Brisbane Northsiders listen up, because we’ve found a luxury bathhouse and wellness centre that you need to experience to believe. Merse Wellness Spa is located in Virginia is a haven for relaxation and rejuvenation and is the perfect place to escape it all. Seriously, inside this pale pink palace, you can very easily pretend the rest of the world just isn’t there anymore.
Merse experiences are designed to cater to your every wellness need. From traditional saunas and Body Contouring to magnesium-infused floatation and cold plunge pools, they’ve curated a selection of services that address your physical and wellbeing needs.
There are SO many services to choose from, that there’s something for all types of wellness—from the “feels good” type of wellness and the “feels not as good but is so good for you” wellness. They also have a team full of experts ready to guide you on your wellness journey, whether you’re seeking pain relief, stress reduction, skin rejuvenation, or a boost in athletic performance.
We visited Merse Wellness Spa to recharge and make the rest of the world go away, as well as indulging in a bit of self care.
Our Merse Wellness Spa experience
When I first arrived at Merse, I was a little surprised to find it in the middle of a fairly industrial looking car park. But forget all that, because the second you step through the doors of this sanctuary, everything else just sort of melts away.
I am booked in for an Immerse Yourself session as well as a body contouring session with EvolveX and I am beyond excited.
When I arrive, I am checked in and am given a full tour of the facilities—I already cannot wait to literally immerse myself in the luxe-looking pools. Even the shower blocks look extremely high-end, with brushed gold finishes against the backlit stone walls.
The pool area has a calming vibe that immediately has me more relaxed than when I walked in. Sessions are either 60 or 90 minutes, and you can choose to either relax in whatever pool you wish, or follow Merse’s Flow protocol. The pools vary in temperature so that you can cycle between them to help improve skin health, cardio health and circulation.
I decide I want to push myself and take a dip in both the 6-degree ice plunge and the 12-degree cold plunge before kicking back in the 32-degree magnesium pool or the 40-degree hot spa. You also have access to a traditional hot sauna but I am not a dry heat kind of girl.
I don’t manage to stay in either of the cold pools for very long—about a minute each—before I give up and go back to the warmer climes. Honestly, I love the feeling of getting into a hot pool after an ice plunge but it is Saturday morning and I don’t have the willpower for it today.
(Sidenote: LOVE the names of the different pools—steamy, just right and ice ice baby.)
I was so blissed out that I didn’t want to leave when my session was over. But I had body contouring to go to so I need to shower off in the fancy shower area and get ready for the next part of my wellness journey.
Our EvolveX body contouring experience
I had no idea what to expect with body contouring. I have tried other methods before but never the type that the EvolveX by InMode machine offers. This device is known for a non-invasive and non-excisional approach to body remodeling.
I decided I want to look at my upper arms, which despite my best efforts are starting to get a little saggy. There’s a stubborn patch of fat that just won’t give up.
The Evolve X is a hands-free machine, so the contouring cartridges are strapped on to the part of the body they’re working on and you just sit there for the hour treatment time.
My therapist straps my cartridges onto my chicken wing arms (which we prop up with pillows so it’s comfy to relax into). I am told to expect them to get gradually hotter, winding up at 40 degrees, while also stimulating the muscle.
The first time the muscle stim went off, I got a bit of a fright and jumped—not because it hurt but because it felt so strange! On my left arm, it makes my fingers twitch every time. As the heat increased, I thought I might not be able to make it to 40 degrees but its surprisingly easy to push past that initial heat.
And that’s pretty much it. After getting used to it, you just sit there and chill for about an hour all up. (At least, I think it was an hour, I might have had a tiny nap.
Apparently it takes a few sessions to see max results—and since it’s only been about a week, it’s way too early for major results—but my skin definitely felt tighter around the area immediately after.
I leave Merse feeling well rested, recharged and renewed. I’ve already planned a group of friends to bring back for a bit of self-care because I want to show people how damn pretty the place is, as well as functional. It’s a secret little haven, tucked away from the rest of the world and I loved it.
Merse Wellness Spa, 1904 Sandgate Rd, Virginia QLD. p. (07) 3473 1895
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
