Luxury bathhouse brand Aire Ancient Baths has opened the doors to its newest New York City retreat, marking its second Manhattan location and ninth destination globally.

Known for transforming historic buildings into urban bathhouses, Aire offers an immersive wellness experience inspired by ancient Roman, Greek and Ottoman traditions. Each location features the brand’s signature candle-lit ambience, is infused with orange-blossom scents and offers access to a range of communal and contrast bathing facilities and spa treatments.

The new Aire Ancient Baths New York Upper East Side spans 9,600sq ft across the first three floors of 305 East 61st Street – a landmark building dating back to 1900 that once housed priceless artworks for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

At the heart of the experience is Aire’s signature thermal circuit, featuring a caldarium (104°F), tepidariums (97°F), a frigidarium ice bath (50°F), an aromatherapy steamroom and a balneum (jet bath).

In a first for the brand, the space includes a striking suspended flotarium salt bath, appearing to hover between two floors. Enclosed by translucent glass walls and a glass floor, the glowing blue bath serves as the visual centrepiece of the retreat.

Aire Upper East Side also features 12 treatment rooms and two marble exfoliation beds, while offering a curated selection of massages, couples’ experiences and body rituals.

Programming highlights include The Signature Monet Experience, exclusive to this location, and inspired by one of MoMA's most celebrated paintings, Claude Monet's iconic Water Lilies. The painter-inspired journey includes a 30-minute treatment with a floral scrub, a honey hair mask and a seaweed body wrap, followed by a 60-minute full-body massage with floral aromatherapy in an exclusive couple's room.

“As with all Aire locations, we chose this building extremely carefully," said Amadeo Serra, Aire CEO. "We worked to meticulously preserve the building’s rich character, with exposed bricks, original beams and vaulted ceilings throughout the space.

“We’re so proud of this new location and look forward to welcoming New Yorkers and tourists alike to experience a new level of relaxation.”

To maintain exclusivity, Aire Upper East Side welcomes no more than 16 guests per hour. The retreat is open from 9AM till 9PM daily and offers its signature 90-minute bathing experience for US$150 (€139, £117) per person.