AIRE Ancient Baths: Urban Oasis in Chicago

Ambiance was best thing along with customer service Hot tubs weren’t very hot especially whirlpool whos jet’s were not in a position to actually massage your back. Steam room was slightly warm. Cold plunge wasn’t cold maybe cool but no health benefits as warmer than 60 degrees. Best room was outdoor waterfall space. Salt scrub nice but shower to rinse off was supposed to be warm but never warmed up despite what staff said. Needed 2 showers at this “starting point” so there was a line. Warm marble was a plus. Bubbly juice cava and chocolates nice Towels were old and strings hanging off them. Shower in locker room had old shaver in it. Very tight spaces Massage guy we had was very bad at massages. Dark hair/shorter (I’ll leave out his name) We had couples massage and Christoph was good though. One bathroom for all spa with pools and massage rooms area so often a wait. Fun to try once but good to know hot and cold tubs not what might be expected. Locker room- Nice area to get ready in but bring your own comb or brush. They provide a flimsy Comb

My husband and I booked one of the valentines packages which included access to the baths as well as a couples massage. After reading some recent negative reviews, I was a little anxious about our experience because it is pricey and we did pre-pay. I'm so glad I didn't let those reviews sway my decision to book because we had such a good experience! Staff was welcoming and friendly and provided us with a tour of the facility and instructions for our visit since this was our first time. We enjoyed all of the various pools, baths and steam rooms and were called for our massages toward the end of our allotted time, which I thought was perfect. My husband and I are frequent spa visitors and are particular about massage and we both had a good experience here. My therapist used firm pressure as I requested and was able to relax my neck and shoulders. The hot stones were a perfect finishing touch. After the massages, we had just enough time to take a final soak in the baths before heading out. The checkout process was smooth and we were on our way. We both felt relaxed the entire rest of the day! Thank you AIRE for a perfect Valentine's Day treat! We will be back!

Been coming here for a long time… And for all the reason i loved this place. This time around it was the opposite. we waited the longest time for our massages, Way too long. 2 hours… the massage was ok at best… almost no pressure from the masseuse, even when asked for a bit more. A bit disappointing… was looking for some tension relief, but it wasn’t gonna happen with that. Also, the massage was in the room upstairs. The noise was so loud coming from the hvac ducting (something was loose and banging), to add to that, there was no music that you typically have at aire to drown that out…. Lastly, locker room cleanliness was poor. Towels overflowing the bin, Aire slippers all over the floor, the locker room attendant was sitting on the sink, swinging his legs. Honestly I’ve never experienced this before… Aire, what happened?

I was gifted an experience at Aire Baths, and for the most part, it was amazing! We didn't know what to expect, but we were truly satisfied with the service we received, with one exception: the massage. After reading reviews dating back several months, I realized that other people had experienced the same issue. Let me start at the beginning. I made my reservation for a Sunday at noon. When we arrived, we were told that our reservation had been canceled. Naturally, I was confused because I hadn't canceled it. We were asked to take a seat while the staff looked into the matter, and they quickly figured it out. Brittany at the front desk did a wonderful job explaining what had happened. In the end, it turned out to be an error on my end, but she remained friendly, professional, and accommodating. She offered us another date and time and even compensated us for parking. Thank you, Brittany! The bath experience was everything I needed to cleanse my soul. The waterfall area and the eucalyptus sauna quickly became our favorite places. The atmosphere was peaceful, relaxing, and exactly what we had hoped for. Now, on to the massage. My wife and I were in the same room. She had a female therapist, and I had a male therapist. Unfortunately, our experiences were completely different. My therapist spent most of the session lightly rubbing my feet and legs. He never touched my hands, fingers, neck, or head, all of which my wife received during her massage. He did ask whether there were any areas I wanted him to focus on, and I mentioned that I had tension in my upper shoulder area and that I had a shoulder injury. He concentrated primarily on the injured shoulder and very little else. I was genuinely surprised when he told me the session was over. My first thought was, "Wait, where was the rest of the massage?" I would really like to see Aire invest in more experienced massage therapists, especially since this appears to be a recurring concern among guests. That said, the massage experience did not ruin our visit. I would absolutely return, and I would still recommend Aire to my family, friends, and coworkers.

I visited AIRE Ancient Baths Chicago and overall had a good experience. The baths themselves are beautiful, relaxing, and well-maintained — a great place to unwind and disconnect. However, the massage package could definitely be improved, especially considering the price of $700. It didn’t quite match the level of expectation for that cost. That said, the overall atmosphere and experience were still enjoyable, and I’d consider coming back, just maybe without the package next time.