Haven Day Spa, Soho - NYC, New York

After scouring the streets of SoHo, where shopping can be endlessly overwhelming, retreat to this aptly named sanctuary on Mercer Street for some post-shop treatments. Haven is known for its stellar therapists that provide the very best services in an understated setting that encourages tranquility and relaxation. Fifteen opulently painted spa rooms, all located just off the main hallway, are warmly lit to create a soothing atmosphere.

Carrie: I love being at Soho, on top of the street, the trendy shops and it’s home to one of the most creative spas in New York City, Haven. They put a great twist on chocolate. Check it out Brenda: Hi, hello! Welcome to Haven. Thank you. Carrie: Hi, I’m Carrie. Brenda: Hi. I’m Brenda, the founder of Haven. Carrie: It’s nice to meet you. Brenda: Welcome. Carrie: So, I hear and I’m in for something delicious today. Brenda: We have booked you with our signature hot chocolate body treatment today? Carrie: Hot chocolate body treatment? Brenda: Yeah. Carrie: Oh my God! You’re like my spa Willi Wonka. Brenda: Honestly, there’s absolutely no candy bars involved. Our signature brand product are going to use chocolate for any type of aging, antioxidant, and exfoliating purposes. Carrie: You know that sounds too good to be true. Brenda: It almost is. You’re going to have it all. Well, you want to get started? Carrie: Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go. Brenda: Let’s go. Carrie: Okay. Do you know how much I love chocolate? Brenda: The benefit that we get from the hot chocolate and coco bean that we use during our treatments is at least two folds. One of the benefits of dark chocolate is antioxidant. So for anti-aging, any antioxidant is really great to help prevent aging. All over the body, we do the treatment from shoulders to toes. The other real benefit that our clients get from the hot chocolate body treatment is from the lactic acids, in the goat milk, as well as the cow’s milk that we use to mix our hot chocolate mask. And that’s very softening, very exfoliating to the skin. Well, we’re a little bit more explorative with our treatments because we want to have a little bit of fun. And our clients want to have a little bit of fun, too. Because we have more laid back clients, they are more willing to try some off-the-wall treatments like hot chocolate body treatment or surf and turf body treatment or petitations. You know, they are very creative individuals and so they are always looking for something new that has a little bit of a twist on it. Well, the stress level in all of our clients, lives here in Manhattan differs tremendously from around the country. Our aestheticians really try to accommodate what our clients are looking for. Time is a huge factor. Flexibility, there’s nothing like a New York schedule. No one can book in advance. And our clients are always looking for something in particular when they’re coming through those doors. And it’s our responsibility to always figure out what that is and deliver it to them. Some clients are looking for physical relaxation. Some honestly just schedule their appointments to have a moment of peace. We don’t know allow cellphones in the treatment rooms and sometimes that can really benefit the client alone besides just the treatment itself. We really address physical stress. We address mental stress. And we also try to get them a little bit of an escape. We regard our saunas an urban oasis and a little bit of a retreat hidden in Soho. So, just having a place that you can go and escape from it all is something that we really like to be able to offer our clients.