Chicago’s BIÂN isn’t just a spa; it’s a new concept in wellness that brings together multiple services and caretakers in one place. It’s an oasis in a busy city where its members can gather to eat, socialize, work out, meditate, rest or receive spa and medical services. It even has a room where they can nap.

Spa Profile: BIÂN Chicago

There is a doctor on staff and my massage therapist told me they were planning to hire a psychologist. They have several corporate packages so that companies can offer membership at BIÂN to their executive employees as a premier benefit. It’s not only a health and wellness perk, but like private clubs of old, it provides its members a place to connect and to network.

Here’s what you’ll love about BIÂN: 

• There are many social spaces where you can build a community with other members.

• They have assembled a team of experts ranging from Eastern healers and chiropractors to primary care physicians to nutritionists to massage therapists. If it involves wellness, they want to have it available on site.

• Visit their listening room, a labor of love from one of the founders who has collected vinyl records of a wide range of music.

• You can enroll in ongoing classes and events such as Social Hour Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. or a self-care series that includes such things as journaling, aromatherapy, and using color.

My friend Cheryl and I arrived at BIÂN a little earlier than planned and decided to have lunch at their restaurant. It was a Friday afternoon and the place was hopping with young professionals sporting some of the latest trends. The vibe was upbeat and relaxed. People were gathered with friends and colleagues, and everywhere you looked people were laughing and smiling.

We started out with smoothies. I had an Andean smoothie that was refreshing and fruity. I had to Google the main ingredient: lacuma. It was wonderfully complemented with Greek yogurt, banana, unsweetened milk, almonds, cinnamon, dates, and raw honey. Cheryl ordered the Butter Cup smoothie, which is the perfect choice for anyone that likes peanut butter and chocolate. That is the predominant taste, but it also has spinach, banana, and oat milk. I stole a sip as I happen to think peanut butter and chocolate is the world’s best combination of flavors. The smoothie recipes were created by Chef De Cuisine, Ryan Maher.

If you’re not in a smoothie mood, they also have cocktails, mocktails, wines (red, white, sparkling, sake, and draft), beers, coffees, and teas.

BIÂN’s cofounder is acclaimed restaurateur, Kevin Boehm, who leads the food and beverage program. We were there during lunch but they have full menus for all three meals. Chef Maher has, according to their website, “curated a menu based on healthy food that is still craveable. The menu’s mission statement: “Creating the best tasting food, that still aligns with member’s health initiatives.”

Lunch options were many. I was pleased to see that BIÂN is willing to divorce eggplants from tomatoes, a rarity that had me quickly choosing the “whole roasted eggplant” as my lunch option. It came with garlic, yogurt, harissa, macona almonds, and arugula. When it arrived, it was everything I had hoped for. The eggplant was tender with just a touch of spice that was soothed with the yogurt. The almonds gave it a crunchy exterior that made for a scrumptious texture as well as taste. 

Cheryl took advantage of the “Build Your Own Bowl” option where you can select as many options as you want from such categories as base (e.g. jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, greens, quinoa), proteins (e.g., smoked tofu, roasted chicken, poached shrimp), veggies (e.g., spinach, sweet potato, kimchi, avocado, broccoli), toppings (e.g., feta, chia seed, sunflower seeds, almonds, cranberries) and sauces (e.g. miso vinaigrette, spicy peanut sauce, chimichurri, salsa). It’s the ultimate in customized meal with many healthy options to choose from. It arrived with generous portions.

After lunch, we headed downstairs to the locker rooms. A word of advice: if you’re larger than size medium, you may want to bring your own robe. We changed clothes and went to the spa relaxation lounge where we would part ways for several hours.

I was met by Rozanna Shambrook, Director of Therapeutic Services, who took me to a comfortable treatment room. She talked about some of the massage options they have at BIÂN from gua sha and cupping to cyrotherapies and CBD.

A small wooden bench sat below a round mirror to hold any belongings. The massage bed was heated and Shambrook was able to adjust the head piece up and down for greater comfort.

We talked a bit about BIÂN—how they opened slowly in November amid the worst of the pandemic, testing protocols and making sure they could provide a safe environment before opening membership up to greater numbers. 

I then settled quietly into the table and let Shambrook work her magic. She chose aromas that she wafted under my face and used in the oils she massaged onto me. She noted that my neck was stiff and spent extra time there trying to loosen it up.

She had asked earlier if I would like to try cupping and I assented. She explained that sometimes it left marks on the skin for a few days, but that they would quickly fade. As I was not planning to wear anything sleeveless for the rest of the weekend, this did not concern me. She did the cupping along my back and shoulders—it was accompanied by a slight popping noise and greater pressure. It took a bit of getting used to, but it definitely felt good afterward and the marking was slight.

Shambrook customized my massage, searching out the parts of my body that were knotted and paying greater attention to those spots. It was a massage focused on improving my health yet it was still relaxing and enjoyable.

After my massage, I got to chat a bit with the staff who told me what Cheryl was up to. She later told me she had several first-time experiences. She returned to the locker room where she did the steam room and a cold plunge. The cold plunge was in a pool shaped similar to a jacuzzi: 5 feet deep with a ladder. 

“It took me two tries to actually get all the way in,” Cheryl said. “I did not let go of the ladder, but did go in to my chin.”

She continued with the cold treatments by getting a cryotherapy treatment. This involves covering up one’s extremities with mittens and socks and then stepping into a large tube. The platform lifts up so that you are sticking your head out of the top and then the tube closes around you. The temperature lowers to -175 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheryl had high praise for the therapist (she thinks her name was Lisa), who helped walk her through it.

“I was really nervous because I didn’t know how cold cold was going to be, but she was talking to me the entire time,” Cheryl said. “I thought we were still getting colder and colder and she was like, ‘No, you’re at -175 and we only have 50 more seconds. It was really nice that she was there to walk me through the procedure and just talk to me.”

Cryotherapy is a form of cold therapy that can be used to treat sore muscles and joint pain. It is often used by athletes, or at BIÂN, by those who have completed a particularly strenuous workout.

Cheryl then went to a guided meditation, one of many classes offered daily at BIÂN. The wellness center has rooms for Pilates, yoga, and other classes all focused on providing intimate wellness experiences for their members. 

She described her guide as being very friendly, upbeat, knowledgeable, and possessing a soothing voice. There were only three other people going through the guided meditation and they were spaced out and masked.

“They had comfortable pillows for your knees and neck,” Cheryl said. “She used music to soothe you and the guided tour was nice.”

I then met with Emily Mariscal for my facial. I was scheduled to have the Stackable Trio Facial, but Mariscal and I first talked a bit about what my face needed so that she could customize the treatment accordingly. 

The first part of the facial was a Venus radiofrequency treatment. Mariscal used radiofrequency waves to heat my skin. It fools the body into thinking that the skin has been injured so it sends collagen and elastin to the surface to tighten the skin. Mariscal said it would feel like a hot stone massage and she was correct. 

She then followed it up with a three-step Hydrafacial, which cooled my skin down with focused attention through the use of a round wand. Mariscal then cleaned my face and performed extractions where needed. The Stackable Trio Treatment involves a customized mask and Mariscal put together a cryotherapy mask that was delightfully cool and refreshing with just a slight aroma of algae.

While the mask was on my face, she massaged my hands and arms. The remaining steps involved a peptide emulsion and moisturizer. I left with a glowing face that felt fresh and renewed.

I then dozed off in the relaxation lounge while Cheryl had her Express Facial, another first-time experience for her. Once she was done, we were given a tour of the facilities. Throughout BIÂN, there are beautiful prints that show the grey silhouette of bodies in motion. They were created by Karen Herold of Studio K Creative.

We had noticed upon arrival that there was very deliberate use of exposed pipes and cracked cement that was clearly intentional and still managed to look upscale. It was, we were told, “industrial zen.” It was highly effective, creating a luxurious urban environment that felt authentic and very Chicago while still embracing the concepts of wellness and healing.

The downstairs area contains the treatment rooms, locker room, fitness gym area, cryotherapy room, and infrared sauna.

You can also step outside where there is a wraparound patio that overlooks the Chicago River. It has plenty of tables and chairs for those that want to enjoy their meal al fresco. There is also an open area where the chef and others host events and classes.

Going back upstairs, BIÂN has several rooms that make it stand out from other spas. They’re designed for members that may want to spend the entire day at the center. One unique room is a nap room. Members can reserve it for 30- to 120-minute time blocks and rest or nap on a single bed placed in a tranquil room. The bed is made of a handcrafted Hastens mattress from Chicago Luxury Beds. Those napping can embellish their experience with a guided meditation or a massage.

There is also a listening room filled wall-to-wall with more than 1,500 vinyl records organized by mood. You can sit back in comfortable chairs and listen to almost any genre of music.

BIÂN has a well-thought-out concept that focuses on holistic health and social well-being. Members have access to a primary care provider; an advanced fitness center; a yoga, reformer Pilates and strength studio; cryotherapy; holistic apothecary; massage therapist; acupuncturist and Eastern healer; esthetician;  chiropractor, dietician; IV vitamin treatments; and social and dining spaces.

It’s a place for those that have purposeful intentions and a plan for their well-being and health. BIÂN is there to support those plans and provide a sanctuary in downtown Chicago where its members know they belong. 

Cost: Membership: $3,600 annual fee plus $1,000 initiation fee; Stackable Trio Facial: $595; Cryotherapy: $45; Massage $120/60 minutes

Insider Tip: BIÂN will validate your parking pass if you park in the structure next to them. Download the app to schedule classes and to reserve such things as the infrared sauna or nap room.

Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Address: 600 W. Chicago Ave., Suite 001, Chicago, IL 60654

Phone: 312-625-0845

Email: bian@livebian.com

For more information and to book a service, visit the website. Follow BIÂN on Instagram: @livebian

[Images by Bridgette Redman and Cheryl Thompson]

Bridgette Redman, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at www.bridgetteredman.com