Minor Hotels to launch Australia’s largest wellness resort in Hunter Valley.
Avani Cypress Lakes Resort, a high-end lifestyle and wellness resort in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, is set to open in stages starting in October 2026, according to Minor Hotels.
The project will create what the business claims will be Australia’s largest integrated resort wellness district by combining the current Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort with the nearby Elysia Wellness Retreat on 340 acres.
The 204-room Avani Cypress Lakes Resort, which combines lodging, wellness, golf, dining, recreation, and event amenities, will also grow to be the biggest Avani resort in Australasia.
The Australian launch of AvaniWell, Minor Hotels’ flexible wellness concept, which was originally presented at the Avani+ Hua Hin Resort in Thailand in 2024, will be a crucial part of the expansion.
AvaniWell at Cypress Lakes Resort, which will include 70 wellness suites, a magnesium pool, 26 treatment rooms, 10 Pilates reformers, infrared saunas, and outdoor cold-plunge pools, will replace the current Elysia Wellness Retreat.
In addition to individual treatments, workshops, and day-spa experiences, guests will have the option of multi-day wellness programs. The local community and day visitors will also have access to the facilities.
“We think the Hunter Valley has all the hallmarks necessary to establish itself as Australia’s home of wellness,” stated Craig Hooley, Chief Operating Officer, Minor Hotels Australasia. Modern wellness is individualised, adaptable, and increasingly included into daily travel, from vineyard trips and long-table dinners to Pilates sessions, cold plunges, and educational seminars.
“Avani Cypress Lakes Resort has been designed around this shift, allowing guests to incorporate wellness into a family holiday, corporate retreat, golf escape, or weekend break,” he continued. Minor Hotels’ conviction in the sustained expansion of wellness-led and immersive tourism throughout Australia, especially in regional locations, is reflected in the launch.
The resort will have two concept-led restaurants, a pool bar, 24 meeting and event rooms, an 18-hole golf course and all-day dining.
Three pickleball courts, an outdoor movie theatre, a pool bar with a DJ booth, Pilates reformers and outdoor cold-plunge pools will all be added as part of its gradual makeover. One of the dining ideas will be Chakraya, which draws inspiration from Sri Lankan cuisine and tastes.
Flexible packages will include lodging, golf, hot-air balloon rides, AvaniKids activities, and AvaniWell programs.
Additionally, Avani Cypress Lakes Resort will focus on the corporate retreat, weddings, incentives, and meetings markets. Programs that integrate activities like yoga, wellness classes, golf, pickleball, and other outdoor experiences into business itineraries will supplement its 24 event spaces.
Packages and rates will be accessible starting on October 1, 2026. The third quarter of 2027 is when the renovation is expected to be finished. It will proceed in stages.
After Avani Queenstown, which is slated to open in September 2026, and Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel, which opened in May 2026, Avani Cypress Lakes Resort will be the third Avani hotel in Australasia.
