31 Oct 2023
From 1 November, Capella Sydney’s luxurious Auriga Spa will open to the public, offering a range of beauty and relaxation treatments to Sydneysiders and visitors to the city. Previously, the spa and its world-class wellness facilities were exclusively available to in-house guests.
Operating under the Capella house-label Auriga Spa, the impeccably crafted space is located on the sixth floor of the former Department of Education building. The retreat comprises ambient spa treatment rooms, as well as steam and sauna facilities, experiential showers and an ice fountain, all of which are available to day guests up to 30 minutes prior to an Auriga Spa appointment.
“We are delighted to open up Auriga Spa to the public and welcome day guests to discover Capella Sydney’s sophisticated wellness services and facilities,” says Dianne April Dayagbil, Spa Manager at Capella Sydney. “Fridays to Sundays have been consistently busy since we opened in March of this year, reflecting a surge in in-house guests around weekends, but we still wanted more people to be able to experience the Auriga Spa magic. Those opportunities will likely present themselves in the shape of midweek appointments.”
Renowned at Capella’s other international locations, Auriga Spa offers luxurious treatments for the face and body, showcasing prestige products with connections to the country in which the property operates. True to this ethos, Capella Sydney’s spa offering features a custom-made range of skincare products by Byron Bay brand Synthesis Organics.
The spa’s treatment menu is unique and Australia-centric, with signature massages informed by the new and full moons aimed at increasing circulation, relieving physical and emotional tension, and balancing chakras. Perhaps the most decadent treatments are those on the spa menu flagged as Signature Rituals, which encourage introspection, new beginnings and reflection. “Running for two hours each, the Rituals are a really indulgent way for guests to treat themselves and escape the pace of the bustling city outside our walls,” Dayagbil says.
Also on the menu are a variety of Wellness Journeys that establish connections with the land, such as the Connect to Country treatment which incorporates stones gathered from far flung places with permission from Indigenous Elders. Additionally, the menu includes Body Alchemy packages, offering luxurious exfoliation, detoxifying masks and enzyme peel wraps. The Facial Alchemy treatments are designed to restore balance, transform and replenish the skin with precious oils and bioactive ingredients, complemented by LED light therapy.
“As with all other aspects of the Capella brand, the beauty and wellness program is unique to the region in which we operate and highly personalised to the needs of our guests,” explains Dayagbil, who has extensive experience in the beauty and wellness space including through long-running residencies at hotels in Bhutan and the Maldives.“By attuning the experiences we offer with nature, we aim to keep our clients centred and grounded, something which I’m sure our day guests will now enjoy being able to tap into.”
A key feature of the spa is its relationship with the century-old sandstone building it inhabits. The teams from Make Architects and BAR Studio were responsible for the site-sensitive architecture and interior design respectively, with consultation provided by heritage experts Urbis.
Most prominently, three of the four spa treatment rooms are anchored beneath beautifully restored “heritage lanterns”. These treatment rooms – equipped to accommodate individuals or couples – appear as contemporary cubes inserted into the atmospheric space, utilising timbers reclaimed from the site as flooring to further enhance the connection to history.
The 20-metre heated swimming pool and Technogym-equipped gymnasium will remain accessible only to in-house guests of the hotel. Guests with an Auriga Spa appointment who are not staying in-house should check in with the hotel’s ground-floor reception 30 minutes in advance.
For Auriga Spa reservations, telephone +61 2 9071 5000. For more information on Capella Sydney, visit capellahotels.com/sydney or Instagram @capellasydney #AurigaSpa #AurigaWellness .
