Discover Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat & Spa in NSW

Sponsored by Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat & Spa December 12, 2018

Located in the beautiful NSW Hunter Valley, Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat & Spa is a sanctuary from day-to-day life. Accommodation is surrounded by picturesque views of the Hunter Valley wine country and the Brokenback and Barrington Tops mountain ranges, giving guests the opportunity to breathe in fresh country air each day.

The experience

Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat & Spa is a place for you to take time to reset your mind and body and gain a wealth of knowledge to create a healthier, happier and more motivated you. The all-inclusive health and wellness programs have been developed to motivate change and give you the tools you need for lasting results. Your stay will include everything from informative seminars, a huge range of activities, spa indulgences, relaxation and nutritious, healthy meals.

Featuring 74 stylish villas with one, two or three bedrooms, this exceptional property is the only purpose-built destination health retreat in Australia.

Nutrition, exercise and relaxation are the cornerstones of the Golden Door philosophy and these combined deliver a holistic approach to health and nutrition.

The treatments

Golden Door’s world-class retreat facilities include a gymnasium, indoor and outdoor pools, indoor activity centre, tennis courts, three yoga and fitness studios, male and female steam rooms and spas, meditation hill, wellness centre, relaxation lounges, theatrette, library and more. It is a place where you can connect mind, body and spirit, try new activities or treatments and discover a balanced life for yourself. It is the ideal place to learn about health and wellness and its benefits, kick-start a fitness and healthy eating program and relax in the tranquillity of a world-class spa.

On offer are Golden Door’s signature three-, five- or seven-night all-inclusive programs or you can try a two-night weekend program for a taste of relaxation.

If you have goals relating to weight management or corporate wellbeing, there are specialised programs available

Each day, there is a full program of activities such as empowering workshops, low-, medium- and high-intensity fitness activities, cooking demonstrations and mindfulness classes that guests can choose to participate in. Guests also have the option to book one-on-one wellness sessions with some of Australia’s most skilled practitioners in the fields of naturopathy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, hypnotherapy and Feldenkrais.

If your stay is more about relaxation and winding down, you can choose to restore in the Elysia Day Spa, a haven of relaxation, beauty and healing located within the health retreat. At the day spa, you can indulge in massages, facial treatments, body treatments or the signature Watsu water treatment.

Evenings are spent at your leisure, with some guests choosing to read by the open fire in winter, play board games, solve puzzles or borrow a DVD from the library.

Guests return to their rooms each night after a nutritious dinner to Golden Door’s signature turndown. All villas and suites provide a sanctuary in which guests can completely relax in peace.

Food

Golden Door embraces the philosophy that food is one of life’s greatest sources of pleasure and that being open to embracing the right kinds of food, exploring new tastes and textures and preparing food in the healthiest possible way are essential to wellbeing.

We live in a society of excess — life moves at a fast pace and our health and wellbeing can become neglected. Golden Door’s world-class program will help you get back to the basics, eating healthy, nutritious wholefoods in sensible portions with well-spaced mealtimes.

A stay at Golden Door gives your body a rest from red meat, alcohol, caffeine, sugar and saturated fat. Guests are less likely to go back to their usual excessive levels once they have had a break from these foods and then reintroduce them sensibly and in moderation.

“Our Golden Door menu is not completely vegetarian and we do provide options for a caffeine non-detox [if requested] to guests wanting a soft landing into health and wellness cuisine. However, limiting animal proteins to poultry and seafood keeps the menu nice and lean,” says executive chef, James Knight. “Our menu has been crafted to nourish guests as well as inspire them, so we limit things that tend to be consumed in excess and show them how it’s possible to use this variety of produce at home. With plenty of colourful fruits, salads and vegetables, many straight from our organic kitchen garden, our guests experience a cleaner way of eating that is still incredibly satisfying.”

By sharing meals with fellow guests without the distractions of technology and day-to-day life, mealtimes are a chance to enjoy the simplicity of food and life.

Things to remember

Golden Door is a smoke- and alcohol-free environment. Only guests over the age of 16 are accommodated. With the exception of the two-day weekend taster program, all programs start on a Sunday.

Getting there

The Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat & Spa is located in the beautiful Hunter Valley, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney or just one hour from Newcastle Airport. There is car parking available for guests on the grounds. Golden Door also offers a shuttle from Newcastle Airport, Sydney Airport and Chatswood Station on Sundays. Private transfers can also be arranged by the retreat. At the time of publishing, transfers are $50 per person one way to/from Newcastle Airport and $75 per person one way to/from Sydney Airport or Chatswood. Transfers are complimentary for seven-day-program guests.