In January 2020, Spa Sessions was engaged by Willow Urban Retreat to oversee the Wellness Spa operations. Willow Urban Retreat is located in High Street, Armadale (Melbourne) and the brain child of founder and owner, Sharon Bassat.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns

In 2008 Naomi was selected as the lead consultant engaged by Belgravia Leisure engage to re-open the iconic Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa in Hepburn Springs, Victoria, after undergoing a 2 year, $13m redevelopment. At the time of relaunch, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa was Australia’s largest Day Spa.

Sense of Self – a modern bathhouse concept with a distinctive approach - opened to much fanfare (and heavy bookings) in early 2021. The owners Mary Minas and Freya Berwick engaged Naomi in an advisory capacity to help them with concept development and strategic planning, facility design, business and operational readiness, menu development and recruitment & training.

Design - SetSquare Studio, Chamberlain Architects and Hearth Studio

Builder - Munro Build, Mic Projects, Striking Pools

Product - Sans [ceuticals]

Photography - Martina Gemmola

Located on the Chao Phraya River in the historical district of Bangkok, The Siam offers a private urban oasis with superb five-star accommodation, dining and award winning spa, bathhouse and wellness facilities. Spa Sessions was engage in the lead up to the opening to source and procure OS&E, develop a full suite menu of spa and wellness services and recruit and train the spa and wellness team ahead of launch in 2012.

Architect - Bill Bensley

Halcyon House is located in Cabarita Beach in northern NSW Australia. The planning for Halcyon Spa commenced in February of 2016 working with acclaimed Sydney architect Virginia Kerridge on the concept and functional design. Product partner selection and the spa menu development followed, along with specialised spa FF&E procurement, recruitment and training, collateral consultation with the appointment graphic designer. Spa Sessions developed all SOP’s and training manuals and was onsite for all pre-opening activities, working in the business alongside the team.  Halcyon Spa opened Christmas 2017.

Architecture – Virginia Kerridge

Interior Design – Anna Spiro

Product Partners – Sodashi & OCosmetics

Photography - Kara Roselund and Andy Macpherson Studio

Kokomo Private Island located in Fiji appointed the full scope of services of Spa Sessions to develop their day spa facility from concept & design, to opening in Easter of 2017.  All planning services we worked alongside the management team at Walker Group in Sydney.  Recruitment was facilitated by the Spa Sessions team assembling the very best team across the Pacific. Extensive on site training and operational direction and support was provided in the lead up to launch.

Spa Sessions Consulting offers on-going management support to the Yaukuve Spa Sanctuary team. In 2019 we created comprehensive wellness experiences including three-day wellness journeys guided by the islands resident heath practitioner which includes custom yoga and movement classes, nutritious health cuisine and restorative and therapeutic spa services . Spa Sessions also coordinates the Visiting Practitioner wellness calendar.

Architecture – Keith Lambert, Walker Group

Interior Design – Philip Garner, Garner Agencies

Product Partners – Miras Hand, Sodashi and Pure Fiji

Photography - Mark Lane

Prior to the appointment of The COMO Group,  The Treasury Building management team engaged Spa Sessions Consulting in 2013 to provide spa design consulting for the spa facility.  Working with Kerry Hill Architects a beautiful spa facility was created respecting the history of the century old building.

Architects & Interior Design - Kerry Hill

In 2011 Australia’s cult hotel brand QT Hotels & Resorts engaged Naomi to develop, rollout and over-see the ongoing management of a new and vibrant spa and barber shop concept. “SpaQ” has so far opened in five locations; Sydney, Port Douglas, Falls Creek, Gold Coast and Canberra. Spa Sessions holds the ongoing management contract for all locations and has ultimate responsibility for day to day operations.

Architecture & Interior Design – Nic Graham & Associates

Product Partners – Uspa & Skeyndor

Brandy Creek Spa, close to Naomi’s birthplace in West Gippsland, Victoria opened in 2015 with the Spa Sessions team working with renowned Carr Architects to open the region’s first true spa facility. Spa Sessions was engaged for full scope development over 18 months of this highly anticipated project.

In 2012 Heather Sartain transformed her stunning five-bedroom residence in Brookfield (Brisbane) into a luxury day spa.  One Wybelenna is located amongst expansive landscaped gardens and includes a pool, magnesium spa and extensive lounge spaces.  Spa Sessions was the appointed Spa Consultants and worked with Heather on OS&E requirements, assisting with recruitment and training, spa menu development, setting up all spa management systems and processes in preparation for opening.

Architects - Shaun Lockyer Architects directed by Heather Sartain's design brief

Builder - Bruce Mole, Thallon Mole Group and Landscaping - Boss Gardenscapes

Spa Interior Design - Penny del Castillo, In Design International

Product - Germaine de Cappucini & Subtle Energies

Photography - Mark Lane

In 2018, Spa Sessions was engaged to create a spa brand for Crystalbrook Collection. The first El me Spa opened in December 2018 at Riley Hotel in Cairns with full operational readiness, development of best practice operating methods, recruitment, training and pre-opening services provided by the Spa Sessions team. Following the successful spa opening at Riley Hotel, the Spa Sessions team went on to create localised versions of the concept at The Byron at Byron in Byron Bay and Flynn Hotel in Cairns, both of which opened in 2021.

Spa Sessions is advisor to Aria Property Group to assist with implementing wellness initiatives into their developments. Aria is unrivalled in it’s approach to building vibrant city precincts and strategic infrastructure to ensure their residents live well.

Spa Sessions was engaged to open the spa at Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam delivering full scope pre-opening services as part of the Hotel grand opening operated by GHM in 2006. (Now operated by Four Seasons) The spa features eight lotus pond treatment suites.

Joint venture operators of the day spa at Injidup Spa Retreat, Spa Sessions partnered with the Hotel Operator MyHotel for a period of 10 years (2007 - 2017) to produce a premium nature immersed spa experience. Injidup Spa Retreat a five-star Small Luxury Hotel (SLH) property, is located overlooking Injidup Bay near Yallingup, in the south west of Western Australia. The Spa achieved recognition from notable publications including being listed as one of the worlds 101 finest spa's in Tatler UK's 2011 Spa Guide.

Following the devastation caused by Cyclone Debbie in 2017, Spa Sessions was engaged by Mulpha to provide a redesign strategy for the day spa facility. Two years in the making, InterContinental Hayman Island unveiled the full transformation of the resort and spa at one of Australia’s most iconic private islands.

In 1997 Naomi moved abroad to take up the role of Fitness Director at Chiva-Som International Health Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand. In 2006 she was invited back in a consulting capacity to implement a resort wide employee performance management system. Working meticulously with every department head, key performance indicators were set alongside professional behaviours for each team enabling a formal performance review to take place with focussed, goal setting and rewards. The result was an articulated forward thinking approach to enhancing the skills of all employee’s at this highly regarded wellness destination.

At the end of 2010, Naomi was invited by award winning Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary to work with the management team in a consulting capacity to review and oversee the operations of the extensive Wellness Department. Kamalaya is located on the southeastern tip of Koh Samui, Thailand. The tenure lasted eight months.

Following a business revenue of the Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge Spa business in January 2020, Spa Sessions was engaged to oversee the ongoing management of the day spa at this iconic wellness destination.

The Spa Sessions team was engaged to develop and integrate a spa offering at the unique walk-in, walk-out Bay of Fires Lodge. We provided design direction, FF&E and OS&E procurement, product selection and menu development for the Lodge Spa. Full recruitment and training services were provided along with onsite support at launch in September 2013.

Design - Jo Woodbury

Product Partner - Li’tya

Photography - Mark Lane

Working with Brookfield Multiplex and Hilton, Spa Sessions delivered full project scope of services from design through to opening for the Eforea Spa launch in 2009.

Following the change of management of Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort and Spa from Orient-Express Hotels to Escarpment Group in 2010, Spa Sessions conducted a full business review. Findings and subsequent recommendations were implemented by the Spa Sessions team working with onsite management over a 12 month period. Spa Sessions remains advisor to the Escarpment Group visiting periodically to assist with their spa operations in the Blue Mountains.