Four Seasons’ Sacred River Spa in Bali flows into new era following major revamp
– Luisa Anderson
The Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan has embarked on a new chapter after receiving a major renovation and expansion project. The riverside retreat in Ubud, Indonesia, has been relaunched with enhanced facilities, brand-new amenities and an elevated treatment offering.
Honouring traditions
Nestled amid rich tropical jungle foliage, the 4,970sq m facility has been refreshed with a concept inspired by the ancient Balinese philosophy of Niskala, meaning unseen energy, with a special focus on Bali's cultural reverence for water.
Luisa Anderson, regional director of spa for Four Seasons in Asia Pacific, drew inspiration for the redesign from three key elements of Balinese heritage:
• The healing water of Tirta Empul temple, infused with medicinal plants.• Melukat, a sacred cleansing ritual using holy water for spiritual purification.
• The subak system, Bali’s unique irrigation method that sustains its iconic rice fields.
“This project has been an incredible journey, reconnecting with the Ayung River’s powerful energies and integrating ancient wisdom into the spa's architecture, treatments and spiritual practices,” says Anderson. “By blending these traditions with state-of-the-art wellness innovations, the Sacred River Spa embodies a new era of holistic care.”
What’s newThe retreat was refreshed by a trio of design teams: Australian architects The Fulcrum Agency; Japanese interior designers Design Studio SPIN and Indonesian landscape consultancy Bukit Kembar Permai.
Together, they reimagined the spa's interiors using natural materials and a calming earth-toned colour palette, enhanced by artwork from Indonesian artists and ceramic masters.
Formerly home to just three spa pavilions, Sacred River Spa has reopened as an all-suite facility with seven pavilions. The facility has been updated with a brand-new reception, retail areas and outdoor relaxation and lounge spaces surrounded by a tranquil lotus pond.
The property now features seven newly built Spa Villas, including five couple’s treatment suites. Each is equipped with one of Lemi’s Luxury Portofino Evo electric massage beds while one couples’ suite benefits from the brand’s Water Dream massage beds.
Guests can also visit a new riverside Yoga Pavilion, a hybrid infrared and Swedish sauna treatment villa, a sound healing room, as well as a nail studio, a retail space and a relaxation pavilion.
Refreshed treatment menu
To celebrate the spa's relaunch, the treatment menu has been revamped with a new collaboration with Synthesis Organics, an Australian product house that offers energy-imbued products.
Menu highlights include revised Chakra Ceremonies that maximise the free flow of energy in a meaningful quest for spiritual, physical, mental and emotional balance. There is also a wide range of massages, facials and TDA face and body therapies.
Central to the revised menu are water-centric treatments, in addition to six signature Balinese Healing Rituals that showcase traditional wisdom, including the purifying Tirta Ening, which channels the healing power of Bali’s revered water element. Check out our first-person review of the distinctive treatment and the new Ubud spa in the latest issue of Spa Business.
The spa’s new direction is further complemented by the presence of wellness mentor Ibu Fera, a former Buddhist nun who studied the Dharma in monasteries across Asia. Fera leads complimentary meditation classes twice daily, alongside weekly Life Talks and the unique Sacred Nap experience, inviting participants to explore deeper states of inner peace.
Two of a kindThe Sacred River Spa is the sister site to Four Seasons’ iconic Healing Village Spa at its Jimbaran Bay resort in Bali – click here to see the results of the Healing Village spa's own meticulous transformation.
Four Seasons Sacred River Spa Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan Luisa Anderson Lemi Fulcrum Agency Design Studio SPIN Synthesis Organics
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