Came up to Gaia for a the day spa and was not disappointed
The most amazing Anti-Oxidant facial and head & arm massage followed by lounging by the pool
Once owned by Olivia Newton-John this is a little slice of heaven just outside of Byron
If you are visiting Byron this is a must
This was my second visit to the retreat. Staff were excellent and were attentive. The chief cooked meals were excellent and the team cater to your dietary needs. Lots of spaces to go for a quiet walk and relax, amazing to watch the sunset going down at night as well. Spa facilities are excellent and treatments were awesome (I had a royal kahuna massage). When upon booking you need to advise them if you require a transfer from your airport - they pick up at Ballina and Gold Coast at set times and they also do transfers to the airport as well. This is included in your cost. Definitely a relaxing place to be, also good to note that you can have tea and coffee there, and in the evening you can order wine with meal etc (alcohol is a separate cost though, its not included in your package). There is activities you can do which is included at the retreat ie things like Yoga, Sound Healing, Dance class etc. The teachers are all good. The classes on offer are not mandatory if you don't feel like doing them.
Accommodation was excellent and the bed was very comfortable to sleep in. They have a herbal teas and kettle in your room, with a full lemon and lime in provided as well, with a few bottles of water included in small bar fridge. As part of your retreat package you get a little gift placed on your bed, I also filled out a survey and they also provided a gift of a few little chocolates with it. Nice touchings all around the retreat of flowers, bubbling foundations and other things which is really nice. Definitely felt rested when leaving there.
Each time I return to Gaia it gets better. I didn’t think they could improve their service and food but they did. Each meal was a delicious journey of flavours and the chefs must be complimented. At the spa I was totally spoiled by a new therapist called Kate. You have amazing skills in making someone feel relaxed and pampered. Special mention to the gorgeous Valentina who looked after us so beautifully in the restaurant. Overall and incredible stay.
Highly recommended for a rejuvenating short break. Stunning surrounds, fabulous food and lots of activities, but the staff are what make this place truly special. They take the trouble to remember your name and have a little chat: the service we received was very good. There were quite a few solo travellers while we were there and the dining room staff always took the trouble to make them feel comfortable.
We were in an Acala room and I had a bit of trouble walking to it from the main gathering areas due to recent surgery, but the manager immediately saw the problem and arranged for me to be picked up by a golf buggy whenever I wanted to go anywhere, which made my stay so much more enjoyable. The spa treatments were excellent, but the beauty of Gaia is you can do as much or as little as you like. I was very happy floating around in the pool while my friends were at yoga or a cooking class.
While the food was generally wonderful, with fresh and healthy produce, my only quibble would be that we had fish at every evening meal for the 3 nights we were there. Sometimes for lunch as well! And the vegan at our table had a potato for entree one evening, followed by gnocchi. Our villa, and particularly the bathroom, could definitely do with a refresh and that is why I've given 4 stars, rather than 5. But overall, highly recommended.
Gaia advertises itself as a retreat rather than a hotel, but other than the spa, it isn’t clear what is really being offered to make it such. A couple of additional classes in the morning and evening don’t really justify the (exorbitant) cost — over $3000 for a basic room for three days. The room has no bath and no television, and the fitout is dated and tired. For that amount of money I’d expect a lot more. To the good stuff — Claire in the yoga Studio is a total star and deserves more praise. Gaia’s kitchen team is excellent and the meals are plentiful and delicious. Definitely no starvation rations here. They are also adept at catering for a myriad of dietary requirements and the option to include coffee is a good one, though I’d suggest investing in a a Nespresso machine if you won’t hire baristas. Again, touches like this would go a long way to justify the incredibly high prices charged. Spa at staff very pleasant and treatments are great, although the male therapists are much more competent at massages than their female counterparts. The “wellness consult” at the beginning is a bit of a joke and is basically a confirmation of your spa appointments. Would I come back? For lesser prices, yes. But not at current ones. It’s not worth it without more. For the money I could get a five star hotel room and associated spa treatments anywhere in Byron.
