"Day spa" can mean anything from a quick facial to a full day with pools and lunch. So before you book, it is worth being clear about what a day spa in Auckland looks like at Siri: a two to two and a half hour visit built around a body scrub, a massage, and at one branch a facial or an infrared sauna. It is a proper treat, but it is not an all-day resort.
We have five packages across two spas. The Viaduct, in the CBD, has two, and St Heliers, on Tamaki Drive, has three. This guide goes through each, says who it suits, and helps you plan the rest of the day around it.
What a day spa package is made of
The common thread is the body scrub: an exfoliating blend that cleanses and renews, followed by serums and oils to smooth, hydrate and brighten. Then comes an aromatherapy massage, which is slower and gentler than most of our other styles, with blended essential oils. Many guests find that combination the right balance for a visit meant to be restful rather than strenuous.
Depending on the package, you add either a facial, a mini facial or time in the infrared sauna. Nothing else is included, so it is worth planning your own food and drink around the visit.
The Viaduct packages
Package A is the simplest: a body scrub and a 30 minute aromatherapy massage, in 2 hours, for $245. It suits someone who wants the scrub experience and a taste of massage, and is the easier option to fit into a lunchtime or a quiet afternoon.
Package B adds a facial. It is body scrub, facial and a 30 minute aromatherapy massage in 2.5 hours, for $295. This is our fullest option at the Viaduct, and the better pick for a birthday, a pre-event treat or a visitor to the city. The facial begins with a consultation with the facial therapist, so the treatment is adjusted to your skin.
The Viaduct also offers the body scrub on its own, for 1 hour at $125, if you do not want the full package. If you prefer more massage time, a 90 minute massage is $165 on the Viaduct pricing page.
The St Heliers packages
- Package A, 2 hours, $225: body scrub and aromatherapy massage. The best value of the five.
- Package B, 2.5 hours, $280: 20 minutes in the infrared sauna, then body scrub and aromatherapy massage.
- Package C, 2.5 hours, $280: body scrub, aromatherapy massage and a mini facial.
The infrared sauna and the mini facial package are available at St Heliers only. If you are curious about the sauna, our piece on the infrared sauna at St Heliers explains how a session runs. The sauna experience is a warm, sweaty one and followed by a shower, and nothing more is promised than that.
"The scrub is where people relax first. By the time the massage starts, the shoulders have already come down a little."
Siri therapist team
Which package for which person
- First visit, modest budget: Package A at the Viaduct or St Heliers.
- Want to look as good as you feel: Viaduct Package B or St Heliers Package C. The Viaduct facial is a full facial; the St Heliers one is a mini facial.
- Want to warm up first: St Heliers Package B, with the sauna.
- Visiting from overseas or out of town: the Viaduct, which is in the CBD.
- Want to share it: book two packages in the same session, or look at the couple room options.
If you are comparing packages with a longer massage instead, our signature package guide covers the thinking in more detail.
How a 2.5 hour visit runs
The order of treatments can differ slightly, but a package usually flows like this. You arrive, check in and have a short chat about anything the therapist should know: skin sensitivities, areas to avoid, how firm you like the massage. If your package includes the infrared sauna, you start there for 20 minutes and shower. The body scrub comes next, followed by serums and oils.
The aromatherapy massage follows, and this is the part where most guests stop talking. If the package includes a facial or mini facial, it comes with its own consultation, so the therapist can tailor it to your skin. You finish unhurried, with time to dress and take a moment before leaving.
Tell the therapist early if the scrub feels too rough, the room too warm or the pressure too light. Everything in a package can be adjusted, and it is far better to say so in the first minutes than to put up with it.
Package or a longer massage?
A package gives you variety. A longer massage gives you depth. If your priority is a sore back or a tight neck, a 90 minute massage may serve you better than a package with a 30 minute massage in it, particularly at the Viaduct. If you want a spa experience, with a scrub and the feeling of being looked after for the afternoon, the package is the better choice.
Put simply: choose the package for the occasion, and the long massage for the body. If you cannot decide, ask us when you phone. The Viaduct is on 027-722-6564 and St Heliers is on 027 654 6642, both open seven days from 10am to 8pm.
Planning the rest of the day
Because the visit is two to two and a half hours, it suits a half-day rather than a whole one. At the Viaduct, Auckland NZ's Viaduct Harbour guide lists waterfront cafes for brunch and a range of restaurants and bars for the evening, so you can book the spa mid-afternoon and follow it with dinner.
At St Heliers, Auckland NZ's St Heliers page describes a pohutukawa-lined boardwalk, a beach and cafes along the waterfront. A walk before, a coffee after, and you have a seaside half-day without much effort.
Eat lightly beforehand, drink water, and leave your afternoon loose. You will be slower leaving than arriving.
Booking and timing tips
Weekends tend to fill first at most spas, so if you have a choice, ask about a weekday slot. Book a package a few days ahead where you can, and phone if you want to fit two people into the same session.
Wear something comfortable, and leave jewellery at home. You will be asked to change, and you will be oily, so choose clothes you do not mind putting back on over a lightly scented skin. Allergies matter, so mention any to the therapist before the scrub and the oils begin, especially nut allergies, as sweet almond oil is used in some of our massages.
Finally, check the calendar. Public holidays carry a 15% surcharge, and we are closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and open from 1pm on ANZAC Day.
What a day spa here is not
Honesty helps you choose, so here are the limits. There are no pools, no steam rooms and no lunch included. The sauna is infrared, at St Heliers only, and is not a wet or steam sauna. Treatments happen in private rooms rather than in a day of shared lounging.
If you are pregnant, recovering from an injury or surgery, or have a heart condition, high blood pressure or a skin condition, check with your GP or midwife first and tell us when you book. This matters most for the sauna, the facial and the scrub. Public holidays carry a 15% surcharge on all treatments.
Common questions
At the Viaduct, Package A is $245 (2 hours) and Package B is $295 (2.5 hours, with a facial). At St Heliers, Package A is $225 (2 hours), and Packages B (with infrared sauna) and C (with mini facial) are $280 each (2.5 hours).
Two to two and a half hours, depending on the package. Allow a little extra for arriving and leaving unhurried.
No. The infrared sauna and the mini facial package are at St Heliers only. The Viaduct offers Packages A and B, and Package B there includes a facial.
No. Siri is a Thai massage and beauty spa with private treatment rooms. The only sauna is the infrared sauna at St Heliers.
