressive collection of day spas scattered throughout the city and beyond. Urban sanctuaries, seaside soaks and alpine retreats—these are the spots where you can finally give yourself the maximum relaxation you so deserve.
Here are 10 of the very best day spas in and around Christchurch.
Christchurch's Best Day Spas At A Glance:
Spa & Massage Retreats
Lotus Day Spa
9 Ernlea Terrace, Cashmere, Christchurch
Image credit: Lotus Day Spa | Website
Let us begin with Christchurch spa royalty.
Lotus Day Spa isn't just one of the best retreats in the city—it's a standout destination across New Zealand and a premier day spa in our corner of the world. Winner of the 2021 World Luxury Spa Awards for Oceania's Best Day Spa, and the 2022 Haute Grandeur Global Spa Awards for Best Luxury Spa in New Zealand, this decorated sanctuary has been spoiling local Cantabrians and travellers alike for nearly two decades.
Nestled on the banks of the Heathcote River as it winds its way through Cashmere, and completely enshrouded by the tranquil Swan Lake Gardens, Lotus is not only luxurious and private, it also offers the highest quality treatments from an expertly trained team. With over 20 years practice and 18,000 hours of hands-on experience, including five years at Bangkok's prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Jeerana Laing—who owns Lotus alongside husband Duncan—directs a team of expert practitioners second to none. From ancient Royal Thai massage techniques that melt away aches and pains to indulgent couples packages in private therapy rooms with double spa baths, Lotus Spa offers everything from rejuvenating facials and body treatments to pregnancy massage, full-day experiences, and even corporate retreats.
And, it also happens to be the home of celebrity swan Ken, who, after losing his mate, famously found love again with Barbie, his new companion from the North Island. Yep, even the swans can’t escape the magic and serenity that awaits at this world-class escape.
Vital Wellness Massage
299 Hoon Hay Road, Hoon Hay, Christchurch
Beginning as the beloved local institution Sri Thai Massage, what is now Vital Wellness Massage in Hoon Hay has grown into something more far-reaching.
Founded by Nancy, a therapist who's spent more than ten years refining her craft, she recognised her clients were searching for more than traditional Thai work—they needed access to multiple healing modalities under one roof. And that's precisely what's on offer now: firm pressure techniques for persistent pain, lymphatic drainage to support detoxification and post-operative healing, essential oil massage for unwinding frazzled nerves, heated stone work for deep muscular release—every session tailored to what your body's actually asking for.
The service menu spans quick half-hour targeted work (ideal when that one shoulder won't quit complaining) through to two-hour intensive sessions for knots that have been with you since high school. Also on offer are Indian head massage for easing headaches and sharpening mental focus, traditional Thai bodywork that weaves together pressure point therapy with gentle assisted movements, and a popular 90-minute fusion of both. The atmosphere at Vital Wellness is properly tranquil, with a philosophy centred on addressing you as a complete person rather than just troubleshooting isolated complaints.
Beauty & Treatment Specialists
Moss Spa
Ground Floor / 49 Salisbury Street, Christchurch Central City
Image credit: Moss Spa | Facebook
Tucked into the ground floor of 49 Salisbury Street in the heart of the city, Moss Spa delivers premium treatments using the very best professional products to leave you totally revitalised, refreshed, and—most importantly—pampered.
This sleek urban spot specialises in results-driven facials (including anti-aging collagen and gold treatments, clarifying lactic acid peels, and vitamin A peels), therapeutic massages, and luxurious body rituals showcasing naturally therapeutic New Zealand ingredients like Mānuka honey, Rotorua thermal mud, and Pinotage grape extracts.
What separates Moss from the rest is their attention to creating complete experiences rather than just standalone treatments. Open Tuesday through Saturday with extended hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Moss offers thoughtful touches like kids' treatments (because little ones deserve spoiling too), maternity pampering, bridal party packages complete with spa cuisine and champagne, and even "Moss Moment" services for corporate conferences.
Fancy something a bit extra? How about spa bliss meets high tea refinement? Moss delivers exactly that with their High Tea Pamper Package—a 60-minute Marine Collagen Pedicure paired with delicious high tea. Or go all out with the Ultimate Pamper Package: three indulgent hours that include their signature truffle bath immersion, full-body massage, facial, and your choice of manicure or pedicure.
And with a sister location in Queenstown, if you're making the journey south, why not treat yourself twice? You're on holiday, after all.
Lovoir Day Spa
The Crossing Shop 109, Level 1 / 166 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central City & Shop 4/45 Merrin Street, Avonhead, Christchurch
Image credit: Lovoir Day Spa | Facebook
With two convenient locations—a sleek day spa in The Crossing shopping precinct and the original beauty salon in Avonhead—Lovoir Day Spa has earned its reputation as one of Christchurch's most revered beauty destinations. In fact, it's gone a step further, with its flagship Crossing location crowned New Zealand’s Best Day Spa & Skin Clinic for 2024.
These two blissful corners of tranquillity specialise in advanced skin treatments and facials, with expert therapists offering everything from microneedling and dermapen treatments to IPL skin rejuvenation, laser hair reduction, and chemical peels. Whether you're seeking deep relaxation with a massage or reflexology session, instant transformation with lash lifts and microblading, or a comprehensive skin journey tailored to your concerns, Lovoir's knowledgeable team takes a holistic approach. The Avonhead salon offers an intimate, relaxed atmosphere perfect for ongoing skin care, while the city centre location can accommodate large groups for hen's parties, pre-wedding pampering, and special occasions.
Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa
209 Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch
Image credit: Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa | Facebook
Nearly thirty years of serving Christchurch has given Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa something most spas can only dream of: clients who return through every life stage, from teenage skin crises to retirement glow-ups.
Now helmed by Chaniele Erasmuson—who, after having initially joined in 2005, spent a decade's sabbatical of sorts, directing luxury day spas such as Sydney's Shangri-La and Golden Door Retreats before returning in 2019—this award-winning day spa marries serious skin science with genuine indulgence. But what should really make Nicola Quinn a frontrunner for your next day of indulgence is its Hush Lounge:
Not ready for reality just quite yet? Extend your indulgence with a 30-minute pass to this opulent sanctuary. Think complimentary wine, fresh juices, gorgeous teas, and nibbles—all served in blissful silence (phone calls respectfully banned). How good.
endota spa Christchurch
329 Durham Street North, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch
Formerly Forme, endota spa has been perfecting the art of wellness for 25 years across the ditch, and now they've brought all that expertise to a standout Colombo Street location right here in Ōtautahi.
Part of a global network of over 110 spas delivering 860,000 treatments annually—including spots across Auckland, Hamilton, and Wellington—endota operates on a simple but powerful premise: when you actually take time to nurture yourself, something shifts. You feel more uplifted, more confident, more like the person you're meant to be.
Their treatment menu is seriously impressive. Fancy a quick reset? The 30-minute express facials will sort you out. Got time to properly disappear from reality? The 80-minute Intense New Age Facial or the epic three-hour, 50-minute Immerse package will leave you floating—and I mean floating—back into the real world. In between, there's everything from therapeutic deep tissue work (for when your body's staging a rebellion) to gentle relaxation massages that melt stress like butter. Pregnancy treatments? Covered. Seasonal specials? Always rotating. Open seven days with late nights on Wednesday and Thursday until 8pm, endota gets that wellness isn't one-size-fits-all.
Pools & Studios
He Puna Taimoana New Brighton Hot Pools
95 Marine Parade, New Brighton, Christchurch
Image credit: He Puna Taimoana New Brighton Hot Pools | Facebook
Now onto something much less private, but just as serene.
Perched on New Brighton's seafront, He Puna Taimoana—literally, ‘seaside pools’— delivers all the facilities of a bona fide onsen against a backdrop of rolling waves, coastal cliffs, and, in the morning, the rising, glowing sun of the east.
The therapeutic benefits of warm saltwater—calming the nervous system, boosting circulation, easing inflammation, and reducing pain—have been recognised for centuries, making this the perfect destination after a hard day’s living it up. Begin your ritual of relaxation by hopping between five heated saltwater pools with varying temperatures—from an invigorating 26°C active fitness pool to blissfully warm 37–39°C. Next comes recovery: pair the 8–10°C plunge pool with some time in a sauna and steam room that the mighty Crusaders swear by, before finally refuelling at the onsite café post-soak. Open seven days a week from 10am to 7:30pm, with late-night Friday sessions until 9:45pm, this accessible facility welcomes everyone with ramp access, pool hoists, a water wheelchair, handrails, and accessible change rooms.
Beyond a simple afternoon soak, He Puna Taimoana offers experiences that can transform your holiday reset into something a touch more magical. Their famous Sunrise Soak sessions (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays during autumn, winter, and spring) let you watch golden rays edge above the eastern horizon from the tranquil pools, while sipping a complimentary mocktail and enjoying an optional guided meditation. At the other end of the spectrum, Starlight Cinema Soaks take movie nights to another level, screening favourites like The Notebook, Mamma Mia!, and Grease while you float under the stars with fresh popcorn in hand.
Located beside the iconic 300-meter New Brighton Pier, the public library, and the award-winning Beachside Playground, He Puna Taimoana anchors a full day of exploring this revitalised seaside neighbourhood. Pre-booking is essential for guaranteed entry.
O-Studio
14 / 26 Welles Street, Christchurch Central City & 2B / 60 Tennyson Street, Rolleston, Christchurch
Image credit: O-Studio | Facebook
Let’s now side-step from pampering and relaxation to wellness and recovery.
Founded by former Crusaders player and Māori All Blacks captain Tim Bateman, O-Studio operates out of both a Welles Street location in the city centre, as well as a Rolleston spot on Tennyson Street. Definitely not your typical wellness centre—The O exists to help you level up both mentally and physically.
Tim discovered flotation therapy while his wife, Laura, was undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis in Singapore, and says the practice transformed him into a better athlete, parent, partner, and genuinely calmer person. He loved it so much, he built an entire wellness hub where people can develop the skills and resilience to handle whatever life throws at them. At O-Studio, physical and mental training aren't separate checkboxes—they're tethered practices you'll be keen to work on, rather than dread.
The lineup at O-Studio is seriously stacked: contrast therapy with sauna and ice baths for boosting energy and sharpening focus, float tanks that give you a genuine competitive edge mentally, skilled massage therapists who locate and release exactly where tension lives in your body, plus yoga, pilates, meditation, and a recovery space loaded with tools for faster physical and mental restoration.
Thermal Springs
Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa
35 Mount Hutt Station Road, Methven
Image credit: Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa | Facebook
What's a ski vacation without a post-slopes relaxing soak?
Just an hour and fifteen minutes from the Chur, Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa is the alpine sanctuary awaiting your graceful presence. Nestled in Methven—a quaint township beneath the gaze of Mt Hutt, one of Aotearoa’s premier ski fields—Ōpuke has perfected the art of virtuous indulgence through their guiding principle: “sourced from the mountains, warmed by the sun.”
Drawing crystal-clear glacial meltwater from the Rangitata River, Ōpuke is a global first, heating its pools entirely with an on-site solar array. Designed by the clever minds at Sheppard & Rout, the very building is an architectural triumph. You don't just walk in; you embark on a dramatic journey through an entrance that cheekily mimics the Rakaia Gorge, a sophisticated descent past raw concrete and Gabion stone that makes finding a pool feel like discovering a hidden, five-star alpine secret.
While families have their space, the real magic is reserved for the adult-only Tranquillity Pools, where the noise of sprogs is replaced by the clink of glasses. Here, you can literally glide up to the bar for a top-shelf tipple, while soaking in the enormous poolside views of the Southern Alps. Their exclusive day spa ensures complete decadence, featuring otherworldly experiences like Dry Floatation (simulating pure weightlessness) and an indulgent Rasul Steam Room ritual to boot.
The Spa Hanmer Springs
38 Amuri Avenue, Hanmer Springs
Image credit: The Spa Hanmer Springs | Instagram
No trip to Christchurch worth its salt forgoes a visit to stunning Hanmer Springs, and of course, when in Hanmer, one must soak.
A beautiful hour-forty drive north of the city will take you directly to the iconic resort village nestled among the mountains and home to a vast and extensive thermal complex, boasting 22 outdoor thermal pools, including a large freshwater lap pool, family activity pools, and more secluded, mineral-rich sulphur pools.
Home also to the award-winning The Spa Hanmer Springs—a Cantabrian oasis that masterfully pairs thermal relaxation with wellness—calm the body and the mind with one of their signature services, such as the Aroma Bliss, or choose from a range of classic massages, facials, body therapies and treatments.
An icon of the south, if there’s one place I recommend soaking when down these ways, it's got to be Hanmer.
Main image credit: Ōpuke Thermal Pools & Spa | Facebook.
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