The best spa hotels in Sydney, from ancient healing techniques to stylish pools with harbour views
Eating well, looking good, and keeping healthy is very much part of the culture in Sydney. While Sydneysiders like to play hard, they also spend a lot of time, and money, on self care. These properties are the ones at which you can expect slippered feet tiptoeing softly along Moroccan-tiled floors, organic skincare products you wish you could afford to have in your own bathroom, calming music mingling with aromatherapy, and relaxation treatments that last almost the entire day. You can even slip out of a spa and into a Roman-style pool illuminated only by a faux twinkling night sky. A few of the hotels have gorgeous rooftop pools, too. See below for our pick of the best hotel spas in Australia's dazzling harbour city.
The Langham, Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
With a Roman bathhouse-style pool, pampered-pooches programme, and a decadent, holistic spa, a stay at The Langham is an indulgent thing, indeed. Its lavender-infused interiors – custom-designed by London-based GA Design – are home bespoke furniture, an impressive Sotheby’s-curated art collection that is valued at over one million Australian dollars, and some of the largest rooms in Sydney. Facilities include a tennis court where you can play a match with your own private butler, and a holistic spa with a 20-metre indoor heated pool that’s more like a Roman bathhouse, famed for its ceiling: a star-dotted night sky. Read expert review From £184 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
QT Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
QT is Sydney’s coolest – and quirkiest – place to stay. The building’s Art Deco bones are the base for the hotel’s adventurous fit-out and it’s easy to imagine the brief said something along the lines of ‘Make guests feel like they’ve walked onto the set of a 1920s Broadway musical... on acid.’ The lift detects how many people it is carrying and adapts its music to suit – love songs for duos, lonely tunes for singles and party time when there’s a crowd. Staff greet you on arrival in custom-designed, avant-garde uniforms. At Spa Q the ceilings are made out of stained glass, and the boudoir-themed décor and Turkish body scrub will leave you feeling like slinky Tallulah Bankhead. Read expert review From £112 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Park Hyatt Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
9Telegraph expert rating
Highly trained staff, a fine dining restaurant (think kangaroo tartare with quail egg mi-cuit, truffle mayonnaise and sesame crisps), rooftop pool and elegant spa, make staying at this hotel a truly luxurious experience. Staff offer the highest level of service; the general manager even leads groups on a run through the nearby Botanical Gardens on Tuesday mornings. The rooftop pool is snuggled under the Harbour Bridge, and flanked by cabanas and deckchairs with views of Sydney Harbour, and the spa offers treatments using both organic Australian skincare brand, Ikou, and Kersten Florian. For a tranquil spot in which to unwind, head to the relaxation room and aromatherapy steam rooms. Read expert review From £525 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Four Seasons Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
Endota Spa at this luxury property in the epicentre of Sydney’s tourist precinct reflects the hotel’s glamorous spin on traditional five-star style, with its range of all-Australian treatments and stellar facilities. There’s a fitness centre on level three, plus six treatment rooms, private saunas, steam rooms and access to the heated, outdoor pool and whirlpool. Signature treatments include ‘Couples end’ulgence’ involving a footbath, lemon and organic sugar body scrub, relaxation massage and organic facial; plus ‘Girls day out’ featuring a footbath and choice of mini facials, massages, manicures and pedicures – perfect for a group. Read expert review From £141 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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The Darling
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
The Darling is a hotbed of contradictions – bold yet discreet, playful yet sophisticated – you can imagine coming here with the family or for a romantic getaway, somehow it ticks all the boxes. Get ready for flawless, pre-emptive and polished service. The award-winning Darling Spa features 11 treatment rooms, two exclusive couples’ suites, a Moroccan hammam chamber, steam room and whirlpool tub, and uses products by La Prairie and ESPA. The 25-metre outdoor pool is open year-round. Personal training is available by appointment. Post treatment, head to Sokyo, a deep, dramatic space with a resident DJ playing moody tunes that set the stage for some of the best Japanese cuisine in Sydney. Read expert review From £148 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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InterContinental Sydney Double Bay
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
Located in the heart of the genteel eastern suburbs, the setting is already relaxing. Double Bay is a sophisticated and quiet harbourside locale peppered with expensive boutiques, high-end dining, and Sydney’s most affluent, sipping lattes. Facilities include a stylish rooftop lap pool boasting magnificent views, complimentary access to 24-hour fitness centre, and the opulent Trumps Spa with hair salon, a sauna, steam room and whirlpool tub. From Sodashi Crystalus body massages, which use ancient healing stones and Australian plant essences coupled with vibrations to resonate through the body, to beard care, treatments are tailored to guests’ needs. Read expert review From £133 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
The Shangri-La distinguishes itself among the cluster of five-star chain hotels in Sydney’s Circular Quay with its famous Level 36 Horizon Bar, fine dining, on-point service and a holistic spa and wellbeing centre. Situated on the second level CHI, The Spa takes its inspiration from the legendary Shangri-La – ‘a place of personal peace, enchantment and wellbeing’ – and all of the treatments are based on traditional Asian wellness practices with Australian healing techniques and botanical ingredients indigenous to the region. Try the Chakra Healing massage for a complete reset. Among the wellness cantre’s facilities, there’s a pool, sauna and gym. Read expert review From £105 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
Hilton Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
8Telegraph expert rating
The Hilton, situated in the heart of the CBD, is a large property brimming with all the features necessary for a luxe stay in Sydney. It’s a destination in itself complete with a comprehensive wellness centre encompassing a 25-metre pool, hair salon, and sizeable gym. Alysium Day Spa is a tranquil space that offers, among other treatments, hot stone massages and green coffee body wraps. The name represents the origins of Greek mythology (Alysium denotes the place where the gods go to rest) and treatments are based on authentic natural healing methods. Read expert review From £93 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
