The Spa at Dunluce Lodge in Northern Ireland, has partnered with local retreat company Seascape Wellness Studio and Irish seaweed skincare company Seabody to launch its first retreat between 5-7 September.

The property, which opened earlier this year, is a five-star spa hotel on the Antrim coast. It has 35 suites and nine more rooms in an annexe called The Stookan, where the retreats will be held.

It debuted as the venue for the 153 Open Golf Championship and is situated alongside the fourth fairway of the Royal Portrush Golf Club.

The retreat

The lodge’s hospitality philosophy is inspired by Celtic mythology, so much so that during turndown, guests receive bedtime stories based on local lore.

The spa’s retreats will follow this storytelling tradition, with chapters in their titles. The first is called Chapter One: Coastal Calm.

Ashley Leckey, spa manager, told Spa Business, “This retreat is the first of many. This chapter will celebrate where we are, our beautiful landscape and will have many coastal activations.”

The retreat will start with a mindful walk to the nearby White Rocks Beach for an open ceremony, where guests will receive a personalised journal to capture their own thoughts and stories. This is followed by a three-course evening meal and an overnight stay.

Day two will start with sunrise yoga, followed by a guided wild swim. Brunch will be served, followed by contrast therapy sessions on the beach. The mobile sauna and plunge pool will be provided by Hot Box Sauna.

After an evening meal, guests are taken to the local beach caves for a candle-lit sound bath and then stargazing, before another overnight stay.

Guests will also have the chance to take part in an open-air art therapy session, with painting supplies and beverages provided.

The final day starts with sunrise yoga again, breakfast and a farewell ceremony.

Leckey continued, “We partnered with Hanno Windisch of Seascape Wellness Studio, a local holistic practitioner, to lead the retreat.”

Windisch offers sea-based wellness experiences and has created retreats that blend breathwork techniques and other alternative healing protocols, including reiki and soundbaths, with acquatic experiences.

Just in time for the coastal-themed retreat, The Spa at Dunluce has also become the first Northern Irish spa partner for Irish seaweed skincare company Seabody, for treatments guests can book in their free time during the retreat. The brand’s seaweed is harvested on the island’s coast that faces the Atlantic Ocean, which Dunluce looks out on.

The retreat package starts at £695 (US$944, €805) per night.

The Spa at Dunluce Lodge

The spa was conceived, designed, planned and launched in March this year by wellness consultant Jasmine Monaco.

Leckey explained that the spa is only in phase one of its development.

The spa currently has four treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge and there are steamrooms in the changing room areas.

Leckey continued, “Typically, we only take groups of four so those people can enjoy the relaxation lounge and not disturb other guests. The owners wanted a quiet and intimate experience.

“Other spas in Northern Ireland have a lot of thermal facilities, but we’re very treatment-led,” added Leckey. “We have treatments you can only experience here. We do have plans to expand the spa into the surrounding landscape with outdoor thermal experiences.

“The Hot Box Sauna facilities we’ll use on the beach during the retreat will be a way to gauge how popular contrast therapy is with our guests,” she said.

There’s no timeline for the expansion yet, but Leckey dreams of a natural outdoor pool and a spa dining space to allow guests to stay robed and enjoy the facilities.

“Even with the expansion, we don’t envisage enormous hoards of customers – it’s an intimate and exclusive destination spa.”

Treatments and experiences

As part of Leckey’s plan to make this property a wellness destination, the spa offers a range of exclusive treatments and experiences.

In addition to packages that include a meal or afternoon tea and a treatment, the spa has four signature treatments on its menu that are 90 minutes long and have each been designed to incorporate sound therapy.

“We worked with a local sound therapist to train our staff how to use Tibetan singing bowls and water chimes during treatments,” said Leckey.

In addition to a partnership with Seabody, the spa has a three-year exclusivity agreement with Natura Bissé in Northern Ireland. The spa also uses CBD brand Kloris for its menopause treatment and to support guests’ with sleep and pain management.

In addition to the retreats, guests can ride horses on the beach at sunset.

Leckey is also planning the next retreat, for Q4, which will focus on the theme of cosiness with activations that feature warmth, quiet and are inspired by hibernation.

Membership

A new treatment-only membership has been launched at the spa.

While the property has a fitness suite, Leckey said it isn’t large enough to justify a full-spectrum membership.

“These members will be invited to enjoy our expanded facilities in time.”

Dunluce Lodge

The hotel, which opened in February, is a £16.5 million (US$22.4 million, €19 million) first-time investment to the region by US owners and investors, Links Collection Capital. Founded in 2020, the investment company has a portfolio of golf hotels, including two in the Scottish town of St Andrews, Seaton House and Dunvegan Hotel.

Dunluce Lodge is operated by global management company, Valor Hospitality – which is its first Northern Irish venture too.

The property received five-star status in July, awarded by the the country’s tourism board Tourism NI.