ALBANY — Crossgates Mall continues to rebrand itself from shopping mall to entertainment center, and come November it will add a day resort to its long list of amenities.
Spa Mirbeau anticipates a Nov. 15 grand opening of its expansive 17,000-square-foot spa. Marketed as a day resort, the facility will offer pampering services one would expect; massage, nail treatments and body wraps. But, once a customer walks through its doors, the environment should transcend your typical mall experience.
The new day resort falls under the same brand as Mirbeau Inn and Spa which operates two resorts in Skaneateles and Plymouth, Mass. The Albany location will share such amenities that include a 1,460-square-foot resting area with a heated foot pool and fireplace, and a nearly 2,000-square-foot skylit aqua terrace with a waterfall and a hot plunge pool. It will also include retail space and a bistro.
“After opening our Pinehills (Plymouth, Mass.) location we noticed both the spa and [food & bistro] departments far outpaced expectations that in combined with already strong performance from our Skaneateles location’s spa had us interested in putting up a standalone spa,” said Michael Dal Pos, chief executive officer for Spa Mirbeau. “What we were finding is to build a facility to the level that our two other properties were built to would be very costly and 
uneconomic.”
Spa Mirbeau estimates a cost of $4 million to build the Crossgates Mall location. Missing from the company’s usual business model is a place to stay overnight. However, the spa comes at the heels of the mall’s groundbreaking of a five-story, 192-room hotel, which is expected to open next year. It’s one of several destination points Crossgates Mall has added over the years, including comedy clubs, entertainment venues and restaurants Dal Pos said caught the spa’s attention.
“We have noticed a strong shift in the shopping mall landscape, away from retail and towards experience driven operations such as restaurants, bowling, arcades, movie theaters etc,” said Michael Dal Pos. “We saw this shift as an opportunity for us to bring the same experience and level of buildout that our current properties have to a convenient location where more people could enjoy our product.”
The mall’s second-floor entrance neighboring the Macy’s anchor store will act as the main entrance to Spa Mirbeau. The present hallway leading to the inside of the mall will remain for mall customers, but the mall signage has already been removed from the outside awning to be replaced by Spa Mirbeau.
The facility also includes a nearly 800-square foot fitness room, a yoga studio and motion studio that will be used for spin classes and other activities. Impulse shoppers will be able to access the retail store and bistro from within the mall. Single treatment packages are offered, as are membership programs.
The day resort is designed to be a “full day’s” experience, said Jonathan Dal Pos, Spa Mirbeau partner, where establishing a calm and serene environment is just as important as the amenities provided.
“We want this to be a full day’s experience,” said Jonathan Dal Pos. “We like to take you slowly into the lighting level, so the relaxation level moves calmer and calmer until you come to your final treatment experience. … It’s not just the treatment.”
