-      American Leisure’s Aqua Grotto^® delivers water-based offerings, heated relaxation and “social spa-ing” -

Relaxing and unwinding at the end of the day just got easier and better – that is, if you have an Aqua Grotto^® in your building. Better than trip to a destination spa, a hot shower or a nap in your old massage chair, the Aqua Grotto^® is a luxurious retreat that taps into the natural, healing powers of water and aqua-thermal rituals to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience.

Aimed to please all the senses, the signature Aqua Grotto^® averages 2,500-square feet, offering a full range of exotic features and amenities designed to restore, balance, and soothe urban high-rise homeowners. With a social sauna, fire pit, Turkish hammam, Watsu pool, massaging waterfall, experiential showers, and various treatment rooms, the Aqua Grotto^® brings tranquility home.

“Our goal is simple – to enhance the quality of people’s lives,” says Steve Kass, Founder and C.E.O. of American Leisure Corporation, and creator of the Aqua Grotto^® concept. “The reality is that everyone is looking to be healthier in spirit and body, and to enjoy their lives to the fullest everyday.” American Leisure is a leader in innovative concepts, design and development, and provides consulting, design, marketing, and operations management for lifestyle and recreation facilities, spas, and fitness and wellness centers worldwide.

The Aqua Grotto^® offers the opportunity for personal relaxation through meditation and individualized treatments, as well as “social spa-ing." A relatively new concept in the spa world, features like the Aqua Grotto^®’s Finnish-style social sauna, fire pit and Turkish hammam create a gathering space that allows you to make a social affair out of spa treatments if you choose.

The Aqua Grotto^®’s social sauna is modeled after saunas in Finland, where they are used as a place for meeting with friends and family, as well as for physical and mental relaxation. The sauna is warmed in traditional fashion to 80-100 degrees Celsius (176-212 degrees Fahrenheit) for some time, and water is thrown on the hot stones topping the kiuas, a special stove used to warm up the sauna, producing steam. The sauna’s heat and steam stimulates circulation, reduces stress, and detoxifies and purifies the body. Made of imported Finnish wood, with expansive glass windows, American Leisure’s Aqua Grotto adds aromatherapeutic benefits to enhance the sauna experience.

The Aqua Grotto^®’s fire pit, surrounded by sumptuous lounge-seating, provides an additional social setting for conversation and mingling in a relaxing, warm atmosphere. A great place to unwind and de-stress, the fire pit is a perfect refuge for peaceful meditation.

An ancient bathing ritual revered in the Middle East and Europe for its natural healing properties, the Turkish hammam is an incomparable experience. The hammam historically served as a place of social gathering and ritual cleansing, and was often visited to restore and maintain mental, physical and spiritual health. Using these opulently designed bathhouses and their curative powers as a model, the spa culture – and American Leisure’s Aqua Grotto^® – has evolved to include the hammam’s therapeutic treatments, regenerative practices and beautifying techniques. The Aqua Grotto^®’s hammam offers the option of mud and aromatherapy treatments to compliment this heated bathing ritual.

The Aqua Grotto^®’s Watsu pool is specially built for water therapy, and creates a healing, meditative experience utilizing the fundamental principles of Shiatsu massage. Watsu is a very soothing and unique form of aquatic bodywork that takes place in warm, waist-deep water, and was developed by combining Zen Shiatsu stretches and temperate water. Keeping the body buoyant, Watsu creates a gravitational state that aligns the body’s external and internal states, inducing a meditative state for general well-being and balance.

In addition to the Turkish hammam and Watsu Pool, the Aqua Grotto^® also features a massaging waterfall and experiential showers to compliment its water-based

offerings. The hydrotherapeutic heated waterfall provides natural soothing massage to the neck and back, with the gentle flow of water relaxing the senses and renewing the spirit. The experiential showers are semi-enclosed computerized showers that offer variable water pressure, the sounds of thunder and lightning, and the aroma of impending rain.

American Leisure’s treatment rooms in the Aqua Grotto^® offer a full-range of high-end spa treatments for residents to take advantage of. Highly trained estheticians and massage therapists create personalized experiences combining facials, massage, body treatments, hot stones, and aromatherapy.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For industry interviews, story development, and/or more information about American Leisure, please contact Pamela Wadler or Walter Sperr at (212) 966-0024.