The Sofitel hotel in Brisbane, Australia, has opened a AUS$1m (£420,000, US$850,000, 620,000 euro) day spa.
The 370sq m (3,980sq ft) facility – named Stephanie’s Spa Retreat after its managing director and founder, Stephanie Shepherd – boasts seven boutique-style treatment suites and a twin room equipped with private bath alongside a relaxation lounge.
The spa’s signature treatment, the Opal Rasul Ritual, features a deep-cleansing body mask, followed by a steam and a rain shower. The ritual takes place in a circular steamroom with a ‘night sky’ ceiling lit by fibre optic lights.
Other treatments include Thai and Tibetan massages, as well as hand and foot rituals.
As well as Shepherd’s own signature bath and body products, which will be launched for retail later this year, the spa will use the Thalgo and Payot brands.
Shepherd, who has run Stephanie’s Natural Beauty and Day Spa in Bulimba – a Brisbane suburb – for the past seven years, designed the spa and oversaw its construction.
A spokesperson said that while it is not an “immediate goal”, Shepherd is “looking at opportunities to establish businesses in major cities across Australia”.
