Graves 601 converts floor into upscale spa and suites

The Graves 601 Hotel in downtown Minneapolis has converted its entire sixth floor into a new, upscale spa and suites for spa customers.

Embury Spa will offer a full array of spa services, including massages, nail care, hair removal, makeup application, hairstyling, and eyebrow and eyelash tinting. Its signature treatment will be its candle massage, during which warm oil is poured and massaged over the customer's entire body.

The spa has three individual massage rooms and a couple's massage room, as well as a separate area for hair and nails. There's also a lounge where guests can order fresh-pressed juices, teas and food off a special menu created by chef John Occhiato. The changing area includes lockers and a rain shower with aromatherapy and steam options.

Pricing starts at $60 for a 25-minute massage, $80 for a 25-minute facial, $40 for a manicure, $70 for a pedicure, $60 for makeup application, $55 for a basic bikini wax and $60 for a shampoo and blow-dry. The spa uses natural products from brands such as dpHUE, Revision Skincare, Pino Natural Spa Therapy and Vinylux nail polish.

The revamped sixth floor also has eight spa suites that can be reserved for a half or full day. Those rooms are serviced by a spa attendant and guests can receive private spa treatments in private spa rooms.

Graves 601 also is building a new Soirée Suite gathering space, designed to host small gatherings or to be used for bridal preparation, that is adjoined to two of the guest rooms. The hotel's fitness center also is on the sixth floor.

Embury Spa, designed by James Dayton Design, features upscale finishes such as natural stone, hand-made tile from Belgium and charred wood. The total project will cost just shy of $2 million, according to Graves Hospitality Corp. President Ben Graves.

The hotel never has had its own spa. It used to refer guests to Jewel Spa, which operated in an adjacent space at Block E, but that business closed about two years ago.

"It completely differentiates us from any of the other hotels in town," Graves said. "There are spas at the Kimpton [Grand Hotel Minneapolis] and Hotel Ivy, but neither of those facilities has nearly the other amenities or services we have here at the Graves, with 22,000 square feet of meeting space and multiple restaurants. It really rounds us out and keeps us relevant as a world-class hotel."

Graves 601 also recently launched Relevé Champaign Lounge, which it says is Minneapolis' first champagne bar. Its located on the fourth floor in an area within the Cosmos Restaurant space.

The hotel, located at 601 N. First Ave., also is home to Bradstreet Crafthouse, a bar that specializes in "classic mixology."

Reported by:  Mpls-St Paul Business Journal