I arrived at Chuan Spa at The Langham, Chicago with high expectations. I was long overdue for a spa visit. The last time I was in a spa, the world was different, my body was different. I walked through the Moon Gate, a circular entrance designed to be a portal where you leave your cares behind and begin a new journey.

Spa Profile: Chuan Spa at The Langham, Chicago

There were three things I wanted—things physical, mental, and emotional. Physically, my entire body was hurting with various muscle seizures and spasms. Mentally, I was experiencing a deep exhaustion from many months of overwork that couldn’t be fixed with a nap or a good night’s sleep. Emotionally, it was the one-year anniversary of my father’s death. In other words, I was prepared for an experience of renewal and healing, and I would not be disappointed.

COVID-19 Safety Updates and Protocols:

• The Langham, Chicago and Chuan Spa institute the COVID-19 protocols that are currently in effect with the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois and can change without notice.

• As of August 23, everyone over the age of 2 years old, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask while in public spaces.

Here’s what you’ll love about Chuan Spa: 

• Chuan Spa is designed to provide the total spa experience from beginning to end. You can make a day of it at the spa whether you have one service or many.

• The locker rooms have a series of three saunas and steam rooms, along with cold rain showers, and you can jump in-between rooms.

• The staff is genuinely warm and very attentive without ever interrupting your experience. They’re quick to answer questions and to make suggestions on how to enhance your stay.

• The relaxation rooms and spa reception area are truly places where you can get your spa experience head on and forget that there is a world outside of Chuan’s walls.

The staff at Chuan Spa, like the staff at the Langham Hotel in which the spa is located, were all warm and friendly, welcoming their guests by name, concerned for their comfort, and willing to do whatever was needed to exceed expectations. My friend Cheryl was with me and they agreed to give us our tour together even though our service appointments were at different times. 

The spa team member who greeted us brought us each a glass of sparkling wine and introduced the spa to us, explaining that Chuan Spa is built on a combination of Eastern and Western modalities and philosophies. She pointed out the yin and yang embedded in the design, how one side of the hallway was light and the other was dark. While she did not show us the men’s locker room, she told us it was designed in dark colors while the women’s locker room was designed in light colors.

She showed us the comfortable spa reception rooms, informing us at that point that the name of the spa translated to “flowing waters,” which is why there were two water features on either side of the lounge with water flowing down filling the room with the restful sound of falling water. There was a beverage station with water and tea setups. She also gave us a tour of the fitness area, the 67-foot heated pool, and hot tub.

But the locker room was the highlight of the tour and it was where we retired as soon as the tour was over as we still had an hour before my service. First, the spa team member made sure we had robes and slippers of the right size.

The robes are well worth taking time out to describe. They were designed for comfort, alternating terry cloth with a thinner lining that allow it to fit better on the body. It also contained a large pocket for keeping the spa key card in (or whatever else you might take with you). There was a spa locker room attendant who was always cleaning and available to answer questions. 

Oversized, comfortable towels were available everywhere along with hooks to hang them on. Passing through the standard shower areas, you get to the area where there are saunas, a steam room, cold rainfall showers, and heated relaxation loungers.

Our spa guide recommended that we do the heat rooms in the order that they were from the entrance. So, we started out in the Himalayan Salt Stone sauna. The warmth enveloped us, easing our muscles and preparing us for the body treatments to come.

After about 10 minutes in there, we moved to the steam room, where blasts of steam and eucalyptus opened our pores and invited us to breathe more fully. Cheryl said that was her favorite of the three: “I really enjoyed that one. It opened up my air passages and the menthol smell made me relax.”

We reluctantly left that room when it got to the point where we could not take any more heat. I stepped across the hallway and into one of the cold rainfall showers. While they told us the waters were cold, it was actually more lukewarm. It was nowhere near hot, but it wasn’t an icy, bracing cold either. It was actually quite comfortable and prepared me for the final dry sauna—the herbal sauna.

Our guide had told us that the herbal sauna was her favorite and it was easy to see why. It is an aromatherapy experience, one in which the scents of sage and lavender filled the room. 

As if these three rooms were not relaxing enough, we then moved to the locker room relaxation lounge where there were heated stone recliners. We sank into them, with the heat warm and inviting. It was then I finally felt like I had my spa head on. The world outside the spa had ceased to exist and we both had permission to slow down, to sit, to relax, to nurture ourselves, and to know that we were worthy of being nurtured.

Cheryl, who had not been to a resort spa before, said it was there that she finally understood the attraction of spa. “I really got into the whole spa thing and saw what things were about in the room with the heated stone chairs,” she said. 

Time flew by and it was time for me to move to the spa reception room where I leaned back in the comfortable chair, closed my eyes, and listened to the falling water. Cheryl had high praise for that room’s experience. “It was a public room but it felt private,” she said. “Even though there were people going in and out, it was still calming and not disruptive to what you were thinking and feeling.”

My therapist, Anna, came out to greet me and brought me to the room, explaining all the details of what my CBD Renew and Nourish Treatment would involve. As she walked through it, she checked in with me about whether I was comfortable with each element—was I willing to have my stomach treated? Was a scalp massage OK? Did I want my feet touched and massaged? She asked me what kind of pressure I wanted and encouraged me to tell her if something wasn’t what I wanted.

She also asked me what specific needs I had and we talked a little about what my body had gone through recently and what it needed on this specific day.

The earthy tones of the room contrasted with the pure brightness of the attached shower and bathroom area, sliding doors with cranes dividing the two. She gave me time to remove my robe and lie face down on the bed, in between a set of towels. 

When she returned, she placed two shoulder pads, lifting me up slightly so that I was not smushing my breasts quite so much. She began with the exfoliation treatment, rubbing a combination of Himalayan salts, French Grey Sea Salts and CBD—the “nourish” part of the treatment. It felt heavenly to be scrubbed and exfoliated. 

It was the first time I’d had a CBD treatment. Cannabis oil helps to relax you, but it doesn’t give you the high that ingesting or inhaling the plant does. I felt a cloud of relaxation pass over me as my body began to unwind.

Anna then started the shower in the attached room and came back to wash my feet and back off with warm, wet towels. She told me she’d give me 10 to 15 minutes to shower and that I’d need to scrub well because the salts and oils like to cling to the body. 

Like in the guest rooms and the locker room, there was a rainfall spout and a massage wand, and both were available. I took a leisurely shower then returned to the room where the bed had been reset for the second part of the treatment.

Anna returned and began the 50-minute massage using CBD oils and lotions. She used her expert fingers to untie the many knots in my body. At one point she said, “I can tell you haven’t had a massage for a while,” and she was absolutely right. There was far too much work to be done in a single massage session, but she made sure my body was in far better shape at the end of the 50 minutes than it was at the beginning.

She was attentive and noticed when the massage was hurting so she made adjustments and kept checking in with me. When I stood up at the end of the treatment, I sighed in relief. I thanked Anna, telling her, “You not only loosened the knots in my body, you have helped me release the deep-seated sorrow I’ve been carrying in my muscles.”

Anna brought me out to the spa reception lounge and gave me a delicious glass of coconut water. I sank into the chair, enjoying the water until Cheryl came out of her service.

When we first parted, Cheryl enjoyed the heated pool and the jacuzzi. She then received the Chuan Feet Retreat—a treatment that begins with warm towels infused with essential oils, an exfoliation treatment with elemental oil and herbal salt, a foot masque with peppermint, lemon and cypress, and an acupressure massage.

Cheryl said the therapy room had a heated cot and bed, and the therapist explained the service to her then asked her questions about what she did throughout her day—whether she was on her feet or sitting at a desk. Based on Cheryl’s answers, the therapist prescribed a treatment. 

“She was very nice,” Cheryl said. “She told me to get as comfortable as I wanted and always asked whether the bed was comfortable enough, is this a good pressure? It was just really divine. She massaged not just my feet, but from my knees down, including my calves and the side of my legs. I didn’t really know I had knots and tension, but I did and it was just really therapeutic.” 

We then did another round of the saunas and steam room before enjoying the rainfall showers. I ended up taking five showers during my afternoon sojourn at Chuan Spa.

The spa retail area is located near the reception desk and we spent some time perusing the items. The spa receptionist was extremely knowledgeable about the products and shared what some of her favorite products were and how she used them. They had a collection that included Chuan’s signature products, [comfort zone] and KNESKO. They also had a selection of robes and workout clothes.

While neither of us partook of the spa cuisine (the hotel was keeping us very well fed), I did take time to look at the spa menu. You can fill out an order form and they’ll bring you the drinks and food at the pool area. 

Their starters include many things that are on the restaurant menu, along with such things as mango coconut chia pudding with raspberry and basil, salmon poke with ginger mojo and avocado, calamari, and a cheese or charcuterie plate.

There were also three salads to choose from and three sandwiches. The sandwiches included lobster roll, chef’s prime burger and sweet potato black bean burger. There was an extensive list of juices, beer, sparkling wine, champagne, red and white wines.

If the food was of the same quality as that available in the hotel restaurant and the hotel club floor—it would be a meal to be savored.

The next day, we visited the spa one more time as the locker room and pool area are available to all guests. It was hard to say good-bye because the overall experience was so very relaxing and indulgent, and made even better by the attentive and caring staff. 

Chuan Spa had invited us on a journey of health and wellness where we left the rest of the world behind. I left feeling renewed, awake, and having shed the exhaustion and sorrow that I had brought with me.

Cost: CBD Renew and Nourish ($460/2 hours); Chuan Feet Retreat ($180/1 hour)

Insider Tip: Take a swimsuit and leave yourself plenty of time to enjoy all the amenities including the pool and the jacuzzi. You don’t want to have to rush or miss out on any of the opportunities to shower, steam or relax. Valet parking is available to all-day spa users.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

Address: 330 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Phone: 312-923-7650

Email: tichi.spaconcierge@chuanspa.com

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

[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