Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs is a sanctuary inspired by nature. On our visit to Warrnambool, at the end of our drive along the Great Ocean Road, we stopped in for the hot springs experience. Just a morning of bliss in the warm geothermal waters that rise from the earth, filling the rock pools and caves and offering visitors the chance to relax in a variety of thermal pools.
Deep Blue Hot Springs Warrnambool review
We don’t often slow down. Braeden’s pace is go-go for all his waking hours so it was refreshing to have a visit to Deep Blue Hot Springs on our Great Ocean Road trip. With 17 thermal pools to explore, Braeden was still able to keep on the move by swapping pools to test out the various experiences each one offers.
Open-air rock pools, quiet sensory caves with sound and colour therapy and thermal waterfalls all created a space for us to slow down and relax.
Hubby suffers from quite a few aches and pains and when we travel they tend to be exacerbated by all the extra transfers with Braeden, so he was all in for anything that would ease the muscle tension.
The family favourite was the thermal pool offering a chance to soak in magnesium. We all felt the benefits from this one.
Accessibility at Deep Blue Hot Springs is suited to visitors who are able to negotiate the steps into the various thermal pools. Some pools offer a handrail to assist with entry but some do not. Braeden was the most relaxed in the pools that were shallow enough for him to sit and spend time unassisted by us. Obviously this was the most relaxing experience for us too.
Hubby was the only one to brave the cold plunge and although exhilarated by the dip, his reactions to the icy water did nothing to convince the rest of us that we should follow suit. For guests wanting to give it a go there is signage with instructions about how to do “contrast bathing” which includes 15 minutes of hot soaking, followed up by 1 minute of cold soaking which can be repeated up to three times. The cold soaking is meant to activate and wake your body up – Hubby can attest to this! Benefits include resetting your parasympathetic nervous system to balance your immunity and promote relaxation. There are many other benefits which I am sure are worthwhile, but I just couldn’t take the plunge.
Level pathways wind their way through the gorgeous garden setting linking the various pools while still leaving enough space for us to park Braeden’s wheelchair nearby when we were in the pools.
We arrived for the first session of the morning and found that Deep Blue Hot Springs was quiet and there seemed to be an unspoken code of conduct at play with people keeping to their own groups in the pools. I’m not sure if this is always the case, but we certainly enjoyed having whichever pool we were in to ourselves.
Staff circulate around the pools offering cups of water to ensure guests stay hydrated. Many people relaxed after their dip under the cool of a pergola in the garden but alas, Braeden was ready to be on the go again.
On entry, guests are provided with a magnetic band which operates the lockers so valuables and clothing can be stored away safely. Towels are also provided, but I suggest travelling with a tote bag to keep them clean and together. We also asked for an extra towel so we could put it on Braeden’s wheelchair cushion to keep it dry after his dip.
A spacious unisex stand-alone accessible bathroom offers a height-adjustable shower, bench seat for the shower and toilet with grab rails.
Accessible parking is provided near the entry to the spa.
Once we had rinsed off our swimmers we took advantage of the bather’s spinner. I don’t know why more places don’t provide one. It left our swimmers damp instead of dripping wet which was particularly appreciated given we had a day’s drive ahead of us. It does make a loud noise as it spins so if you are travelling with anyone with noise sensitivities perhaps wait until they are not in the change room to start it.
For visitors who can negotiate the stairs into the thermal pools this is a wonderfully relaxing experience we’d recommend. It proved a fabulous finale to our Great Ocean Road drive.
For entry prices and session times, visit Deep Blue Hot Springs.
We were hosted for our visit but as always, our opinions are our own.
If you are travelling to the Great Ocean Road you might find our tips on visiting the Twelve Apostles helpful too. It is incredibly beautiful and accessible. Read more in this review.
