This wellness-first stay is MICHELIN’S latest obsession.
Over the last year, MICHELIN has quietly added 14 Australian hotels to its global list of high-quality stays, and this serene bathhouse retreat is the latest. Meet The Sanctuary at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, the wellness-led stay that shows exactly what MICHELIN is rewarding right now.
MICHELIN does not hand out hotel recognition lightly. So, when the guide adds new stays to its global list, it is worth paying attention. This year, 14 Aussie hotels have been added to its “Selections", bringing the national total to 72. In addition to those, 25 hotels hold One MICHELIN Key, nine have Two MICHELIN Keys, and just one has received the coveted Three MICHELIN Keys.
Why MICHELIN is obsessed with this Mornington Peninsula stay
The Sanctuary’s five luxurious stand-alone villas and two additional studio rooms opened in June 2025.
Set among native bushland on the Mornington Peninsula, The Sanctuary is Alba’s luxury accommodation offering. It is calm, pared back and entirely built around wellness. Private villas. Soft lighting. Thermal bathing rituals. Silence that feels intentional.
This is not luxury built to impress on arrival. It’s luxury designed to slow you down.
MICHELIN’s interest here is telling. Across its global hotel coverage, the guide is increasingly drawn to stays that prioritise experience over excess. Nature. Wellbeing. A strong sense of place. The Sanctuary ticks every box.
What MICHELIN “Selections" actually means
The Sanctuary includes inclusive access to Alba Thermal Springs and Spa for each day of your stay.
MICHELIN’s hotel guide sits alongside its restaurant ratings but follows a different system. Every hotel included in the guide is considered a high-quality stay, assessed by MICHELIN’s inspectors using the same global standards applied worldwide.
From within this collection, the very best are awarded One, Two or Three MICHELIN Keys, the hotel equivalent of MICHELIN Stars for restaurants.
In other words, “Selections" are hotels that have already met MICHELIN’s international benchmark. Keys identify the most exceptional of the exceptional. Many Selection hotels go on to earn Keys later, but all are considered worth travelling for.
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AI Prompt
The 14 newly added Australian hotels
The Sundays is the first new hotel to open on Hamilton Island since 2007.
InterContinental Sydney boasts the city’s most spectacular views.
Design-savvy travellers will love Kimpton Margot Sydney.
The Sanctuary at Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, Mornington Peninsula, Vic
Alba Thermal Springs and Spa is a destination in its own right.
The Sanctuary’s moment in the spotlight feels like a turning point. MICHELIN is clearly leaning into wellness-led stays, quiet luxury and hotels that offer something deeper than a beautiful room.
For travellers, this list is a shortcut to what is genuinely worth booking right now. For Australia’s hotel scene, it is confirmation that bathhouses, slow travel and nature-connected stays are no longer fringe experiences.
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Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
Wellness travel is no longer just green juices and massages. Here’s what to look for in a hotel that helps you truly recharge.
Wellness means different things to different people. For some, it’s nourishing the body (and soul) with healthy food. Others find balance in movement, while for many, sleep is the elixir of life.
The right hotel now needs to be more than just a place to drop your bags. It needs to be a destination in itself. A place to calm your nervous system and support your wellness from check-in to check-out.
1. Easy access to good food
Enjoy waterfront dining at The Ternary.
Rethinking hotel dining, Novotel is focusing on food that supports how people travel. Created in collaboration with chef and recipe creator Alfie Steiner, its new menu offers thoughtfully sourced, plant-forward dishes that balance taste, freshness and nutrition.
Experience seasonal produce among the skyscrapers at The Ternary inside Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour. Overlooking the waterfront, this popular restaurant serves up sustainable ingredients across their grill, Asian and dessert kitchens. Chilled mixed cocktails from the bar can finish the night.
For something more relaxed (and much further north) MOKU Bar & Grill at Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort is set alongside the lagoon-style pool, complete with Cairns’ only swim-up bar. Fresh, tropical flavours complement the warm breeze and lush gardens.
2. Better sleep options
Recharge before your next flight.
There’s nothing quite like the crisp white sheets of a well-made hotel bed. Beyond fresh linen and perfectly made beds, Novotel works with sleep experts, including Australia’s Olivia Arezzolo, to create a better-designed sleep environment for its guests. Things like pillow menus, in-room yoga channels and advice for getting over jet lag make spending a night in selected hotels more of a luxury.
Novotel Melbourne Airport takes it one step further by also offering soundproofed rooms, a 24-hour health club, a heated indoor pool and an infrared sauna. Stopovers, day trips and early mornings come a little easier after a good night’s sleep.
3. More ways to move
Prioritise wellness while you travel.
Feeling rested makes it easier to move your body, both for relaxation and fitness. Novotel’s spa and fitness centres not only have fully equipped gyms, saunas and steam rooms. But they also offer luxurious spas to massage worries away.
Nowhere is this more useful than the 24/7 gym, sauna and wellness facilities at Higher State Health & Wellness Club, accessible for Novotel Melbourne Airport guests. Need to stretch after a long flight? Try the gym or one of the 25-metre indoor swimming pools. Need to unwind a little? A session in the infrared sauna may help.
4. Building family memories
Make family holidays effortless.
The right hotel can make or break a family holiday, so choosing one that caters to both adults and small humans is key.
With kids’ activities daily, including movie nights and sandcastle-building competitions, Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort always keeps kids in mind. The real sand beach at the end of their large, outdoor pool provides hours of digging and building space for younger kids, while older kids will love the craft and trivia sessions.
For nature-loving families, Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort is set on 36 hectares of natural bushland around a private freshwater lagoon. Kangaroos roam freely, and local birdlife creates a calming soundtrack to your holidays. Kayak on the lagoon, swim in the refurbished pool and spa, or take part in some of the creative kids’ activities. Plus, children aged 15 and under eat breakfast for free when dining with a paying adult.
5. Location is key
Wander the city’s iconic laneways. (Image: Visit Victoria)
Staying close to where you want to be can reduce stress as well as taxi costs. However, finding a hotel that’s both central and comfortable can be challenging. Novotel has over 600 hotels across more than 65 countries, from major city centres to tourist destinations. In Australia, Novotel has a knack for offering central locations and convenience.
Novotel Perth Murray Street is in the heart of Perth, surrounded by cafes and restaurants and only a short walk from the shops and dining options of Elizabeth Quay. However, the heated rooftop pool and hotel restaurant, Miss Mi Perth, will keep guests busy too.
Novotel Melbourne on Collins couldn’t be closer to the action, with Federation Square, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the arts centre only minutes away. Window shoppers can browse Bourke Street Mall, Royal Arcade and the historic Block Arcade. Or, grab a coffee in the famous Degraves Street and Centre Place. While venturing out is easy, leaving the heated pool, gym and in-room dining won’t be.
6. Giving back
Protect our oceans as you explore.
Holidays tend to connect us with beaches, coastlines and waterways, making ocean conservation something travellers can appreciate. Through its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Novotel supports conservation projects around the world, such as protecting seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean, tackling discarded fishing nets in the Baltic Sea and whale conservation in Australia.
Novotel has also been championing sustainable seafood across its restaurants and has moved towards a more plant-focused menu. In fact, at least 25 per cent of dishes are now plant-forward. They have been phasing out single-use plastics, reducing water and energy usage and cutting down on food wastage where possible.
Staying at a Novotel is one way to support these global conservation and sustainability efforts. It’s feel-good tourism at its best.
