Holy Aqua Grotto! We just got the lowdown on the facilities planned at Spa X/O, the 17,000-square-foot “lifestyle center” at Kargil Development‘s upcoming South Loop high-rise, X/O Condominiums. We had a chat with Steve Kass, founder of American Leisure Corporation, the New York-based company behind the design and management of Spa X/O, and has developed similar lifestyle centers at about 75 residential and commercial developments across the world (the rendering depicts one of American Leisure’s lifestyle facilities in New York; Kass says Kargil may opt for a different aesthetic.)
Among the myriad offerings at Spa X/O (media room, exercise facility etc), the “Aqua Grotto” stands out: It features waterfalls, whirlpools and several “Experiential Showers,” which are semi-enclosed computerized showers that offer variable water pressure, the sounds of thunder and lightning and the aroma of impending rain The showers are capable of simulating “a summer thunderstorm in Colorado,” Kass says.
Then there’s the “Social Sauna” – a Finnish-style sauna made of imported Finnish wood, with expansive glass windows. Pleasant aromas are pumped through the chamber while you sit and bake. Or, residents can relax in a Hamam, or Turkish-style heated bath, with the option of mud and aromatherapy treatments.
“The Aqua Grotto is a place to come at the end of day or the weekend and choose to have a very private experience or a very social experience,” Kass says.
These days, “People are so revved up, they can’t shut themselves down,” he says. “One of the things this will provide for people is a way to relax and de-stress. It’s all related to what I call ‘time famine.’ People are just very busy with business, work and their social life that this really puts everything at your doorstep.
“I also think, from a social point of view, it’s a very safe environment for people to meet one another and interact without being in an artificial setting like a bar.”
Spa X/O’s rooftop has a landscaped garden and a “Misting Park,” featuring a tall aparatus that emits fine vapors. “It’s like at the supermarket where you see the sprays misting the vegetables,” Kass says.