This week on Home Life Series, we’re taking you to Lon Retreat, a serene wellness retreat and spa set on 250 acres of stunning Bellarine Peninsula. Lon Retreat, a cherished family farm turned boutique escape by owners Claire and Rob Gemes, invites you to leave the hustle and bustle behind. Nestled on a hillside with breathtaking ocean views, this retreat has been in the Gemes family for over 100 years, spanning six generations.
After two years of dedicated work—where even the family architect, Claire’s father-in-law, played a vital role—Lon Retreat has blossomed into a luxurious sanctuary. The property now boasts seven individually designed suites, a rejuvenating day spa with natural mineral springs, and restorative treatments inspired by nature. Guests can also wander through the sustainable and edible garden, thoughtfully designed to connect with the land and inspire farm-to-table grazing. So sit back and relax, as we rediscover the beauty in slowing down and embracing simplicity.
Hi Claire, we’re long time lovers of Lon Retreat, so we’re very excited to share this gem with the rest of the world. First things first, please introduce yourself and your role at Lon Retreat?
I'm Claire, and I'm the co-founder of Lon Retreat with my husband Rob, who helped me to bring my dream of Lon to life on my family's farm in Point Lonsdale. We live in Barwon Heads and have 2 children, Amelia and Lachie. Our family business is nearly 6 years old and Rob and I manage the retreat, along with an incredible team of talented humans (including some AMAZING spa therapists!)
Lon Retreat has been part of your family for generations! What can you tell us about the history of this property and how it has evolved over the years from a family home into a luxury retreat, mineral spring and event space?
Having lived in Melbourne for sometime, working in corporate accounting and consultancy, I had always dreamed of one day doing something tourism related on the family farm, which has been in my family for over 150 years. At the time my parents lived on the farm, consisting of their home, an apartment for my grandmother and a small bed and breakfast called ‘Lonsdale Views’.
When my grandmother died, my parents approached Rob and I to see if we had any ideas of how to utilise their home and the farm in a tourism project. I was inspired by the ‘home-hotel’ concept in many European locations and was also keen to celebrate Australian coastal design within a hotel space. Rob and I also had young children, so could appreciate the importance of an adults retreat and finding some space to escape from everyday busyness. I had experienced occasions of burnout in my corporate career, so was driven by the idea of the ‘slow down’ and restoring some semblance of balance to a busy life.
In 2013 plans commenced to build my parents a new home on the farm and commence a major renovation and extension of the original sandstone homestead. With a building background, Rob managed both construction projects with his Architect father, whilst I focused on the business planning and interior design with Pip Tribe from Pip Interiors. We successfully put together a team of talented local craftsman and creative minds, working with the natural materials of the established building, which included sandstone from Port Arthur. Mum’s kitchen became a hotel reception, the family lounge a foyer, my sibling’s bedrooms became suites and the garages turned into a staff kitchen and office. Hundreds of pieces of sandstone were re-allocated into new spaces. In October 2018 we officially opened Lon Retreat. Over the past six years, the business has grown exponentially and we could not be prouder of our team and what we have all achieved together.
Beneath the property, natural mineral springs flow directly into Lon’s mineral pool, soaking tubs, and stone baths found in two of the suites. What are some of the benefits of mineral water treatments, and how do they enhance the guest experience at Lon Retreat?
It was over a century ago that my ancestors hand-dug to discover the mineral springs running beneath the family farm, which were tapped to water the cattle and orchards (Lucky cows!). Today this same mineral water sourced from the limestone caves running beneath the property provides such incredible therapeutic value to our guests. There is compelling scientific research to support mineral pool bathing and its benefits to our wellbeing. Thermal mineral bathing (and other spa treatments such as muds available in our spa) show their effects through bodily changes creating adaptive responses in the musculoskeletal, circulatory, autonomic nervous, endocrine and immune system. Something we could all benefit from!
The synergistic effects of warm mineral pool bathing along with other modalities offered at Lon such as nature, massage, essential oils, mud wraps, steam therapy, seasonal foods, herbal teas, supplements and simply allowing the self to have time to slow down has profound effects on health and wellbeing. Our hotel guests enjoy unlimited access to our heated mineral pool and soaking tub when staying at Lon, whilst day guests to our spa can add a mineral pool swim to any spa treatment or book in for a private mineral bath or steam.
On top of being one of Victoria’s renowned hotel and resort spas, you also run a sustainable farm on the property, where the fresh produce is used for seasonal grazing platters, breakfast trays and produce boxes. What inspired you to develop a farm-to-table experience for your guests at the hotel?
Our farm-to-table experience is really just an extension of our philosophy of providing authentic experiences with a connection to our beautiful environment. Our guests appreciate the opportunity to taste figs or berries picked fresh from our farm that morning, or take home heritage garlics that are unique and only available from our farm. Our grazing platters are served in our suites or after spa treatments and are constantly changing with the seasons and what the farm is offering, plus we get to work with some incredible local suppliers from The Bellarine Smokehouse to Symons Organic Dairy to Ket Baker.
We have surrounded ourselves with talented producers that we love to share this with our guests. We work with local chefs creating our seasonal in-suite dining menus that give our guests the opportunity to eat fresh, made-to-order meals in the comfort of their rooms out of beautiful Robert Gordon ceramics. Food that can be enjoyed in our guests' own time, in their own way. ‘Not Going Anywhere’ is often our guests' favoured philosophy when staying at Lon.
The walls of Lon Retreat are beautifully decorated with stunning local artwork that you rotate monthly. Who are some of your favourite artists, and why is supporting local artists so important to you?
Our Artist in Residence Program is so important to us - we love celebrating the depth of talent within our local region and inspire artists and photographers by providing the opportunity to roam, sketch, draw, wander and shoot freely throughout our farm, dunes, lakes, beaches and moonah woodlands.
Picking a favourite artist is so hard… they are all so different and always completely surprise and inspire me with what they come up with! Personally, I have loved the works of Anita Barrett, Hannah Nowlan, Amy Wright and Nat Anderson on our walls. So much so I have a piece of each of their works in my home! They are incredible.
What does the perfect day look like at Lon Retreat?
A beautiful sunrise walk around the farm followed by a dip in the ocean. A coffee and freshly made banana bread from our Farm Van. One of our ‘Ocean Goddess’ Rituals at Lon Spa, followed by a farm grazing platter served in our gardens. A read of a good book and an afternoon nap in my suite. A swim in the heated mineral pool followed by a beach walk. Sitting on my suite balcony with my husband, a gin & tonic, an XO Project in-suite meal ready to go…. And of course a gorgeous sunset in front of us…. And nowhere else to be.. Bliss.
