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AIRE Ancient Baths

Michaela Atiae, Staff Writer

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3 weeks ago

While there are plenty of spas in New York City with top-grade amenities, they lack a key component of luxury: privacy. The foundation of most spa experiences is to come away from your session relaxed and revitalized, right? But when you’re one of many trying to enjoy a limited space, the magic of peace wavers at the discretion of fellow guests. At AIRE Ancient Baths, the fate of your zen isn’t as easily disrupted by a giggling hoard of teenagers or a couple that’s forgotten they’re in public.

There are three reasons for this: No phones or photos allowed during the session. Encouragement of silence and respect (we’re talking about you, PDA lovers), and the golden rule of the three: a limited amount of occupancy per hour. AIRE New York, Upper East Side, opened just last month and hosts sixteen guests at a time.

Location

The Upper East Side location isn’t the first of the AIRE empire. There are nine facilities globally, starting in Seville, Spain, nearly 25 years ago. The CEO, Amadeo Serra, wanted to recreate the baths of the ancient world in historical buildings. Many of the spaces needed restoration, but the bones of the buildings always remain. AIRE in Tribeca, for instance, was a textile factory in the 1800s. The London location was once the wine cellars of the Peter Pan author’s townhouse. As for the newest portfolio addition, the 120-year-old building acted as a storage space for the Museum of Modern Art. Now 9,600 square feet house your newest exclusive spa stay.

The Circuit

AIRE UES has a few specialties that set it apart from other New York locations. There’s the fact that the building was used for filming in the John Wick movie as a multi-level club (an automatic brag). However, this location is the only AIRE facility with a saltwater pool you can float in. Did we mention that it’s suspended between the two floors? The Flotarium is otherworldly, with a glass floor that allow the glowing blue of the water to shine down onto the rest of the bathing quarters. Underwater jets guide you through gentle spins around the pool, and the low hum of meditative music will have you forgetting where you are entirely. Your only indication of the passing of time is the sound of a gong. The sound signifies the halfway mark and a warning to wrap up the experience.

The rest of the thermal circuit includes the Caldarium (104F), where you can simmer like a soup, two Tepidariums (97F), the Frigidarium (50F), a Balneum jet bath that is so rambunctious it’s a massage on its own, and a steam room. Exposed brick, ceiling beams, and hundreds of candles and lanterns complete a safe space to shut the rest of the world out.

Add Ons

You can keep your experience to the circuit and have a worthwhile stay. But you can also add a juice or wellness shot to your package. The space also has warm pots of complimentary mint tea and fruity waters. Private massages and body rituals are available, with twelve massage tables and two marble exfoliation beds. From couples massages to The Signature Monet Experience (an Upper East Side exclusive), you’re bound to leave the space calmer than before.