CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Hidden in the River West neighborhood near the West Loop, off Superior and down an alley, there is a spa like no other.
It’s in a former paint factory at the more than century-old Devoe & Raynolds building.
"You can only come to this street if you come to Aire. You have to know Aire is here. It's the only thing you see here, that's the magic of it," smiled Borja Garcia Nieto, general manager of AIRE Ancient Baths.
AIRE Ancient Baths Chicago was opened in 2017 and is a 20,000 square foot space that was restored and transformed into 9 baths, based on the traditional Roman and Greek bath experience.
"We see a lot of exposed brick, the original beams are here. We keep the imperfections. That's the way it used to be. That's the way we want it. It reflects the ancient traditions of bath,” Garcia Nieto said.
To avoid crowds, AIRE has a limit on the number of people taking the thermal tour. They accept a certain number of clients per hour and only reserve a specific number of places for people who do not want massages.
It's a place for massage, exfoliation, steam, cold water plunge, salt water baths and overall wellness.
"It's a place to disconnect, a place to relax. We keep the lights dim. We have hundreds of candles everywhere, we have relaxing scents throughout,” Garcia Nieto said.
“The salt water bath is my favorite, salt water where you can float. There are also underwater speakers. We have indoor, outdoor bath, hot waterfalls, and the cold plunges is good for circulation. It helps you with your bloodstream."
AIRE was born in Seville, Spain. Now in eight locations, Chicago is its second location in the United Stations. Each location is chosen especially for its historical and architectural significance.
"Finding the right building sometimes takes years,” Garcia Nieto said. “This is the largest AIRE ever built. We originally looked at an old fire station in Chicago. We first opened in New York. Once we opened there, we realized how much the American culture embraced AIRE. We looked for a cold city, a big city. With cold environments, people look for indoor activities, so Chicago was perfect. This old paint factory was a perfect fit."
Garcia Nieto said mental health and wellness has become more important to people and, as a result, their business is booming.
"It really has worked in Chicago,” said Garcia Nieto. “ We have a staff of 150, and we have 90,000 guests every year. A lot of people are very conscious of mental health, suicides, depression and people are talking about it more. We play a big role in that. I hope we can also set up yoga, hot yoga and other wellness programs."
Experiences run from $175 to more than $1,000.
Nieto said there's something for everyone.
"We call it affordable luxury,” Nieto said. “We have people who come here every week, and we have people here once in a lifetime because they save the money for a high-end experience.
“We offer regular massages like other places too. Our techniques come from Spain, a lot of people don't realize that. We have treatments for every single need. We have 16 massage tables with exfoliation with heated marble. We have hair masks, it's a truly different experience."
A three-hour red wine bath brings a taste of Spain to Chicago, an extravagant experience you won't find anywhere else.
"The red wine experience is a three-hour experience. It's very, very once in a lifetime,” Garcia Nieto said. “We are from Spain, we love red wine. We wanted to bring a piece of Spain to AIRE. You get to soak in red wine while you're drinking wine from the same winery and eat Spanish cheese. You get 30 minutes in the bath, then you get a head massage and full body experience with grape seed oil from the same winery. Red wine is really great for your skin. It's full of antioxidants.”
Aire offers gift certificates for different packages for different occasions.
"We have wedding packages, birthday packages, for singles, for couples, all kinds of combinations of service,” Garcia Nieto noted.
In the end, he said the multisensory experience is about disconnection and escape. He hopes people walk away renewed, refreshed and happier, things that don't come with a price tag.
"For hours, I was out of my phone, out of work, out of my problems. You walk away with a detox,” Garcia Nieto said. “There's no phones, no connection, no nothing. We take care of you, and we make sure you enjoy, and you get to disconnect."
AIRE is opening up several more locations, a second space in New York, and spaces in Los Angeles and Toronto.
For more information or to book services, click here.
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