Embrace the colder months with thermal pools and more at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa. They’re turning up the heat this winter with a range of cosy specials to warm you up, including a blazing fire pit, complimentary drinks for guests who arrive after 6pm, and a winter dinner package every evening until July 31. The series of winter events will kick off on Thursday June 22, in line with the winter solstice and World Bathing Day.
Winter events at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa
When you’re not soaking in the hot thermal pools, head over to the on-site restaurant Thyme and warm up by the firepit on the terrace. Enjoy a courtesy glass of mulled wine or a decadent cup of hot chocolate. Culinary director Karen Martini has updated the menu for winter, with delicious bits like spanner crab with burnt butter and whipped cod roe house crumpets, or O’Connor beef bavette with shoyo, Japanese egg and potato salad. Finish on a sweet not with coconut and caramel banana mille-feuille with vanilla cream, dark chocolate and almond peanut brittle. All day bathing at Alba and a one-course dinner at Thyme costs $100.
On Thursday June 22, head over to the fire and join Karen Martini for mulled wine and canapes in celebration of World Bathing Day. This special day is a way for bathing destinations around the world to promote physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing through water and bathing.
Then, celebrate the winter solstice with stargazing. Telescopes will be set up on the restaurant forecourt and the lawn at The Luna Pool from 6pm. Volunteers from the Victoria Astronomer Society will be there to answer your burning questions about the night sky.
On Friday July 7, as part of NAIDOC Week, guests will be able to experience a Wayapa session in the thermal springs. This will be an Indigenous narrated mindfulness meditation run by local business Our Songlines. The experience is free to all bathing guests, and will run from 9am in the lawn next to The Luna pool.
For more details about what’s on at Alba here.
More about Alba
Set in Fingal, a 90 minute drive from Melbourne, this spa offers 31 pools of varying sizes. This includes geothermal pools, cold plunge pools and herbal-infused botanical pools. Some are peacefully private, while others offer a social purpose. Each one has been meticulously designed. Some are submerged in a flowering meadow, some are created as apertures to the sky, and others are cradled within waving grass.
In the higher reaches of the site, you’ll find The Hemisphere, which provides bathers with tranquil hidden gardens, a semi-enclosed geothermal pool, a cold plunge pool, and access to a steam room and sauna.
There’s 22 expansive spa treatment rooms to discover at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa. This includes a steam room, Vichy shower, and single or double massage rooms. There’s over 30 spa services to choose from, encompassing facial, body and water-based treatment.
There’s also a separate manicure and pedicure lounge, as well as a spacious relaxation lounge, featuring private booths and oversized day beds. This relaxation lounge overlooks the extensive native gardens.