Avani Cypress Lakes Resort in Pokolbin will mark the first phase of its transformation with a free community weekend from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026.
The three-day opening programme will give Hunter Valley residents an early look at the resort through sunrise yoga, cooking and wine sessions, and outdoor film showings. Live music, aqua golf and the first games on three new pickleball courts are also planned.
The weekend introduces a much larger redevelopment bringing together Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and the adjoining Elysia Wellness Retreat. Spread across 340 acres, the completed Avani Cypress Lakes will combine accommodation, flexible wellness facilities, golf and major event spaces.
Minor Hotels says the project will be Australia’s biggest resort-based integrated wellness precinct. The October opening is only the first stage, with the full redevelopment scheduled for completion during the third quarter of 2027.
“Bring the family, gather your friends and join us for a fun-filled community weekend as we celebrate the launch of Avani Cypress Lakes Resort,” general manager Fraser Ross said.
What to expect during the community weekend
The opening programme begins on Friday with a sunset barbecue and an outdoor cinema screening for children. Activities will continue throughout Saturday and Sunday, giving visitors a relaxed introduction to the resort.
Sunrise yoga will make use of the expansive Hunter Valley setting, while cooking and wine classes reflect the region’s established food and drink culture. Guests will also be able to try aqua golf or watch outdoor cinema screenings, with live music included across the weekend.
The resort’s three pickleball courts are due to be ready for the event. Visitors who want to take part in scheduled activities will need to book at the lobby desk, with availability likely to vary by session.
“This is an opportunity for us to open our doors to the locals as a show of our thanks for the support in the region,” Ross said. “Come and see for yourself Australia’s largest integrated wellness resort and our vision for the future of wellness tourism in the Hunter Valley region.”
Although the community weekend is free, accommodation is separate. The Avani Cypress Lakes Resort website is promoting a Stay 2, Save 20% offer, alongside another 10% discount for guests who join Minor DISCOVERY. Selected bookings can also include up to $150 in resort credit for eligible dining and onsite facilities.
Set among the vineyards of Pokolbin, the resort is around two hours by car from Sydney and approximately one hour from Newcastle Airport. Its location makes the opening weekend practical for both Hunter Valley residents and travellers considering a short regional stay.
A 340-acre resort taking shape in phases
Avani Cypress Lakes is a repositioning of two neighbouring properties rather than a resort built on an undeveloped site. Minor Hotels is combining the existing Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort with Elysia Wellness Retreat under the Avani brand, as outlined in the original development announcement.
Once complete, the resort is expected to offer 204 rooms and suites across two accommodation options. Its established 18-hole golf course will be complemented by 24 meeting and event spaces, two concept-led restaurants, a pool bar and an all-day dining venue.
Leisure additions will include the pickleball courts opening in October, an outdoor cinema and a pool bar with its own DJ booth. Chakraya is among the planned new food offerings, drawing on Sri Lankan flavours and culinary traditions.
The combination gives guests several ways to structure a stay. Golf and time by the pool can form the centre of a weekend, while wellness sessions or family activities can be added without requiring every guest to follow the same programme.
Craig Hooley, chief operating officer of Minor Hotels Australasia, said the company sees potential for the Hunter Valley to develop beyond its familiar vineyard-led breaks.
“We believe the Hunter Valley has all the hallmarks necessary to establish itself as Australia’s home of wellness,” Hooley said. “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.”
AvaniWell will make its Australian debut
The existing Elysia Wellness Retreat will become AvaniWell at Cypress Lakes Resort, introducing Avani’s flexible wellbeing concept to Australia for the first time. The brand initially launched AvaniWell at Avani+ Hua Hin Resort in Thailand in 2024.
Rather than separating wellness guests from the wider resort, the concept allows travellers to choose individual classes and treatments or commit to a structured multi-day programme. Day visitors and Hunter Valley residents will also be able to use the facilities, although specific opening dates and prices have not yet been announced.
The AvaniWell plans call for 70 suites dedicated to wellness, a magnesium pool, 26 rooms for treatments and 10 Pilates reformers. The broader offering will also include spaces for seminars and group activities, along with outdoor cold-plunge pools and infrared saunas, extending the programme beyond traditional spa treatments.
This flexible format is intended to suit guests travelling with companions who have different priorities. One person could join a Pilates class or book a day-spa treatment while others play golf, explore Pokolbin or spend time at the main resort.
“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,” Hooley said.
Family stays and Hunter Valley events
Families will have access to AvaniKids programming centred on movement, creativity and outdoor time. The community weekend offers an early example of that approach through its children’s cinema and accessible sporting activities.
The resort’s scale also makes it a potential venue for corporate retreats, weddings, incentive trips and conferences. Optional programmes linked to its 24 event spaces could bring yoga, golf, pickleball or other outdoor sessions into otherwise conventional meetings.
Avani Cypress Lakes is being developed as a resort combining accommodation, wellness facilities and activities for guests with different priorities.
Rates and packages are due to become available from 1 October, one day before the community weekend begins. The first October facilities will provide only a preview of the finished resort, with further accommodation, restaurant and AvaniWell elements arriving as work continues towards the 2027 completion date.
Avani Cypress Lakes will be the third Avani property in Australasia, following Avani Mooloolaba Beach, which opened in May 2026, and Avani Queenstown, scheduled to launch in September. It will also be the brand’s largest property in the region when the Hunter Valley redevelopment is complete.
