Chuan Spa at The Langham, Chicago

Chuan Spa sits inside The Langham in River North and runs on Chinese five-element principles that shape its treatment philosophy. It's an 18-and-up facility, which keeps the heat and water areas quiet even when the hotel is busy.

The wet-area lineup is more varied than most hotel spas: a fresh herbal sauna, a Himalayan salt sauna, oriental steam rooms, and a Hydro-Vitality hot tub, plus a 67-foot pool for laps or just floating. The treatment menu is compact, with three core offerings, and the signature is an OTO Balance CBD Massage. Couples treatments are available if you're booking with a partner.

Day passes are sold here, so you don't need to be staying at the hotel to use the facilities, though access policy is worth confirming when you book since many hotel spas prioritize guests first. Valet parking runs $27 for four hours according to current listing data, though the hotel's own site cites a $30 validated rate, so it's worth asking at check-in which applies.

Hours are consistent every day of the week, 8am to 8pm, which makes it easy to plan around other River North plans, whether that's a morning swim before meetings or an evening soak after dinner nearby. Given the price tier and location in a luxury hotel, this reads as a treat-yourself stop rather than a budget drop-in, but the multi-sauna setup gives you more to do than a single treatment room would.