Minor unveils plans for Avani mega-resort in New South Wales’ wine region
The Avani Cypress Lakes Resort development will launch in phases from October 2026, bringing together the existing Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and adjoining Elysia Wellness Retreat across 340 acres to combine flexible wellness, golf, family experiences and major meeting and events facilities.
The development will become the largest Avani property in Australasia, with a slated 204 rooms and suites across two distinct accommodation experiences. The resort’s facilities will include an 18-hole golf course, AvaniWell spa and wellness centre, 24 meetings and events spaces, two concept-led restaurants, a pool bar and all-day dining.
As part of the phased transformation, the resort will add three pickleball courts, an outdoor cinema, a pool bar with a DJ booth, Pilates reformers and outdoor cold-plunge pools. New dining concepts will include Chakraya, a Sri Lankan inspired restaurant.
The first new facilities will open in October 2026 and completion of the full transformation scheduled for the third quarter of 2027.
Minor Hotels Australasia Chief Operating Officer Craig Hooley said the region had the attributes to become Australia’s home of wellness.
“We believe the Hunter Valley has all the hallmarks necessary to establish itself as Australia’s home of wellness,” Hooley.
“From winery visits and long-table lunches to Pilates classes, cold plunges and educational seminars, modern wellness is personal, flexible and increasingly integrated into everyday travel.
“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. The launch reflects Minor Hotels’ confidence in the continued growth of wellness-led and experiential travel across Australia, particularly in regional destinations.”
The existing Elysia Wellness Retreat will be transformed into AvaniWell at Cypress Lakes Resort, bringing the brand which boasts an flexible alternative to a traditional wellness retreat to Australia for the first time. Available to guests and locals, AvaniWell will integrate 70 wellness suites, a magnesium pool and 26 treatment rooms with 10 Pilates reformers, infrared saunas, outdoor cold-plunge pools and spaces for seminars and group sessions. The facility will offer multi-day wellness programmes alongside individual treatments, classes and day-spa experiences.
Avani Cypress Lakes Resort will become the third Avani property in Australasia, following the opening of Avani Mooloolaba Beach in May 2026 and the upcoming launch of Avani Queenstown in September 2026.