The holidays are over and Q1 is in full swing.
But before we return to normalcy, a reset is in order.
And there’s no better place for that than Aire Ancient Baths, now open in River West.
Modeled on the luxuriant bath houses of Ancient Rome, it’s a 20,000-square-foot, lantern-lit grotto that offers thermal bath sessions via a series of specialized pools.
In other words: it’s about as far from a Chicago winter as you can get.
The new Chicago locale marks the Spanish company’s first U.S. location outside of New York (there are four throughout Spain). In addition to Ancient Aire’s signature hydrotherapy pools (warm, hot, ice water), there are a pair of eucalyptus steam rooms, a swim-in/swim-out pool that leads to an outdoor waterfall, a jet-propelled bath and a saltwater “flotarium” that’s as dense as the Dead Sea.
You can’t go wrong with the main thermal bath experience, which gives you free reign to enjoy the facilities at your own pace for 90 minutes, but do tack on a little extra somethin’ somethin’ to make it worth your while — from the four-handed massage (“two therapists, four hands on your body”) to a red wine bath (yes, really).
Important things to keep in mind: Each session has a maximum occupancy, so peace and quiet are guaranteed. And Ancient Aire will supply you a bathing suit if you don’t have one.
Perhaps most importantly, it’s co-ed. So that sultry red wine bath? Grab a special someone and make a reservation for two.
Happy relaxing.
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