Down a skinny side street in Cremorne – in a striking warehouse-like space – is an inner-city bathhouse and massage studio offering a similar level of escapism as a destination spa.

Comma – named after the punctuation mark used to indicate a short pause for a breath – was born in Byron Bay. But the team has brought its brand of modern Australian bathhouse to this second location.

It’s an evolution of the original Byron location. Here, the signature massage treatments – the same at both – are joined by a moody, cocoon-like bathhouse hidden behind clean white corridors and sleek timber and copper fixtures.

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“[It’s] the same vision for here, except that we’ve elevated the experience with the bathhouse,” says Amanda Wilson, manager of the Melbourne location. “Every touchpoint is covered … It’s really, ‘come in, let us take care of you’.”

Massage-wise, the Equilibrium is meant to unlock shoulder tension and restore posture, while the Sticks and Stones uses thermodynamic basalt stones to attempt to relieve muscle tightness and poor circulation. There’s also the Cumulus, a pregnancy massage with scented oils and a belly pillow.

The Vessel is a hyper-relaxing treatment that claims to be a full-body lymphatic drainage massage, with body brushing to stimulate blood flow. There’s also a cleansing and exfoliating facial massage available.

If you’re after a certain treatment, but with a slightly different approach or pressure level, just ask. “We’re really quite flexible,” says Wilson.

Then there’s the pièce de resistance: the bathhouse. Enter Comma’s inner sanctum to discover a low-lit, soothing space for a maximum of six people at a time. The centrepiece is a wooden mineral hot tub on top of a raised platform, with light filtering down from a glass portal above. It’s filled with warm magnesium-infused water intended to relax your tired, aching muscles.

After a soak, do as the Finns do: move on to a traditional sauna, followed by a cold pail shower – a dump of cold water to revitalise and invigorate. There’s also a private infrared sauna, which gives off a gentler, more soothing heat than the regular kind.

Comma opened for just two weeks in-between 2020’s lockdowns, before a more permanent opening late in the year. “It’s been kind of a blessing in one way,” says Wilson. “It’s certainly given us time to refine what we need to do [and] make everything perfect.”

And pretty perfect it is. If you’re looking to unwind without leaving the city, while away a couple of hours at Comma.

Treatments start at $140 and bathhouse experiences at $75.

Comma Melbourne
10–12 Hill Street, Cremorne
(03) 9428 1097

Hours:
Mon to Fri 10am–8pm
Sat 9am–5pm
10am–4pm

commaspaces.com