Chicago is known for being the windy city, having great nightlife, deep dish pizzas and disappointing its sports fans. However, chances are you don’t think of Chicago as the relaxing oasis that it absolutely is. In this special section, we will highlight our favorite spas in Chicago that are bound to melt the tightness in your back, rejuvenate your skin and leave you with a clear mind when your done.
The Spa at Virgin Hotel
The Spa at Virgin Hotel (2015)
The first Virgin Hotel opened up in downtown Chicago earlier this year, and it brought along with it a number of must-visit venues. Along with a popular, chic rooftop bar there’s the travel brand’s first restaurant, Miss Ricky’s, which gives a tasty take on classic American dining and the brand-new The Spa, which just opened this summer and will be featured in all future Virgin Hotels. The spa’s lobby has a beautiful, rich oak fireplace that’s surrounded by ornate marble. After being greeted by an attendant, you’re led into the locker rooms that are stocked with plush bathrobes and encouraged to unwind in the steamy unisex space. Signature treatments include the Red Flower Hammam (90 min/$175), a detox ritual that includes a coffee-based body scrub, a Moroccan clay body wrap, a facial, and a deep-tissue body massage, and the Radiance Body Facial (90 min/$175), a six-step treatment that awakens and exfoliates the skin with antioxidant rich berry scrub, a wrap with collagenboosting organic mushrooms, a scalp or foot massage, an organic milk cleanse, a mist with pure plant hydrosols, and a body massage with regenerating berry oils. You’ll leave floating on air with your skin glowing. Geared toward both guests on holiday and busy professionals, The Spa offers both lengthy signature treatments as well as quick fixes, such as an acupressure face massage. https://virginhotels.com/chicago/
Men’s Grooming Parlor (2013)
Men’s Grooming Parlor
With its rich, masculine tones and vintage photos of iconic hombres like Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, and Tom Selleck sprinkled throughout, owner and esthetician Matt Leyes likes to describe the décor at his boutique men’s day spa aimed at gay men as the retreat of a world adventurer. After spending a few minutes relaxing in his waiting room, Matt entered in his work apron and sat down with me to chat. To keep the atmosphere intimate, guest visits are one at a time at the Men’s Grooming Parlor and Matt likes to tailor each guest’s experience to include a one-on-one talk session as part of the therapy. Services include waxings (starting at $38 per 1/2 hour), trimmings, facials (starting at $99) and microdermabrasion. I opted for a custom-designed facial to rejuvenate a face burnt heavily by copious amounts of beach time. Matt led me into the treatment room where he gave me time to undress and get comfy. He and I chatted amiably as he scrubbed various lotions into my face, massaged my temples, and diligently removed blackheads from my skin with his fingers. It was so relaxing, I was in a daze afterward. He has a beautiful room for rinsing off and cleaning up, but this time around I just sat in silence and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked and felt great. www.mensgroomingparlor.com
Elysian Spa, Waldorf Astoria (2012)
The next time you’re in Chicago, check out the fourth-floor Elysian Spa & Health Club at the Waldorf Asroria. Whatever time of year, this is a wonderful place in which to disappear completely, if only temporarily, from the hustle and bustle of the city below. At 14,000 square feet it’s like Candyland for stressed out adults (who have some cash to spend). Try this: Book a Spa Shave with Oscar, a third-generation master barber who has previously worked at both Gillette and the Art of Shaving. Oscar doesn’t deliver your everyday buzz cut. In addition to giving you a top-notch trim, the treatment
doubles as a facial and he is full of knowledge and stories about the techniques and products used in the treatment (30 min/$45). When it comes to massage, one of my favorites here is their Lava Shell Massage. Using warm lava shells, your therapist will glide them across your body to alleviate muscle tension and increase blood circulation. (60/90 min/$220-$285). Afterward hit up the private men’s sauna, steam room or whirlpool or relax in the lounge where fancy snacks, beverages, and reclining chairs await. A day pass includes access to both the sun deck and fitness center and also in and out privileges. Yes, this means you may feel free to soak, shop nearby Michigan Avenue, then return to the Elysian and soak some more. www.waldorfastoria.hilton.com
Elysian Spa, Waldorf Astoria
King Spa & Sauna (2012)
While soaking in a perfectly piping hot whirlpool, every care and worry melting as quickly as snow in April, I struck up a conversation with an airline pilot who told me he was en route to Los Angeles via Europe when inclement weather in the Midwest forced a landing in Chicago. The clearly stressed pilot told me he was instructed by a coworker to get in a cab and get to King Spa and Sauna immediately. He was given good advice. This traditional and squeaky clean Korean sauna, which operates 24/7 is Chicagoland’s newest “chicken soup for the soul” located just 16 miles from downtown Chicago and 11 miles from O’Hare International Airport. Toss away your cares and your clothing and have an au natural soak in your choice of cold, warm, or hot whirlpools, or hit the steam room for additional relaxation. Afterward, hit the coed spa where you can try out an array of thrilling, albeit kitschy looking, themed saunas like the chilly Ice Room, the Zen-like Amethyst Room, or a half-a-dozen others. You can snooze in one of the relaxation rooms (many of the Korean clientele aren’t shy about spending the night here) catch a film in the movie theatre, or grab a bite of bibim-bab in the food court, all for just $25 (body scrubs start at $45 and massages start at $80). www.kingspa.com
King Spa & Sauna
THE PENINSULA SPA BY ESPA
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
When staying at one of the best hotels in the world, you’d naturally hope to find one of the best spas. The Peninsula Spa by ESPA in Chicago delivers almost sheer perfection. The wellness center’s spacious locker room is shared by a select number of fitness facility members, where one of the major draws is a half Olympic-sized swimming pool at the top of the hotel, adjacent the spa. Following a short swim, I changed into my robe and made my way to the spa’s relaxation area, that I didn’t find very relaxing. In fact, it resembled more a post-op surgical recovery room in a very posh cosmetic surgeon’s office. The obligatory tea service was a nice touch, but difficult to negotiate while lounging in a robe with someone directly across from me. Fortunately, I wasn’t here to simply lounge around in a revealing robe all day. What brought me to the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel was a signature treatment called the Uplifting Mint Experience (120 min, $325). From the moment my therapist collected me, I could tell I was in good hands. It can be hard to describe the intuitive reaction I sometimes get with a spa practitioner, but an understated confidence that is sometimes exhibited makes me melt before I even hit the table. She started off with a ceremonial foot ritual, using fresh mint. These cleansing foot rituals are done before most treatments here and are a signature of the Peninsula brand. A skin softening mint and apricot kernel body scrub prepared my body for the massage to come. Following a rinse in my private shower, I received a stress-reducing massage with a refreshing mint-infused oil, said to have many therapeutic effects, including alleviating headaches. My favorite part of a massage is always scalp and facial work, and the two most memorable aspects of this experience were the cleansing foot ritual and the exquisite cranial massage that eliminated any vestiges of tension. www.peninsula.com
The Peninsula Spa by ESPA
THE SPA BY ASHA, THE JAMES
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
The James, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and included in both Travel + Leisure’s “It List” and Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List,” has built a reputation by satisfying a sophisticated clientele. High-tech amenities, original art exhibitions, and warm hospitality, just a few steps away from the Magnificent Mile, are among the reasons people come back to this memorable Windy City favorite. The Spa by Asha continues the hotel’s theme of subdued, small-scale elegance, with treatments including a Triple Moisture Massage designed to rehydrate tired skin (90 min, $185), a Neti Massage to relieve sinus pressure (60 min, $75), and a Hydrating Belly Treatment for pregnant women (90 min, $185). Each spa service includes an aromatherapy footbath, and anyone who arrives early may relax using an herb-scented neck pillow. The spa has just three treatment rooms, but part of the pleasure of the James is that treatments can be easily enjoyed in your own room. The on-site relaxation experts have come up with an effective program for this; in-room treatments begin with a shower ritual that includes mango-and-lime body cleanser, followed by a blend of sugar cane and jojoba oil. The guestroom itself is transformed into a de facto personal spa, with dim lighting and fragrant candlelight. You just might forget you’re in a hotel room. www.jameshotels.com
