Spa Snapshot: Silken Tent

Spa Snap TreatmentroomWith its name matching the title of a Robert Frost poem full of refreshing summer imagery, the spa dubbed Silken Tent pairs just the right amount of quiet solitude with conscientious luxury.
     Located in Glenview, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, the facility offers a mix of traditional spa services—facials, manicures and pedicures, massage and body treatments—with more holistically inspired options, such as Reiki, acupuncture, cupping, nutritional counseling and psychotherapy. “We wanted the focus on healing and friendship,” says Tiffany Cannon, Silken Tent’s co-founder. “We wanted wellness, and a place where you know the services would be beautiful every time, and it would be a special place to go.”
     Creating an atmosphere of community and relaxation is very important in the Silken Tent experience. Sherri Stewart, Silken Tent’s other co-founder, says, “I think what people would describe is that they’re walking into Silken Tent out of Glenview, but they think, ‘I could be in New York City or at Canyon Ranch.’ ” An integral part of that idea involves the spa’s staff. “The experience starts with the wonderful, warm, inviting team, and we are always trying to do lovely things that clients wouldn’t expect,” says Stewart. “The attention to detail—like in our Water Ritual area—has people saying things like, ‘Omigosh, you guys thought of everything.’ ”
     The unique Water Ritual area connects Silken Tent’s changing rooms and women’s lounge, offering clients the chance to pair its offerings with nearly any spa service, upping the ante on what one can typically expect from a simple massage or facial. Also, tasty choices at the spa’s café, and a variety of quality and typically hard-to-find products in the retail area are available to any customer.
And all this extra effort is just the norm at Silken Tent. The spa’s owners and employees are accustomed to going the Spa Snap Wallextra mile in order to make the experience as friendly and fulfilling as possible. To that end, the business has taken the initiative to be environmentally conscious, with a large amount of organic treatments and products and many energy-efficient, sustainable and reclaimed building materials being used when the facility was created.
     “We were always thinking, ‘Is there a way we could do this more organically?’ ” says Cannon. The retail space and yoga studio feature bamboo flooring, and the spa’s centerpiece is a uniquely textured wall made of salvaged mesquite wood. Vintage light fixtures, organic cotton towels, environmentally friendly cleaning products, organic food choices and a selection of local, earthy retail choices round out the eco-offerings.
     And all the work thus far has paid off, fulfilling the founding dreams of Cannon and Stewart. “We wanted women to have a really special hang-out space that’s warm, inviting and beautiful,” says Cannon. “Everyone loves the atmosphere, and with great services with a wellness focus, organic care, a wellness studio and more, we’re pulling together things women are really interested in.” Stewart echoes that statement, saying, “Here’s a place where you can get away from it all, but it’s in your neighborhood.”
     Through the founders thought and consideration, they have created a space allowing a chance for their clients to relax and enjoy time with friends, finding peace of mind in a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life ... very much like a summer day in a silken tent.


SILKEN TENT
2300 Chestnut Ave.
Glenview, IL 60026
877-774-5536
www.thesilkentent.com

Established: August 2007

Spa owners: Tiffany Cannon and Sherri Stewart

Staff: Nine spa team members; three wellness team members for psychotherapy, nutritional consulting, and acupuncture and Chinese herbs; four operational and management employees; and 13 independent contractor yoga teachers

Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9 am–7 pm; Saturday,
9 am–6 pm; Sunday, 12–5 pm; Monday, retail space and
café, 9 am–5 pm

Product lines: Being TRUE; B. Kamins, Chemist; Erbaviva; Essensa; Hourglass; and Kevyn Aucoin

Spa philosophy/mission: The mission of Silken Tent is to help every client find the sureness of her soul.

Most popular treatment: The “Girl on the Go” Personal Retreat is a true timesaver that features a 60-minute facial and pedicure performed simultaneously in the spa’s signature wet room.Spa Snap Water Ritual

Most unique spa feature: The Water Ritual, a signature service offering a seasonal exfoliating scrub, rain shower, aromatherapy steam shower, sauna and quiet room

Business collaborations: Silken Tent includes a soft store for Vosges, a gourmet chocolatier; carries the organic sugar scrub and body butter from Chicago-based Basanti Spa Products in its boutique and Water Ritual area; and retails the Banduu from DownDog Apparel, a headband for yogis.

Inspiration: Hundreds of amazing women with a common desire—to build a community where friendship, peace, healing and support are naturally shared. The Robert Frost poem The Silken Tent captures the essence of these women.

Future plans: To be named as the top spa in the Chicagoland area and to open another location founded on the same principles

Recent Spa Snapshot:
Spa Snapshot: Gadabout Man by Abby Penning--February 2008

More in Industry News