Leading float & wellness brand, City Cave, will open its first Victorian locations from this November and December.

Ivanhoe, West Melbourne, Carnegie and Braybrook will be home to the fastest-growing health & wellness centre, with each location offering a range of Float Therapy, Infrared Sauna and Massage Services.

With 60 locations across Australia and New Zealand, the expansion into Victoria demonstrates a demand for float therapy alongside infrared sauna treatments.

City Cave aims to not only focus on the maintenance of physical health but also address mental health with alternative therapies to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and stress.

A big point of difference Victorian customers can expect from City Cave is an attention to detail for all elements throughout the entire experience. Each layout is designed and specifically developed to include a dedicated relaxation space for both pre and post-treatments, with customers invited to spend as much time relaxing as needed.

This offering is followed up with a range of curated teas designed to encourage relaxation, complemented by an atmosphere of City Cave-own signature essential oil blends - which are also used during massage treatments.

Tim Butters, City Cave Co-Founder & CEO, said: “We currently operate 60 locations primarily across QLD and NSW, and as the business has grown, what we have identified is key learnings to come into the Victorian market with.

“Melbourne has more float centres than any other city, they are a market that is already well educated on what the offering is - which from our end, is preferable.

“This allows us the opportunity to tell a new narrative and share a new experience as to why City Cave float therapy is the best,” said Tim Butters.

Contrary to popular belief, float therapy is not a new phenomenon. The first flotation treatment was invented in 1954 by Dr John C. Lilly - a neuropsychiatrist interested in the effects of sensory deprivation and how this impacted the conscious state of the brain.

While float therapy has grown in popularity in recent years, City Cave provides an entirely different approach.

The float experience involves lying in a pool filled with 400kg of Epsom salts with water that is perfectly heated to the external body temperature. This process helping to heal the body, reduce stress and anxiety, and immerse the body into a deep relaxation.

Whereas a typical float centre generally utilises pods, City Cave uses a uniquely developed design of open pools in private rooms equipped with private showers - all being designed and manufactured in Australia.

Complementing the float therapy experience are the City Cave infrared saunas. In a traditional sauna, users are sitting in a hot room of 80-105°C, whereas an infrared sauna heats the body directly in a 38-52°C heat. The gentle infrared heat raises the body’s core temperature and stimulates the metabolism, lymphatic system, immune and cardiovascular systems.

The City Cave infrared saunas generate a deeper sweat to push out more toxins from the body. This process promotes healing on all levels including pain relief, increased circulation, skin purification and muscle relaxation.

Additionally, customers can burn up to 600 calories in a 45 min session.

Not to mention also being able to plug into the surround system to listen to music or a podcast, watch a film, read a book or just quietly relax.

Founded in 2016 by Jeremy Hassel and Tim Butters - the pair’s first experience of float tank therapy involved the two of them BYO’ing towels, sitting on plastic garden chairs and drinking out of old mugs.

Having loved the float tank experience itself, the pair wanted to create an elevated experience from beginning to end.

“All of our services are targeted towards lowering the customers’ sensory input, but beyond that, from the moment the customer steps through the door, we’re working to relax the mind leading into the treatment itself.

“Our Recovery Space will often see guests sit there for an hour post-treatment just relaxing.

“Even down to the filter rooms and filtration systems - we actually built these behind the float pools themselves, meaning we’re able to work on these without the customers seeing, their experience isn’t impacted.

“A big focus from our end is not relying on the therapies themselves, but moreso, the overall experience the customer can expect at a City Cave location,” said Tim Butters.

Already operating five City Cave franchises, Damian Copplechia, will open two of the four Victorian locations - Ivanhoe & West Melbourne.

“We are really excited to be launching into Melbourne with Damian, he is an incredibly strong franchisee and really understands the business, it’s a great partnership,” said Tim Butters.

“We have a strong emphasis on the customer experience and ensuring the customer is well looked after. We love nothing more than when a customer loves the experience, and to receive great feedback following a treatment is wonderful.

“As soon as someone tries City Cave, they love it,” said Damian Copplechia

Victorian customers can look forward to the benefit of enjoying float therapy, infrared sauna and massage services at each single City Cave location - a complete haven for relaxation.

City Cave Victorian locations will open from November:

• Braybrook - 330 Ballarat Road, Baybrook

• Ivanhoe - 19 Bell Street, Ivanhoe

• West Melbourne - 185 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne

• Carnegie - 360 Neerim Road, Carnegie

For more information and locations visit: citycave.com.au.