Spa Castle gets a second chance

Spa Castle Premier 57, the large Midtown three-level spa that was shut down in January, reopened Tuesday with little fanfare. There were no balloons or music, and few people.

Breana Shack, visiting from Florida, was one of the only visitors.

“I saw the pictures online and it looked amazing and that was the whole reason I came here,” said Shack. “I haven’t been back to New York in many years, and this was the main place I wanted to come [to see].”

Spa Castle Premier 57 is the younger sibling of Spa Castle in College Point, Queens. It was shut down earlier this year by the Department of Health for operating without the permit or the required safety plan needed to run a bathing establishment,reported DNAinfo.

Last December, an 84-year-old man died in a hacuzzi at the location in College Point.

According to the the Department of Health, Spa Castle Premier 57 was initially constructed without a review from the department. In addition to lacking a permit and safety plan, the spa did not offer accomodations for the disabled, a requirement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The department said since the shutdown, the spa made the necessary changes and received a permit.

“I was just looking up something exciting for me and my girlfriend,” said Manny Owens, who visited on Tuesday. He said shutdowns from the Department of Health didn’t bother him.

“No, everybody gets a second chance,” Owen said.

Spa Castle Premier 57 features hydrotherapy bade pools with reflexology water jets and a multitude of various sauna rooms, as well as lounges and refreshments. A day pass costs $65.

How the business fares remains to be seen. Sean Lee, general manager at the spa, said they were expecting about 150 people for the reopening, a little below average because people were not yet aware of the opening.

But inside the dark lobby, the customers coming in were outnumbered by the staff carrying bags of towels.

“As long as my clothes don’t get sucked up and nothing gets lost, I’m cool,” Shack said as she walked into the locker room.