We get asked a lot of great questions here at our spa and salon in the heart of Steamboat Springs, and "What the heck even is a salt room?” has to be our most common. The salt room is truly different, unique, and kind of unexpected. My dad always teases me by asking, “Why didn’t you build a “pepper” room also?!” (Gotta love dad jokes!)
So let's dive into it - because this is a really cool wellness treatment in Steamboat Springs that’s safe for all ages, detoxifies the respiratory tract, and boosts your immune system. Those are perks that anyone can benefit from, whether you’re traveling here and need a pick-me-up or live here and want to make feeling better routine.
Here’s a first-hand account that details why the salt room is so beloved, what a treatment is like, what to expect, and what benefits you might experience after booking your salt room session.
Steamboat sits at nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, and altitude affects everyone differently. It’s the best kind of exhaustion— the kind that comes from exploring new trails on the mountain covered in Champagne Powder™, nature trails exploding in blooming wildflowers (my favorites are at Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass), baking in the sun, and saying yes to every adventure that comes my way.
Add in Colorado's famously dry climate, intense summer sun, seasonal allergies, hay season, occasional wildfire smoke, and the fatigue that comes with travel, and it's easy to see why I, like so many others, often start feeling so run down by the middle of the summer.
That's one reason I've started thinking differently about wellness during the summer months as this summer approaches. Recovery isn't just for ski season. Summer in Steamboat comes with its own challenges, and over the past year, one of my favorite ways to slow down and recharge has become the Salt Room at Waterside Day Spa— a tradition I can’t wait to carry on into this summer!
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I pictured some kind of complicated wellness treatment— maybe something hot and sweaty like a sauna or steam room, or something that required special instructions or active participation. Instead, I walked into a beautiful, quiet room and sat down. That was it. Just a comfortable chair, a softly backlit wall of pink and white Himalayan salt bricks, a peaceful atmosphere, and permission to just relax.
And there was more than meets the eye. This oasis of a room is designed for halotherapy treatments, which means they actually infuse the air in this beautiful room with a special salt machine!
Like most people, I spend a large portion of my day moving from one task to the next. Even when I'm relaxing, I'm usually checking texts, answering emails, scrolling social media, planning tomorrow's schedule, or thinking about what to feed the family for dinner. The Salt Room became one of the few places where I felt genuinely disconnected from all of that. It’s a private space, so it’s just me and any guests I bring along, so I get a chance to just take a breather- no pun intended- from it all.
Halotherapy, often called salt therapy, is centered around breathing in dry, pharmaceutical grade, salt air that is ground up to micron sized particles. The owner of Waterside Day Spa, Lexi Machiela, actually worked with the developers of the Salt Chamber brand of halotherapy equipment back in 2013. Here’s what happened:
A very cool gal from Estonia had experienced salt caves all over Europe and was working with engineers to develop this machine that’s meant to simulate an above ground salt cave. After working with this company as they built salt rooms and sold halotherapy equipment all over the country, Lexi was able to witness life changing testimonials related to asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD, and more! As soon as she purchased Waterside in 2016, her first goal was to bring the first salt therapy space to Steamboat Springs. It was a hit! The guests and staff members alike LOVE IT!
The Halotherapy machine grinds up salt particles and disperses them into the room. Imagine breathing in a bunch of sponges. Those “salt sponges” go to work cleaning your sinuses and respiratory system almost instantly. You can taste it, and kind of feel it when you breathe in, but when it comes to cleaning your lungs, subtle feels great. All you have to do is breathe. Isn’t it nice when wellness looks that simple?
Think about how we wash our hair with strengthening shampoos, we brush our teeth with enamel-protecting toothpaste, we can take probiotics for gut health, ginko for brain health, omegas for our heart— but what are we actually doing to support our lung health?
One of the reasons I find myself gravitating toward the Salt Room during the summer is that it can help with some of the things that affect my lungs, skin, and sinuses more so in the hotter months. Seasonal allergies, dry air, long travel days, and wildfire can take a toll on our bodies.
Salt is naturally antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiinflammatory, so it’s loaded with salty super powers to treat cold and flus, asthma, allergies, and more! We even had a guest share with us that COVID left her without taste for years… after just a couple sessions of detoxifying her lungs she was tasting food again!!
You can read more about benefits of a salt room here:
There are so many ways to enjoy your visit to the salt room. Of course, one of my favorite ways to enjoy the Salt Room is by pairing it with another service. For just $25 (instead of $40 when booked independently), you can carve out 45 minutes before or after a spa, hair, or nail service to just breathe. Sometimes I'll book the Salt Room on its own when I simply want a quiet break from a hectic week. I've also started recommending it to visitors who are looking for a way to enjoy a space together in Steamboat Springs. You can have lunch delivered or treat yourself to an amenity tray (a selection of self-care goodies like warming eye masks and hydrating hand treatments to use while you’re in the room).
And, Waterside makes it so simple to make feeling better routine. Local’s that are part of our membership can enjoy salt room sessions for only $10 each or a punch card (takes the cost per treatment down to $22.50/session) if you’re wanting to do the salt room frequently without pairing it with other services.
So if you’re ready to take your wellness to a newer, salty level this summer, it’s time to give Halotherapy a try. We know you’ll love it!
