From the moment you step into the spa, you are greeted with the sound of running water and the promise of tranquility.

Kohler Water Spa — Burr Ridge has recently undergone a renovation that expanded the property, added a café, and installed the newest version of the Kohler Vichy showers, designed in partnership with the spa and the feedback of its managers.

The spa features two relaxation rooms, 21 treatment rooms and a “Circle of Tranquility” that is a thermal, hydrotherapy experience. Central to the room is a 25-foot figure eight hot tub with an 8-foot waterfall on the far end that provides a massage-like experience. The room also contains a Himalayan salt sauna, an 8-foot cold plunge pool, a Eucalyptus steam room, and plenty of loungers to relax in.

We recently spoke with Nikki Miller, Global Director of Kohler Waters Spa, about the spa in Burr Ridge that opened in 2008.

Why You’ll Love It: The guests at Burr Ridge love that it is an oasis where they can get away and have a true hydrotherapy experience with the Circle of Tranquility. It doesn’t feel like a day spa. It feels like a resort or hotel spa even though we’re located right in the heart of the shopping complex of Burr Ridge. It is a quiet, tranquil, and relaxed experience. You can stay for the day, which is why the Circle of Tranquility really enhances a visit.

Key Features: Our key features are our beautifully, aesthetically designed multipurpose treatment rooms. We have 21 treatment rooms, including two Vichy rooms and a Kohler bathing room. You can have a very private bathing experience and go right into a massage. 

The Circle of Tranquility has our hot tub with an 8-foot shower, a Himalayan salt sauna, and a eucalyptus steam room. We also have a cool plunge pool, which you’re not going to find at a typical day spa. It’s between 60 and 65 degrees. We really encourage you to take the circuit before and after your service to really enhance the benefits of the service. 

In the recent renovation, we added the café so that we have a food and beverage component, and added a second relaxation room that serves as a meditation room. We are just shy of 14,000 square feet.

We emulate our flagship Kohler Spa, which is the only five-star spa in the Midwest. We train all our therapists with the same touches, the same level of services. We have therapists who have been with us anywhere from 13 to 25 years. 

Snacks Served: The café is fantastic and has a lot of great offerings. Our intention is to have a Mediterranean café with lots of lunch and snack options from paninis to fresh salads. We have cheese and nut mixes, hummus and vegetables, small plates with goat cheese and tomatoes and caprese skewers. There is a lot of variety that will please everyone.

All our smoothies have some sort of health benefit, whether protein, immunity balancing or greens. We try to stay relevant with the trends in wellness.

Bonus: Our Kohler-custom Vichy shower and the new design with the red LED light and chromotherapy. It’s suspended from the ceiling and has six showerheads with three different textures of water. Chromotherapy is used a lot for mental health. The color wheel helps to alleviate some depression and anxiety. It’s nice to have that going in the background of your service to help calm the mind and spirit.

Insider’s Tip: Arrive early. It’s important and critical that you enjoy our Circle of Tranquility. Bring a good book or a journal and set your intention to spend the day. Go with a loved one and connect. Take in the moment, don’t be in a rush. Time goes by so fast and when you’re rushed, you don’t really take in all the moments, all the incredibly amazing experiences. Take time, slow down and read a good book and enjoy the space. 

Splurge Treatment: Anything in our hydrotherapy services. Our “Uniquely Yours” is one of the most luxurious. You can walk through your needs or maybe what you are looking for with your therapist and what you would really like to walk away with. You can have cupping, hot stones or aromatherapy. You can customize anything. You talk through the service with your therapist. You could have the option of having four different modalities included in your massage.

The other is our virtual reality pedicure. While you are having your pedicure, we have VR devices that have all kinds of customized experiences depending on how you are feeling and your mood. We can customize the experience with guided meditations that are specific to conditions you are dealing with such as sleep deprivation, anxiety or whatever it might be. 

Unique Treatment: I’m so proud of our Still Waters. This uses our Vichy shower and a CBD-infused exfoliant. It goes into Shirodhara, where oil is poured in a unique, ancient flow pattern for 8 to 10 minutes on the forehead to stimulate nerve nodes and balance the pituitary and pineal glands. We fill tuning bowls with water and then they sing through the water and create vibrations.  All of this is while you are lying under a Vichy shower. There is a full-body exfoliation and then a full-body moisturizer with CBD. It is a mind, spirit, and soul treatment. 

Insider’s Favorite: Insiders love our seasonal services. Every three months we roll out a seasonal treatment. For the fall we have the Autumn Escape, which includes a pumpkin facial, massage, and pedicure. We’ll roll out a new one in December. There is the anticipation for something new or fun. Insiders know we spend a lot of time creating these new services and really follow the trends. We try to curate services that meet those desires. 

Featured Products: Kohler has its own signature line with a Hollyhock scent. In Kohler, Wisconsin, there used to be three sisters that would go around the village and hand out hollyhock packages and everyone would plant their hollyhocks. When we needed a signature scent, we found out about this story from the Garden Society. Hollyhock was the village flower, so we’ve honored that. Hollyhock is in the shampoo, conditioner and all our hotel amenities.

Our facial line is Phypomere. We felt connected to that line because of the connection to water and that everything they do is through water.

Our massage line is Naturopathica. They have a very holistic and natural approach to life and wellness. They are a strong partner of ours. 

In our male line, we partner with SpaRitual and we’re really happy to be with them. They’re a very clean and sustainable male line that is natural with no smell. 

We don’t do any chemical services, not even acrylic nails. 

COVID Safety: One thing we did right away was install a NASA-approved ventilation system. It’s a unit that goes at the base of our HVAC. It is tested against SARS, influenza, and COVID. 

We are still using plexiglass. All our staff and guests are masked. We always follow CDC and local government guidelines. We do rounds every 20 minutes with the highest level of cleaning products..

For more information, visit the website and follow them on Instagram: @kohlerswatersspa_burrridge

[Photos courtesy of Kohler Waters Spa]

Kohler Waters Spa — Burr Ridge

775 Village Center Drive

Burr Ridge, IL 60527

630-323-7674