Around the world, hot springs
are having something of a
moment, with renewed interest
and investment ushering in a
new era of social bathing. In the
first of a two-part series, Jane
Kitchen takes a closer look at
the myriad of new developments
in Australia and New Zealand
Peninsula Hot Springs is adding accommodation so it can attract overnight guests / Photo: Peninsula Hot Springs
The mineral-rich waters of natural hot springs are heated from deep within the earth’s core and have been used for medicinal purposes and socialising for centuries in almost every culture. Over recent years, consumers are showing a renewed interest in the benefits of thermal bathing and this is breathing new life into long-forgotten facilities.
This wave of investment has been driving renovations, new builds and expansions across several countries. Many hot springs locations have extended their offerings to include saunas, cold plunge pools, reflexology walks, clay and mud baths, salt pools, cave pools and hammams – all of which have helped turn hot springs into wellness destinations.
At the same time, there’s a movement to include broader wellness activities, so that consumers can now take part in a wide range of activities from the comfort of a hot springs pool, including listening to concerts, watching films, taking yoga classes, or experiencing singing bowl meditation. All while bringing people together to connect socially.
Both of these movements (Water + Wellness and Wellness + Gathering) have been tipped as two of the biggest trends in this year’s Global Wellness Summit report.
Another factor in the increasing popularity of hot springs is that they can cater to a large market that can include everyone from children to grandparents, providing a fun, social space at a relatively low cost. “Hot springs are rapidly emerging to be a driving force for wellness practices which are accessible to the masses,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs in Victoria, Australia. “One of the advantages is that they allow a wellness experience with a large footfall, making them more accessible to a broader range of guests. If the experience includes self-guided activities then overheads can be kept down, which can reduce the price point, further widening the accessibility.”
Australia & New Zealand In this two-part series, we’ll take a look at some of the most exciting new and upcoming hot springs developments around the world, starting with Australia and New Zealand, where numerous new facilities have opened or expanded in recent years and a multitude of projects are in development. In fact, investment in the area totals more than AU$550m (US$380m, €354.1m, £314.3m).
“Australia – and Melbourne in particular – has been a perfect testing ground for the development of a globally inspired thermal bathing wellness centre,” says Davidson.
New arrivals in the country include the Alba Thermal Springs in Victoria, an AU$100m (US$69m, €64.4m, £57.1m) development that opened in late 2022 with more than 30 thermal pools; Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs in Warrnambool, Victoria, which revealed an AUS$3.5m (US$2.4m, €2.3m, £2.2m) cave-based hot springs bathing park in the grounds of its oceanside hotel in 2020; and in outback Queensland Talaroo Hot Springs, a million-year-old mound spring, debuted in 2021 and is operated by the Ewamian people.
Peninsula Hot Springs is adding overnight accommodations, new thermal bathing facilities, and a function centre in 2025 at a cost of more than AU$150m (US$103.m, €96.6m, £85.7m). Peninsula also operates the newly launched Metung Hot Springs, a 25-acre wellness destination that overlooks the Gippsland Lakes. First opened in the 1960s but closed in the 90s, an initial AU$6m (US$4.1m, €3.9m, £3.4m) investment brought the springs back to life in November 2022 with geothermal bathing pools, saunas, barrel pools and a glamping village, but a further AU$2m (US$1.4m, €1.3m, £1.2m) expansion will add a floating sauna, mud steam cave, five thermal pools, two grass music amphitheatre spaces and walking trails. Peninsula will also operate the upcoming Phillip Island Hot Springs, an AU$46m (US$31.7m, €29.6m, £26.3m) development slated to open in late 2023 with views over the Bass Strait Ocean at Cape Woolamai.
And Cunnamulla Hot Springs, an AU$10m (US$6.9m, €6.4m, £5.7m) project funded by the Australian Federal Government, will come to fruition in outback Queensland in mid-2023, with Peninsula Hot Springs as the operator. Peninsula has also purchased the local theatre next to the hot springs, which will become a cultural hub with art exhibitions, films and performances.
“Indigenous culture, nature, the stars at night, opal mines, bird watching, natural mud baths, the great outdoors and the down-to-earth people are the draw cards, plus of course the new hot springs that will help this town become an outback wellness destination,” says Davidson.
And just outside of Perth, the AU$25m (US$17.3m, €16m, £14.3m) Tawarri Hot Springs is set to debut later this year on the site of the historic Dalkeith Hot Pool, which was open from the early 1900s until its decommissioning in 1957. It will include a bathing and wellness complex that will offer more than 20 different thermal bathing experiences as well as saunas, hammams, a Vichy shower and cold plunge pools.
Plans have also been announced for an AU$200m (US$138.1m, €128.8m, £114.2m) hot springs at the 12 Apostles, along the scenic Great Ocean Road in Victoria, to include public baths, a wellness resort, amphitheatre and 150 eco-accommodation pods.
In New Zealand, Maruia Hot Springs will spend AU$3m (US$2m, €1.9m, £1.7m) on upgrades and the much-anticipated Wai Ariki Hot Springs is set to open in mid-2023, drawing on the 650-year legacy of the local Māori tribe, Ngāti Whakaue and Rotorua’s famed spa heritage (see more on page 30).
“Hot springs provide a means of connecting with nature,” says Davidson, in explaining their popularity. “No matter what the temperature is outside, provided you choose the right temperature pool, they help you feel relaxed and in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It is the simplicity of bathing that brings us back to our pure nature, to a state of homeostasis where we find balance.”
Photo: Peninsula Hot Springs
"Hot springs are
rapidly emerging
as a driving force
for wellness practices which
are accessible to the masses" – Charles Davidson, chair and founder, Peninsula Hot Springs
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
Around the world, hot springs
are having something of a
moment, with renewed interest
and investment ushering in a
new era of social bathing. In the
first of a two-part series, Jane
Kitchen takes a closer look at
the myriad of new developments
in Australia and New Zealand
Peninsula Hot Springs is adding accommodation so it can attract overnight guests / Photo: Peninsula Hot Springs
The mineral-rich waters of natural hot springs are heated from deep within the earth’s core and have been used for medicinal purposes and socialising for centuries in almost every culture. Over recent years, consumers are showing a renewed interest in the benefits of thermal bathing and this is breathing new life into long-forgotten facilities.
This wave of investment has been driving renovations, new builds and expansions across several countries. Many hot springs locations have extended their offerings to include saunas, cold plunge pools, reflexology walks, clay and mud baths, salt pools, cave pools and hammams – all of which have helped turn hot springs into wellness destinations.
At the same time, there’s a movement to include broader wellness activities, so that consumers can now take part in a wide range of activities from the comfort of a hot springs pool, including listening to concerts, watching films, taking yoga classes, or experiencing singing bowl meditation. All while bringing people together to connect socially.
Both of these movements (Water + Wellness and Wellness + Gathering) have been tipped as two of the biggest trends in this year’s Global Wellness Summit report.
Another factor in the increasing popularity of hot springs is that they can cater to a large market that can include everyone from children to grandparents, providing a fun, social space at a relatively low cost. “Hot springs are rapidly emerging to be a driving force for wellness practices which are accessible to the masses,” says Charles Davidson, chair and founder of Peninsula Hot Springs in Victoria, Australia. “One of the advantages is that they allow a wellness experience with a large footfall, making them more accessible to a broader range of guests. If the experience includes self-guided activities then overheads can be kept down, which can reduce the price point, further widening the accessibility.”
Australia & New Zealand In this two-part series, we’ll take a look at some of the most exciting new and upcoming hot springs developments around the world, starting with Australia and New Zealand, where numerous new facilities have opened or expanded in recent years and a multitude of projects are in development. In fact, investment in the area totals more than AU$550m (US$380m, €354.1m, £314.3m).
“Australia – and Melbourne in particular – has been a perfect testing ground for the development of a globally inspired thermal bathing wellness centre,” says Davidson.
New arrivals in the country include the Alba Thermal Springs in Victoria, an AU$100m (US$69m, €64.4m, £57.1m) development that opened in late 2022 with more than 30 thermal pools; Deep Blue Hotel and Hot Springs in Warrnambool, Victoria, which revealed an AUS$3.5m (US$2.4m, €2.3m, £2.2m) cave-based hot springs bathing park in the grounds of its oceanside hotel in 2020; and in outback Queensland Talaroo Hot Springs, a million-year-old mound spring, debuted in 2021 and is operated by the Ewamian people.
Peninsula Hot Springs is adding overnight accommodations, new thermal bathing facilities, and a function centre in 2025 at a cost of more than AU$150m (US$103.m, €96.6m, £85.7m). Peninsula also operates the newly launched Metung Hot Springs, a 25-acre wellness destination that overlooks the Gippsland Lakes. First opened in the 1960s but closed in the 90s, an initial AU$6m (US$4.1m, €3.9m, £3.4m) investment brought the springs back to life in November 2022 with geothermal bathing pools, saunas, barrel pools and a glamping village, but a further AU$2m (US$1.4m, €1.3m, £1.2m) expansion will add a floating sauna, mud steam cave, five thermal pools, two grass music amphitheatre spaces and walking trails. Peninsula will also operate the upcoming Phillip Island Hot Springs, an AU$46m (US$31.7m, €29.6m, £26.3m) development slated to open in late 2023 with views over the Bass Strait Ocean at Cape Woolamai.
And Cunnamulla Hot Springs, an AU$10m (US$6.9m, €6.4m, £5.7m) project funded by the Australian Federal Government, will come to fruition in outback Queensland in mid-2023, with Peninsula Hot Springs as the operator. Peninsula has also purchased the local theatre next to the hot springs, which will become a cultural hub with art exhibitions, films and performances.
“Indigenous culture, nature, the stars at night, opal mines, bird watching, natural mud baths, the great outdoors and the down-to-earth people are the draw cards, plus of course the new hot springs that will help this town become an outback wellness destination,” says Davidson.
And just outside of Perth, the AU$25m (US$17.3m, €16m, £14.3m) Tawarri Hot Springs is set to debut later this year on the site of the historic Dalkeith Hot Pool, which was open from the early 1900s until its decommissioning in 1957. It will include a bathing and wellness complex that will offer more than 20 different thermal bathing experiences as well as saunas, hammams, a Vichy shower and cold plunge pools.
Plans have also been announced for an AU$200m (US$138.1m, €128.8m, £114.2m) hot springs at the 12 Apostles, along the scenic Great Ocean Road in Victoria, to include public baths, a wellness resort, amphitheatre and 150 eco-accommodation pods.
In New Zealand, Maruia Hot Springs will spend AU$3m (US$2m, €1.9m, £1.7m) on upgrades and the much-anticipated Wai Ariki Hot Springs is set to open in mid-2023, drawing on the 650-year legacy of the local Māori tribe, Ngāti Whakaue and Rotorua’s famed spa heritage (see more on page 30).
“Hot springs provide a means of connecting with nature,” says Davidson, in explaining their popularity. “No matter what the temperature is outside, provided you choose the right temperature pool, they help you feel relaxed and in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It is the simplicity of bathing that brings us back to our pure nature, to a state of homeostasis where we find balance.”
Photo: Peninsula Hot Springs
"Hot springs are
rapidly emerging
as a driving force
for wellness practices which
are accessible to the masses" – Charles Davidson, chair and founder, Peninsula Hot Springs
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 1
Write to reply: Letters
Zulal's Sandie Johannessen shares her passion for medical wellness and Kloodos' Julie Cichocki says wellness protocols should start with the vagus nerve
Spa People: Leekyung Han
The South Korean-born spa consultant on why her home country should be on the radar of all wellness developers
Sponsored: Art of Cryo: Working well
Spa operators and corporate offices can now offer a comprehensive, six-part wellness journey designed by Art of Cryo to elevate health
Research: Wellness Travel Consumer Survey
A general reboot and nature/outdoor activities are key considerations for wellness tourists according to a new study by WTA. Anne Dimon reports
First person: Doctor’s orders
Can a partnership with an international hospital elevate a wellness retreat? Neena Dhillon visits RAKxa in Bangkok, Thailand to find out
Interview: Justin Musgrove
We talk to the CEO of Core Life, the exclusive lifestyle brand which has ambitions to expand to the world's most affluent cities
Sponsored: Starpool: Zerobody Cryo
The new Zerobody Cryo will deliver comfortable cold therapy for spa, wellness and sports says Starpool CEO, Riccardo Turri
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home
at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one
of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
