BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: TripAdvisor Hall of Fame for Saltair

Torquay’s iconic Saltair Spa has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame accolade in recognition of their consistently high standards of service.

The certificate – allocated to only 10 per cent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor that maintain an overall rating of four out of five stars, surpass a minimum amount of reviews and have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months – joins an impressive list of achievements.

Owner of Saltair Spa Tammy Melis said they’d received six TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence awards in a row and maintained the top spot for best reviews in Australia Spas and Wellness Centres for a 17 month period across 2016-2017.

“When I saw Saltair for the first time, I knew that we could do what some people thought was impossible – create a luxurious destination day spa without losing the boutique feel that I was passionate about,” Mrs Melis said.

“I have never been a traditional ‘spa girl’ and my focus when starting Saltair was to take a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. I wanted the environment inside and outside the spa to reflect this, where the pace slowed, and people could just ‘be’.

“We have absolutely achieved this, and while we have thousands of people visit us each year, they always comment on how peaceful and quiet the spa is. It’s a skill we have mastered, and the relaxing vibe certainly spreads well beyond the treatment rooms.”

Mrs Melis said she returned to Torquay her hometown in 2007 after a decade at Australia’s leading health retreat Camp Eden and two years managing the Crowne Plaza Resort Spa.

“It was then that the opportunity to open a boutique destination day spa arose and Saltair Spa was born. When I first saw a Saltair Spa, it was located down a rickety track off the unsealed main road,” she said.

“While the location was challenging, it was also the selling point. Not only did it boast rural and ocean views as far as the eye could see, but it was also located on land that my late grandfather and father had farmed for over 65 years, and I’d spent time playing on as a child.”

To find more information about Saltair Spa and its services, please visit saltairspa.com.au.