Sydney, Australia - 1 July 2025: With southern Australia gripped by shorter days and colder nights, leading Australian luxury hospitality group Crystalbrook Collection is introducing 'The Light Retreat', the country's first spa experience specifically designed to help Australians combat the emotional effects of winter. Available exclusively at Eléme Day Spas in Byron Bay and Cairns, this limited-time treatment combines light therapy and sensory treatments to offer the ultimate antidote to the winter blues.

Developed in consultation with renowned psychiatrist Dr. Kieran Kennedy, the Eléme experience targets Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition that affects many during the colder months, often leading to symptoms such as low energy, depression, and disrupted sleep. With SAD hitting its peak in deep winter, 'The Light Retreat' aims to balance science-backed insights and indulgent experiences by restoring emotional balance and boosting moods during the July, August and September months. 

Passionate about helping Australians find new ways to relieve stress and anxiety, particularly during the cold, dark winter months, Dr Kieran Kennedy, said of the experience: “Seasonal changes can affect our mood and mental health, impacting many Australians during winter, especially in the southern states, where shorter days and limited sunlight often leave people feeling low, tired, and emotionally drained. That's why experiences that utilise light therapy elements and sensory rituals can help boost energy and improve mood. A spa treatment that explores these rituals and the ways seasonal shifts affect our mood can be a powerful way to encourage self-care in winter.”

Designed to lift mood and restore energy, 'The Light Retreat' experience begins with a 60-minute 'Autograph of Eléme' massage, a rejuvenating treatment that features the day spa's signature 'Va Va Voom' essential oil blend, comprised of energising sweet orange, ylang ylang, coriander, and lime. Guests are then invited to participate in a 15-minute light therapy session, with daylight-mimicking light panels designed to improve serotonin levels and restore emotional balance.

Catering to individual wellness concerns, the treatment also offers a choice from three 30-minute enhancements: an Elevated Hair & Scalp Treatment that conditions and calms, a Grounded Foot Treatment, and an Express Facial.

To complete the experience, guests are treated to a range of dopamine-boosting refreshments, including a selection of Mayde Teas, a vitamin-rich fresh fruit platter, and organic chocolate.

Guests can couple their spa experience with a unique stay - chasing the sun to Cairns or retreating to the rainforest in Byron Bay, with each Crystalbrook destination offering a unique take on winter wellness. At Crystalbrook Riley, resort guests can relax beside a 1,000-square-metre man-made beach lagoon, while Crystalbrook Flynn boasts two glass swimming pools overlooking the iconic Esplanade and easy access to the Great Barrier Reef. At Crystalbrook Byron, resort guests can unwind with rainforest bathing, an infrared and Finnish sauna, and a heated infinity pool nestled in nature. Paired with 'The Light Retreat' experience at Eléme Day Spa, each location offers a rejuvenating escape designed to lift spirits and restore energy this winter. 

'The Light Retreat' experience will be available at Eléme Day Spas at Crystalbrook Byron (Byron Bay), Crystalbrook Riley and Crystalbrook Flynn (Cairns) from week commencing 7 July for a limited time, with packages starting from $320. For bookings and more information, visit crystalbrookcollection.com/eleme-spa/offers/light-retreat

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For further information or to request an interview, please contact:

Grace Tough

We Are Different

grace.t@wearedifferentpr.com.au

0493 959 502

Notes to the Editor:

Crystalbrook Collection's 'The Light Retreat' spa treatment package - available at Eléme Day Spas at Crystalbrook Byron, Crystalbrook Riley, and Crystalbrook Flynn for a limited time - includes:

• A 60-minute Autograph of Eléme Massage: A rejuvenating treatment with Eléme's 'Va Va Voom' essential oil blend, featuring sweet orange, ylang ylang, coriander and lime, and designed to lift mood and restore energy.
• A 15-minute Light Therapy Session: Using daylight-mimicking panels
• A 30-minute Customisable Enhancement: A choice between -
  • An Elevated Hair & Scalp Treatment
  • A Grounded Foot Treatment
  • An Express Facial
• Dopamine-Boosting Refreshments: Mayde Teas, fresh fruit platter and chocolate

About Eléme Day Spas 

Eléme Day Spas are the signature wellness destinations of Crystalbrook Collection, designed to adapt to the ever-evolving wellness needs of modern Australians. With three spas in Byron Bay, Cairns, and more destinations to come, Eléme Day Spa offers personalised, sensory-rich experiences rooted in nature, energy, and feel-good science. Treatments are thoughtfully curated using a range of premium products, including Eléme's handmade signature essential oil blends, and the nutrient rich Sodashi skincare line, renowned for its use of natural, chemical-free ingredients. Whether you're seeking to recharge, unwind or glow-up, Eléme's intuitive treatments nurture both body and mind through a blend of botanicals, expert touch, and soul-soothing rituals. 

About Crystalbrook Collection Hotels & Resorts

Crystalbrook is one of Australia's leading sustainably considered and innovative independent hospitality companies. Each hotel in the portfolio carries an authentic expression of its location, a passion for responsible luxury, considered design and a twinkle of fun for a uniquely enriching experience.

Crystalbrook's portfolio includes: 

• Crystalbrook Riley, Cairns, Queensland 
• Crystalbrook Albion, Sydney, New South Wales 
• Crystalbrook Byron, Byron Bay, New South Wales
• Crystalbrook Bailey, Cairns, Queensland 
• Crystalbrook Flynn, Cairns, Queensland 
• Crystalbrook Kingsley, Newcastle, New South Wales
• Crystalbrook Vincent, Brisbane, Queensland
• Crystalbrook Sam, Adelaide, South Australia (opening 2026)
• Crystalbrook Aurora, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (opening 2027)
• Affiliate hotel: Sydney Harbour Hotel, Sydney, New South Wales

The Group also owns and operates a collection of sixteen restaurants and bars, three Eléme Day spas, and Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina in Port Douglas.

Responsible Luxury

Responsible Luxury and sustainability are at the forefront of the way Crystalbrook thinks and operates. At a glance:

• Operating a single use plastic free environment. No plastic straws, water bottles or single use bathroom amenity bottles (in the past two years the Group has saved over four million plastic bottles from entering landfill)
• Use of technology, such as in-room iPads and mobile check-in to create paperless environments and experiences
• Use of recycled and upcycled materials. Examples include key cards made from recycled wood, coat hangers made from recycled paper and toothbrushes made from sugarcane and corn starch. 
• Working towards a target of sourcing 80% of fresh produce from within a three-hour drive of each hotel

Crystalbrook Collection and Ghassan Aboud Group

Crystalbrook Collection is part of Ghassan Aboud Group owned by international entrepreneur and philanthropist Ghassan Aboud. The group is a multi-business conglomerate engaged in automobiles, real estate, hospitality, FMCG, food, retail, bespoke catering, media and logistics. In business for more than two decades, the group operates from its global headquarters in the United Arab Emirates with offices in Australia, Belgium, Jordan and Turkey.