Beneath the hustle and bustle of a New York City sidewalk, where locals occasionally have to throw elbows just to navigate their way from point A to point B, hides a gem of relaxation and tranquility. Caught in the crossfire between the busy neighborhoods of Soho and Greenwich Village is Noho (or North Houston to those not familiar with NYC lexicon). Quiet by New York standards, it’s home to a handful of chic restaurants, shops, galleries and best of all, 3 floors below ground at 29 Great Jones Street, The Great Jones Spa.

Touring the property’s six floors (3 split levels below ground) is a relaxing exercise in its own right. Original brick walls are juxtaposed with modern accents of glass and tile to create the platonic ideal of a New York City spa. Stretching above the ice bath, hot pool and a 3 ½ storey waterfall, a giant skylight illuminates the perfect place to relax on a lounge bed with a cup of tea. That was exactly what I did before my treatment, taking time to carefully deliberate over their spa menu, which is designed to “inspire health and happiness through wholeness and balance.”

Wrapped in a plush white robe, I was instantly transported from my shell-shocked state caused by fashion week chaos. Nibbling on a piece of candied ginger, I eagerly awaited Juan Urosa, the head therapist at The Great Jones Spa. Urosa helped create the spa menu, as well as trained the entire staff, and I was confident he’d have the prescription to cure what ailed me.

It was clear from the treatment he chose for me that I had been right — he knows the recipe for deep relaxation. Amongst one of the spa’s newest body treatments, the Red Flower Hamam Treatment with Massage lasts 90 blissful minutes, taking patrons through a 5-step process designed to draw out even the deepest toxins acquired from living in metropolitan madness.

Step 1. The Vichy Shower – My body was cleansed with Moroccan-mint tea and silt. The various showerheads are positioned over pressure points and combined with the mint tea to promote circulation, giving maximum impact. The warm water pouring down over my entire body made me melt.

Step 2. Exfoliating – A combination of olive stones, coffee and lemon were used to remove dead skin cells and further stimulate the blood flow throughout my body. The smell is intoxicating, and I was left feeling refreshed and invigorated from head to toe, inside and out.

Step 3. Natural Rhassoul Clay – Using a brush, generous layers of this ancient Moroccan clay was painted onto my skin. Rhassoul clay has been used for over 1400 years to cleanse the skin of impurities as it exchanges its natural source of silica, magnesium, potassium and calcium for toxin compounds found within the skin.

Step 4. Warming Massage – A divine mixture of jasmine, cardamom, bergamot, amber and clove oil were massaged into every inch of my skin for 45 minutes of utter bliss.

Step 5. Tangerine Fig Butter – To complete the process, tangerine fig butter was massaged into my skin, leaving it soft and hydrated for weeks to come.

Post-massage, Urosa recommended I lie out in the sauna to further increase the healing properties from my treatment, and I happily obliged. The dry heat felt incredible and left me longing for the summer heat that New York is sure to bring in the coming months.

Whether you’re searching for an invigorating full body treatment, a cleansing facial, or just a place to relax in the calming luxury of pools and saunas, The Great Jones Spa has the respite you seek. Purchase a day pass for the property and make the “great escape” (albeit a brief one) an everyday part of life…or, at least, a weekly one. Going underground has never been so positively transformative.