Finishing work is underway on the new YO1 Wellness Center, located on West of Bailey Lake entrance from Anawana Lake Road, on the former Kutsher’s Sports Academy property.
“We currently have 200-plus construction workers employed [in finishing the project],” Abhiruchi Jain, YO1 Marketing Manager, said. “We will hire another 200 people when we open.”
“We are completely in hiring mode,” she said. “I have attended job fairs in Sullivan and Orange counties and we have hired an agency to help us find employees.”
With much of the outside work nearly complete, including glass, balconies, and some light landscaping, workers are focused on finishing the 131 guest rooms and many other features which occupy the six-story structure.
Some of the unique features which will attract the guests’ attention is a “showcase kitchen” where guests can look through a glass window and see chefs preparing their meals.
“The guest chef will also host classes and teach people how to make healthy food,” Jain said.
Thirty-six massage rooms will compliment the first Wellness floor, complete with separate entries for guests and masseuses. Each massage room will also include a private steam shower.
A Grand yoga room and separate yoga rooms overlooking Bailey Lake are also being completed as well as an outdoor amphitheater.
The amphitheater will include a place for outdoor yoga, meditation or exercises in natural surroundings.
And a very interesting feature will be the two-story indoor rain curtain on the Wellness floors.
From the time guests arrive at the YO1 Wellness Center, they will be exposed to natural and soothing surrounding.
A huge rock monument, combining the elements of air, water, fire and Earth will be near the front entrance.
Guests will then check in and meet a counselor who will set up their visit.
“We have already received a lot of interest in people coming here,” Jain said.
YO1 (or Yauvan) means ‘youth’ in Sanskrit. The concept of the wellness center is to take their guests back to their youthful self, regardless of age.
One of the main tenants they will use is ‘Ayurveda,’ a 5,000-year-old system of holistic healing.
“This is going to be our flagship project in the United States,” she said. “We plan on having more around the country.”
Story and Photos by Fred Stabbert III