Living it up on the GC
POSTED 23.08.2010 @ 14:13
What’s a girl to do when the Sydney wind gets you down? Head north, baby. I was lucky enough to escape the dreaded crisp Sydney air, and warm my toes at the luxurious Palazzo Versace – destination: Gold Coast. They have only recently opened their neatly titled Water Salon (Australia’s first) and I got to pay them a visit.
The Water Salon, which encompasses the hotel’s entire outdoor area, is breathtaking. A world of luxury, adorned with custom-made Versace daybeds and private cabanas. Yep, it’s a place where pampering is the top priority… Sounds like heaven, right? I feel like a princess as I settle into my very own private poolside cabana, and take in the hotel’s manicured surroundings. My personal waiter mists me with Pevonia Phyto-Aromatic Mist, $76, 1800 069 116, while simultaneously offering me chilled fruit - could this get any better? Yes. The pool also comes equipped with aqua mats, for lounging in the water, without going under.
The best part about the cabanas (aside from being king sized!) are the drapes, which you can pull down for complete privacy – perfect for a romantic little hideaway retreat (ahh, if only I wasn’t here alone). I make the most of flying solo, and decide to indulge in some poolside treatments (yes, that’s beauty treatments… at the pool).
The Pevonia beauty therapist is my new best friend, as she explains my poolside options to me. Decision one for the day: a mani and pedi. I am thoroughly scrubbed with the divine Pevonia Silky Skin Body Scrub, $73, 1800 069 116, an amazing rose-essential-oil-based scrub, which can be used on dry skin - particularly perfect for an outdoor poolside treatment.
Decision two; The pink Party At My Cabana polish by OPI for my fingers, and the sparkly nude Sand In My Suit polish (also by OPI) for my toes - when in Rome, right? After a quick dip in the lagoon-style pool on one of the hotel’s aqua mats, and a lazy afternoon nap, I’m ready for my next tough decision of the day: what type of massage would I like? Obviously sensing my typical stress-from-indecision, the beauty therapist decides on the pressure point massage for me, using the Pevonia Micro-Emulsified Massage Oil ‘Anti-Stress,’ $59.50, 1800 069 116. I. am. in. heaven. The rest of my day is a lazy haze of naps and swims (with a few cocktails in between).
I don’t leave the pool for hours, and when the sun goes down, it’s time to say goodbye to the cabana (even up north, it can get cool in the evenings). It’s hard to bid adieu. Fortunately for me, the Palazzo Versace’s attention to luxury detail doesn’t stop at the Water Salon… I never want to leave.
The Palazzo Versace (and their Water Salon) is located at 94 Sea World Drive, Main Beach, Qld, 4217. For more info call (07) 5509 8000.
Posted by: Sarah, art director