'Tis the Season to Soak in Chicago's Ancient Romanesque Baths

Humans have always had the urge to soak. From ancient Rome to the Ottoman Empire, we spent centuries bathing in spectacular spaces—public baths were even once thought of as fundamental to civilization. We've since traded these thermal cathedrals for cement-lined swimming pools, but there's a Midwestern spot where the grandeur of the past is back: AIRE Ancient Baths Chicago.

Pronounced AYE-ray (Spanish for "air"), AIRE is a descent into a 20,000-square-foot subterranean world of marble, wood, salt, and steel—and, of course, water. Let's dive in.

The AIRE Formula

AIRE—a Spanish-owned company with eight locations across Europe and North America—favors historic buildings, and AIRE Chicago is no different: The Devoe & Raynolds Building, a circa-1900 paint factory in the River West neighborhood, underwent a two-year, $10 million restoration to bring out its spa side.

"We meticulously select locations that embrace the rich heritage of each city," says Andrea Trillo, AIRE's global marketing director. "For Chicago, we kept the original exposed brick, wooden beams, and industrial columns to showcase the building's history." Hundreds of candles and the scent of orange blossoms, she adds, transform the historic space into a tranquil oasis. With two-foot-thick walls, the sights and sounds of Chicago might as well be 2,000 miles—or years—away.

The Aire Experience

Once checked in at the lobby (reservations required), guests leave behind their cell phones—the outside world isn't allowed any further into this world of calm. Robes, slippers, and a locker are provided in the changing rooms; swimsuits, plus that robe and those slippers, are mandatory. From there, it's down into AIRE's cave-like, Romanesque world of water.

Dimly lit signs—in Latin—hint at what's in store: Caldarium (102º), Frigidarium (57ºand 50º), Balneum (Bath of Thousand Jets), Vaporium (Steam Bath), and Flotarium (which touts the same salt content as the Dead Sea). Though guests are free to wander after a brief tour, Trillo suggests starting with the Tepidarium, a bathing pool that mirrors the body's temperature at 97º. There's also a salt station for exfoliation, aromatherapy steam rooms, and an indoor-outdoor pool with waterfall, unique to Chicago.

Beyond the candlelight, solfeggio frequencies, and brick-and-marble grandeur, AIRE has one main policy that ensures guests a meditative, ethereal experience: Only 24 guests—all adults—are allowed in the baths at any given time, which includes those getting private treatments like massages, salt rituals, or wine-bath soak. To get the facility even more to yourself, Trillo tips off that weekdays in the morning are your best bet.

First-timers typically go for AIRE's Ancient Thermal Bath Experience, a 90-minute self-guided sojourn across the baths, steam rooms, and plunge pools (entry starts at $145 per person). Every 45 minutes, guests hear the sounds of a Tibetan singing bowl, indicating where they are on their meditative journey. This author can confirm: It will be over too soon.

To book: beaire.com. Eighteen and older only.

More Great Spa Experiences Across the Midwest

Kohler Waters Spa, Kohler, Wisconsin

The only five-star spa in the state of Wisconsin, Kohler Waters Spa—in Kohler, about an hour north of Milwaukee—offers plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, waterfalls, a glass-enclosed rooftop deck and more, plus an extensive range of treatments, from hydrotherapy to acoustic baths.

Glacial Waters Spa at Grand View Lodge, Gull Lake, Minnesota

The historic Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake dates to 1916, but the onsite spa is state-of-the-art. Fresh off a 2022 renovation, Glacial Waters Spa provides a wealth of treatments, from massages to halotherapy.

Four Seasons Hotel, St. Louis

The second-largest in the Four Seasons' portfolio, this 12,000-square-foot spa includes a tranquility pool, infrared sauna, relaxation lounges, and more. Those looking for a private experience can book their own steam room—or even book the spa after dark.