Welcome to the world of CIRCA.
Creating a luxury boutique hotel and day spa group in Australia was the lofty ambition of the owners of CIRCA Hotels. In today's world where the term luxury has a different meaning from region to region, country to country and generation to generation, the realisation of such an outcome was always going to be far more challenging than the aspiration.
However with the goal in place they set about the hard work, inspired by many varied and diverse sources. These included other hotel companies such as 21c, Ace, Aman, Katamama, COMO and Droog, each with their own unique interpretation of what a hotel can be. Artists such as Patrick Butcher, Barata Sena, Alex Membri and Michael Moerkerk who have instilled excitement into their unique creations that are displayed throughout the CIRCA properties. Ideas for the much lauded CIRCA interior design were stimulated by many various sources: from the eclectic and often eccentric projects of Avroko and Freemans in New York, to the tranquility of India Hicks' Bahama's retreat and the coruscating Thai creations of Alexander Lamont.
Now, almost six years later there are three wonderful CIRCA hotels and day spas operating:
CIRCA 1936 - A Country Retreat - in Corowa
CIRCA 1929 - A Day Spa - in Wagga Wagga
CIRCA 1928 - A Spa Hotel - in Albury
(each CIRCA is titled after the year in which the building was built)
For those who have visited one, two or all three of these properties, the almost unanimous feedback has been that they really are exceptional, but then again almost anyone can build an exceptional property. It has proven to be the intangible element that guests speak of which elevates CIRCA to a different level, and that comes directly from the personalities of the owners and their staff at each location. Every individual brings to the mix an element of their personality, their past experiences, and their aspirations for the future. A unique mix, that when perfected can never be copied or imitated.
In the larger picture of the life of a business, CIRCA is still in it's infancy, and as every day passes, inspiration is found and lessons are learnt. In each location, the opportunity to collaborate with the local community brings about a totally unique experience for guests. The ambition has always been, and remains, to add layer upon layer of character, interest and uniqueness at every location, so that every time a guest experiences a CIRCA, they are greeted by something new. The recently introduced collection of over 40 art works from some of Australia's leading indigenous artists that are now featured in Albury and Corowa have added another layer of integrity to CIRCA's use of Australia's leading indigenous skin care products Li'tya, which are used in the treatments in the spas.
Whether it is in the hotel suites, that are exceptionally spacious and unique in their layout and interior design, or in the day spas that invoke comments such as, "the best day spa east of Bali", by one of Australia's foremost travel writers, a sense of relaxed, unpretentious luxury pervades every aspect of the service and every feature of each building.
Having achieved so much in such a short time, loyal guests often, and expectantly ask, "where next"? In the near term CIRCA will explore opportunities for soft diversification of the brand, while developing new CIRCA properties, both in Australia and internationally. Hotels, day spas and villas; each different and each distinguished by its unique design and commitment to excellence in service and product.
So, take a moment and immerse yourself in "a different world, the world of CIRCA".
