Designer Villas Add a New Dimension to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa

Sideways rain. Piercing wind. Plummeting temperatures. These were the conditions that greeted us on arrival at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, on the Mornington Peninsula, in late June.

We were there to stay at the spa’s new luxury accommodation – five recently transformed wood cabins, scattered across a ridge on the 15-hectare site’s highest point. In addition to these standalone retreats, Alba has also opened two studio rooms.

We lamented our luck with the weather, but we needn’t have. The minute we stepped into our villa, with its roaring woodfire and diaphanous curtains drawn, the squalls outside became irrelevant. Alba has named its new accommodation The Sanctuary, and the name fits to a tee.

As with the rest of the Alba complex, every design detail here has been meticulously considered. An aged bronze and travertine dining table is custom-made, as are chairs covered in patterned Italian velvet. Lighting throughout the villa, from steel bedside pendants to glass sconces, provides interesting sculptural accents.

In the bedroom, interior designer Kate Walker has even inset joinery with French wallpaper to complement, in hue and texture, the room’s curved, silk-blend upholstered walls.

In a room with many highlights, the bathroom is particularly sublime, with its profusion of vein-cut travertine and a monumental bath positioned by a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall picture window overlooking the Alba grounds and surrounding woodland. A sculptural pendant of bronzed brass and handcut glass, by Melbourne-based lighting designer Alex Earl, anchors a stone vanity loaded with Aesop products. Sconces resemble frothy sea foam. Dedicated vertical heating rails for spa robes are a slick addition.

Back in the villa’s living area, the bar is the room’s only dark, moody flourish. It’s made of Nero Picasso marble – black streaked with rivers of yellow and white. Stocked inside: complimentary and seriously good snacks and drinks from local producers, like wines from nearby Ten Minutes by Tractor and beers from St Andrew’s Beach Brewery.

Speaking of food, you can have breakfast at Alba’s restaurant Thyme, but I’d recommend having it sent to your room. At some point, you’ll need to leave your private sanctuary – there’s a world-class natural springs complex a few minutes away, after all. But do it after you’ve had breakfast by the fire. (Order the bagel with house-cured ocean trout gravlax, and the dark rye Schwarzbrot toast topped with avocado and sauerkraut.)

Each villa has a balcony, and on a clear day there are sweeping views of the peninsula. The weather did little to dampen our stay, but it did interrupt our outdoor time. I suppose we’ll just have to come back.

Room rates start from $650 and villas from $950. A wheelchair-accessible villa is available. Broadsheet was a guest of Alba Thermal Springs and Spa.

albathermalsprings.com.au