Crank Up The Heat With QC NY
Last week, I went to the spa, QC NY, for the first time, and at first, thinking because it’s on an island near the city, it’s far but, in actuality, it’s a five-minute ferry ride and a close walk that is easy to navigate. The spa is impressive with skyline views of lower Manhattan, and rooms filled with different amenities. I liked them all, but really enjoyed sitting in rocking chairs next to a fireplace and found this to be so calming and relaxing. I loved that going into the saunas you had different exfoliation cream to put on and cleanse as you relax. One room was endlessly filled with many treasures: foot bath, steam room, sauna, and showers, which was nice to do after visiting the pool.
The pool is the main attraction. I couldn’t believe that you could be outside in 40 degrees in a swimming pool, but it’s true, and so cozy and beautiful to see the skyline and have lavender bushes nearby with an aromatherapy feel to it and hydro seats massage your body. Last but not least, when you go underwater, there is music to listen to.
I ended my experience at the Flora Café with a healthy salad and a glass of wine. I left the day refreshed and relaxed and planning when I could return.
Boasting the only heated outdoor pools open year-round
in New York City, the Governors Island oasis offers a rejuvenating and cozy off-season spa experience
As cooler autumn temperatures descend upon New York City, things at QC NY spa are heating up. Boasting two of New York City’s only heated outdoor pools open year-round, the Governors Island oasis offers a range of amenities and services to ensure an experience that is wondrous, relaxing, and cozy no matter what the weather is outside.
While most of the city’s outdoor pools close on Labor Day, QC NY’s crown jewels — its two outdoor pools with breathtaking Manhattan skyline views — offer one of New York City’s most magical off-season experiences. With the temperature cranked up to a balmy 98 degrees, steamy air ripples off the pools on cool, rainy, and snowy days, hydro seats massage your body, and while underwater, dreamy music plays from submerged speakers.
For maximum comfort during the fall and winter seasons, QC NY will offer heated tunnels leading to the pools featuring warming racks that keep robes nice and cozy beginning in late-November. Guests can also unwind on heated loungers in the two outdoor glass-enclosed Reflection Rooms while savoring the spectacular views wrapped in cozy custom blankets and basking in the warmth of indoor fire pits.
The first U.S. location from Italy’s QC Terme Spa & Resorts, QC NY is on a mission to inspire New Yorkers and tourists to embrace the Italian way of doing “spa” year- round by turning it into an entire day or evening experience full of wonder and relaxation rather than just an hour-long treatment.
The QC NY journey begins with a five-minute ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, offering a soothing transition from the commotion of the city to the calm of Governors Island. Dedicated to enlightening guests in the Italian art of “dolce far niente”— the sweetness of doing nothing — QC NY invites guests to wander for hours, discovering more than 20 wellness experiences throughout the four floors of the 74,000-square-foot spa. Guests can enjoy Vichy showers, saunas, infrared beds, and more than a dozen relaxation rooms. During the cooler months, highlights include the Fireplace Room, where guests can relax in a rocking chair by the fire while enjoying a complimentary face mask, and the Scottish Room, a steam room with eucalyptus and balsamic aromas that help to expel cold weather stress and toxins.
“There is nothing quite like luxuriating in our outdoor pools in crisp air or gently falling snow or rain,” said Simona Sbarbaro, Chief Marketing Officer, QC Terme Spas and Resorts. “As the mist rises off the water and the jaw-dropping views of New York Harbor unfold before your eyes, guests will find themselves fully transported and recharged.”
Escape Entrance for a 5-hour stay at QC NY starts at $124, and Sunset Entrance from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. starts at $98. Passes include access to pools, relaxation areas, saunas, steam rooms, bathrobes, sandals, towels, complimentary showers, and body and skincare products. Massages, food, and beverages are available separately for purchase. Admission pricing can be found here and guests can book directly here.
Article + Opening paragraph by Alison Hernon, Editor-In-Chief, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Chenglin Qu, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
*All photos by QC NY
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