The Salt Cave

Update: I DID go the Salt Room in Woodbury and it was a lot nicer than the Salt Cave on Nicollet. It was clean and spacious with an inviting foyer. The bathrooms are nearby, not down a long, poorly lit hallway, down the stairs and then down another hallway. The people are very friendly and explain breathing techniques that I was never told about when I went to the salt cave. The Salt Room in Woodbury also offers you a blanket for your session (it does get cool in the rooms) and re-​usable booties so your socks aren’t all covered in salt like they get at the Salt Cave. And right now Groupon is offering 5 sessions for 65.00, 3 for 47 or one for 19.00.

My husband and I booked a session to see if the salt therapy would help my chest congestion and his snoring. We had zero expectations and were extremely pleased with the entire experience. We are going back in a few days. We both feel better. Highly recommend.

The guided meditation session consisted of a sketchy guy telling us to take our shoes off, sit down and enjoy. It was then 45 salty minutes in a room with a few chatty old women and bird noises blaring through speakers.

I took my son here on spring break and we both enjoyed it. He’s 6 and we didn’t really know what it was all going to entail but we had a blast. The room was very relaxing and he had a previous head cold and it seemed to clear him out.
I felt a little pressured to buy a package but nothing too bad. We ended up getting a light up salt lamp so it wasn’t in the cards that day to purchase a session. We plan to go once every few months for maintenance. We both really enjoyed it!

I loved my session here, a must do during our hideous winters! The owner was very friendly and informative and I felt so relaxed! My sinuses were much improved following the session. I want to go back for one of the guided meditation sessions!

I’ve been to the Salt Cave a few times now and have mostly enjoyed the experiences. The sessions are very relaxing and I do leave feeling less congested for about an hour afterwards. Know that you get covered in a light coating of salt so wear something easily washable, and don’t plan to bring your coat, purse, etc into the room with you. I haven’t had any trouble with my iPod tucked into my pocket. The zero gravity chairs are lovely, although the room is always a bit cold. (Their website said something about the room being 74 – 76 degrees – I would say it’s closer to 68 – 70, which feels cold when you’re lying down and not moving.)
I echo others comments about the awkward and sometimes poor customer service. I’ve always booked over the phone since I usually don’t plan ahead, and reaching them via phone is extremely off-​putting (not a good way to start out a business relationship!) Their phone system makes you announce your name before it will put your call through (this is offensive to your customers, seriously, you need to turn this feature off.) Once you do eventually reach a person, it seems to be a poor quality cell phone with lousy reception. Each time I’ve called I’ve mistakenly thought I reached the person in their car or someplace else. This is no way to run a business, and as I said it’s offensive and off-​putting to the very people you need to make a good impression with. Get a decent phone line and answer it in a respectful way. Once I’ve arrived at the Cave, the guy at the front desk is a little off-​putting and not very welcoming – not what you’d expect for a place touting itself as a spa or therapy.
I will be back because I enjoy the therapy, but I dread dealing with them. It seems to always be the same guy so I’m thinking he may be one of the owners. Keep your expectations low and you’ll enjoy the session.

Pros and cons. Pro, if you can get a good deal on groupon or chinook, then go for it. It’s interesting to try once.
Cons, I wouldn’t pay $ 30 for this. It’s a bad value and I felt like the service was lackluster. For example, they tell you to get there 10 minutes early to maximize your 45 min session. Fair enough, but there was NO ONE at the front desk for a good 10 minutes when we showed up early, so ignore their request to arrive early. Also their ocean wave sounds were relaxing, but shut off abruptly 10 minutes into the 45 min session. Hard to tell if that was accidental or intentional.
Bottom line, if you can try the 45 min session for 10 or 15 bucks, it is a unique experience. Will I be going back? No. The place and its employees felt too disorganized and distracted to me. It felt like a cash cow operation to me!

Still a MAJOR fan of the Salt Cave, but now I have also tried some of their products! I love the Salt Soak for baths, but I also just tried out the Himalayan Salt Bar for exfoliation, and added minerals in the shower… LOVE! :)
Next up… those adorable Christmas ornaments as gifts! You can see pictures on their FB Page here:

My overall feeling was that I paid for a nap. I am ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ on this experience because I’m a believer in Eastern medicine but I thought this was slightly hokey and definitely overpriced. I was relaxed for 45 minutes and fell asleep a few times, but I don’t think I reaped any benefits. Perhaps you have to be a regular. The cave itself is cozy and dark, very small, no bigger than 500 sq. ft. of space, with lounge chairs and blankets.
We were lead through a 5 minute explanation of the room’s benefits and then left with the lights dimmed for the rest of the time and a machine with the sound of waves on. Upon exiting, we weren’t told the reasons to buy a package or health benefits to repetition, it was just «Would you like to buy a package?»
The overall experience was just ok.

I went for a family session at the salt cave and left feeling calm and relaxed. A bonus? my husband didn’t snore that night! it was the best. can’t wait to go back.

I’ve visited the Salt Caves in Minneapolis twice. Once was for a yoga class, the next time I just relaxed in their comfy lounge chair and soaked up the salt air. In both cases, I felt my lungs and sinuses opening up. During a Minnesota winter, congestion is a constant condition. It feels great to open up my respiratory system. Three friends have joined me and they raved about the Salt Caves too! You should definitely try it!

This is a cozy place to breathe in salty air for 45 minutes. I’ll let you read more about it and the potential benefits at their website. I’m not going to get into that. What I’ll tell you is that the «cave» is lovely & cozy. It’s very relaxing, and I always feel energized after a visit. Easy to find & park storefront on Nicollet in south Mpls. I personally think it has a lot of merit and the price is reasonable.