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(Photo: Courtesy of Aire Ancient Baths) |
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- Aire Ancient Baths
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88 Franklin St., nr. Church St.; 212-274-3777
It may lack the democratic bustle of Spa Castle, but this Tribeca newcomer�the first North American offshoot of a Spanish mini-chain�brings a certain grandeur to the urban shvitz tradition. In exchange for the steepish cost of entry, you get small groups instead of gawky packs (about 25 people per 90-minute, $75 block), plus access to a staggering suite of amenities. Pools of hot, warm, cold, and ice water, modeled after Greco-Roman and Ottoman rituals, glow in the basement grotto along with jet and salt baths and a steamy hammam. You can tack on a massage (fifteen minutes to an hour and two to four hands for $95 to $210) or book a special treatment�a private bath enhanced with milk, citrus juice, olive oil, cava, or red wine, plus a massage and access to the thermal baths, runs $450 to $500.