Go on - You deserve it!

1) Give your basic bath a boost

Baths are a simple way to de-stress after a long day and relax tired muscles. Several pure, all-natural household ingredients make it easy to transform your everyday bath into a luxurious soak session. Simply add a cup of milk, two tablespoons of honey, two pinches of sea salt, and a ½ cup of oatmeal to running bathwater. The wholesome ingredients work together to detoxify, soften, and soothe skin.

2) Fix yourself a cup of green tea

The Chinese have been aware of the mind-blowing benefits of this miracle brew since ancient times. A study from Harvard outlines several of the medical benefits to this bloat-banishing drink, including lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cancer. Steep a green tea bag in a mug of hot water for several minutes, add a spoonful of honey for a little extra sweetness, and cheers to your fabulous self!

photo by northern star

3) A facial regimen to please every green gal

Put your best face forward. The SPA at Hotel Felix offers a number of world-class and environmentally-friendly treatments for your pleasure. Here are two of our favorite eco-friendly facial treatments offered exclusively at the SPA at Hotel Felix:

• Sundari Omega 3 Facial: Breathe new life into dry or stressed skin with this deeply nourishing, intensely hydrating facial. Our own Omega3+ complex uses naturally active ingredients to restore skin’s lost lipids; softening, renewing and awakening your natural glow. ($120*)

• Sundari Facial: Awaken and rejuvenate your skin with this holistic facial that is customized for your skin’s specific needs. Naturally active ingredients like lemon, sandalwood and lavender are custom-blended for an intensive cleansing and gentle exfoliation. Our signature balancing marmassage completes this experience for newly radiant skin. ($105*)

Call to book a treatment with us at 312.256.8000 or make your reservation online.

To keep your skin naturally vibrant and gorgeously glowing in between treatments, be sure to exfoliate at least once a week. Here is a simple, all-natural recipe to transform your face into lustrous, baby soft skin:

photo by tribal

Ingredients:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• dash of honey

Mix all ingredients together. Smooth the mixture onto face and décolletage and massage gently. Rinse with warm water.

*Prices subject to change, see website (www.hotelfelixchicago.com) for complete pricing details

4) Refresh your feet the all-natural way

Your tootsies are tired! Reward them with a nice, long, relaxing soak. Prepare a pail or bathtub with warm water. While the water is running, add two drops each of chamomile and lavender essential oils. Both herbs are known for their relaxing properties.

Next, immerse your feet in the fragrant water. After soaking for several minutes, gently slough away dead skin and fast track circulation with a pumice stone. Pumice stones are naturally formed from lava and are an excellent tool to smooth your feet. Dip your feet back in the water to rinse off any remaining dead skin. Finish off by slathering on your favorite deep-moisturizing lotion.

5) All-organic (& edible) deep-conditioning hair mask

For a silky smooth mask for your mane, look no further than your kitchen cabinet. Our all-natural hair treatment will turn your limp, lackluster strands into shiny, luscious locks. Simply mix one jar of organic mayonnaise (such as Spectrum®) with one ripe organic avocado (the riper it is, the easier to mash) until you have a uniform mixture. Apply the mask liberally to your hair, from roots to tips. Wrap hair with a slightly damp towel and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and enjoy your newly conditioned coif!

The SPA at Hotel Felix

10 Ways to Go Green in 2010

Photo credit: jamieleto via Flickr

Make 2010 the year you go green in a big way. Here are 10 ways to live a greener lifestyle in the coming year and help conserve the Earth’s precious natural resources.

1. Green Lighting
The thousands of traditional light bulbs in a hotel (and even the dozen or so in your home) can waste a lot of electricity, unnecessarily. Switching to low energy-use lighting, such as the compact fluorescent & LED lights used throughout the Hotel Felix, can cut down on your energy usage and your energy costs.

2. Alternative Power
The Hotel Felix is currently conducting a study to determine how much energy could be harvested from wind power. Using alternative energy sources is a bit more difficult at home, but still possible. If you live in a very sunny area, the money you would save by using solar power could offset the investment costs. And as gas prices continue to rise, alternative sources of fuel like those employed by bio-diesel and hydro-electric hybrid cars are becoming more attractive.

3. Buy Locally Produced Items
The further an item travels from producer to consumer, the larger its carbon footprint. Cut down on the amount of fuel used to transport good by buying locally produced items whenever possible.

Photo credit: _e.t. via Flickr

4. Buy Sustainable and Organic Products
Sustainable products are made in a way that doesn’t deplete the natural resources used to create them. Organic products are made without potentially harmful chemicals. By purchasing items that are sustainable and organic, you help protect the environment and conserve limited natural resources. At the Hotel Felix, we only serve locally produced, organic Metropolis coffee and teas in our lobby.

5. Limit Waste
Buy only what you will use, and use only what you need. It’s easy to over-consume in our world, where so much is available, and often at a very small price. But consuming needlessly creates extra waste. Cut down on your consumption and there will be less trash to dispose of.  To cut down on paper waste, the Hotel Felix runs a paperless front desk and offers a limited supply of daily newspapers.

6. Compost Organic Waste
Food scraps and other organic waste won’t decompose when buried in a landfill. But when composted outdoors, they will break down quickly and turn into a nice fertilizer. Composting organic waste will help deposit nutrients back into the soil and reduce the amount of space needed for landfills.

7. Recycle
The Hotel Felix puts a strong emphasis on recycling. A “Recycle Room” is dedicated to sorting recyclable materials from the rest of the trash, all cups and wipes in the fitness center are recyclable, and recycling bins are located at the front desk and all offices. Recycling at home is vital to reducing the amount of waste that gets dumped in landfills each year. If recycling isn’t offered in your area, invest in a few heavy-duty bins and, at the very least, recycle paper, glass, and plastic.

8. Build with Sustainable or Recycled Materials
Carpets in the guest rooms and the floor in the fitness center of the Hotel Felix are made of recycled materials. Using recycled materials whenever possible reduces the need for new products to be created (reducing carbon emissions release during that process) and keeps salvageable materials from going into the landfill. Using recycled materials in your home projects can also help save you money.

9. Reduce Water and Electricity Usage
We’ve all heard the advice that we should turn off the water when brushing our teeth, take shorter showers, and turn off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use, but how many people actually do it? Making a conscious effort to take these steps can save you money and make a large impact on the amount of resources wasted annually. At the Hotel Felix, we’ve installed motion sensor heating, ventilation and air conditioning throughout building so that these functions aren’t used when they don’t need to be. We’ve also installed a water waste reduction valve and employ an enhanced energy management system throughout the building.

10. Use Nontoxic Cleaning Products
Runoff from toxic cleaning chemicals can get into the water system and pollute our lakes and rivers. Help the Earth by using nontoxic cleaning products whenever possible. Only eco-friendly chemicals (no bleach) are used for cleaning rooms and linens at the Hotel Felix. Eco-friendly products are used in the Hotel Felix spa, and throughout the hotel we only use products that are low VOC and Green Seal certified.