The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago

The sauna with the view. The Ritz-Carlton's spa sits atop Water Tower Place, and its 52-foot lap pool looks out over the city toward Navy Pier — the rare hotel pool room in Chicago where the skyline does the entertaining. The dry sauna and eucalyptus steam room live alongside it, part of a spa-access circuit that includes the fitness floor and a relaxation lounge. It's a more classical, hushed experience than the newer wellness floors down the street: marble, quiet, staff who've done this for decades. Book spa access or a treatment and settle in for the afternoon — the heat is good, but the heat-then-pool-with-a-view sequence is the reason to come.