The Zoning Commission has approved plans for “Salty”,Geauga County’s first salt cave lounge which will open at 102 E. Park Street on the Chardon Square later this spring. Owned by Brandon and Candice Zinner of Chesterland, the above-ground halotherapy (salt therapy) cave will be the first in Northeast Ohio to feature a graduation tower, a kind of waterfall that suffuses the rock salt minerals into the air to create the cave’s unique healing microclimate. While there are other salt caves in the Buckeye state, including two in neighboring Lake County, none use a graduation tower in their salt caves.
Texas company Pure Hatley has designed and will build the Zinners’ cave. Beata Huzarska Hatley of Pure Hatley grew up in Poland, just a short drive from the Wieliczka (pronounced Vah-LEECH-kah) Salt Mine on which the Chardon salt cave has been modeled. The Wieliczka mine has been excavated since the 13th century and today operates as the world’s first and largest Underground Rehabilitation and Treatment Center for people who suffer from chronic or recurrent respiratory diseases.
The Zinners’ 10’ x 30’ custom-designed, 300-square-foot cave will be constructed from salt imported from Poland and will be built by a crew of Polish craftsmen. The cave’s walls will be lined with large, pinkish salt rocks & bricks and the floor will be covered in a deep bed of similar salt granules. When finished, the salt cave will accommodate up to eight people who will relax in zero-gravity reclining chairs during 45-minute sessions. Relaxing music will be played in the cave as they breathe in air saturated with the beneficial minerals from the salt.
The lounge will also have a salt booth that uses a state-of-the-art halogenerator to disburse micronized medical-grade salt. Booths are typically used by children and adults who have various skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, or respiratory issues like colds, the flu, allergies, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and COPD. Salty will also feature an Infrared Sauna, Ionic Foot Baths, and Reiki which is a Japanese technique for stress reduction, relaxation, and the promotion of healing.
Award-winning interior designer Diana Kresnye of Chesterland, a former YMCA Dream House designer, has been hired to transform the space around the cave into a treatment lounge. Contractor Ralph Fioritto of RF FAB Homes in Chesterland is doing the buildout, and Constantine Dean Karadimas of Cleveland’s “Of All Trades” is heading up social media, branding & website design.
Salt therapy, known as speleotherapy or halotherapy, is an emerging industry in the United States. The Salt Therapy Association estimates there are 300 halotherapy facilities nationwide, however, halotherapy is not new. It is an age-old practice that harnesses the anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties of salt to promote healing. The ancient Egyptians used salt to treat infections; Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine”, made common use of salt in his 4th Century BC medical practice, and salt caves have been popular for treating respiratory diseases in Eastern Europe for several centuries.
Salty is Geauga County’s first salt cave & lounge and Northeast Ohio’s only salt cave featuring a graduation tower. We are members of both the Salt Therapy Association & World Halotherapy Associationand are committed to bringing the healing and relaxation benefits of salt to Geauga County residents. http://VisitSalty.com | http://Facebook.com/visitsalty
