Bell Tower Salon Spa

About

Bell Tower Salon & Spa

Story

The Bell Tower originally operated in an historic Victorian mansion on North Fifth Street in downtown Reading. Carolyn Helms, Bell Tower’s current owner and president, acquired the business in 1988. The Bell Tower was just what Carolyn needed after growing out of her business’s location on Penn Street that she founded at the age of twenty-two. Helms had a vision of Bell Tower’s small salon evolving into something much more advanced. During her second year in the fifth street facility, Helms renovated the second floor to create a 2000 sq. ft. private day spa which offered facials, nail and foot care and massages. However, 21 employees and 11 years later, the Bell Tower needed even more room to grow.

Today, the 8,000 sq. ft. Bell Tower employs about 50 people and stands out as a leader in the beauty and wellness industry. The Bell Tower Salon Spa that exists today was originally built as a family’s horse stables and was used many years later for storing Wyomissing borough maintenance equipment. Renovations for the new facility took over one year to complete and cost over one million dollars. When the new Bell Tower finally opened its doors in 1999, the result was an extremely modern facility that maintained the building’s original character and integrity. The building itself was such a unique and involved renovation that photos and articles were displayed in both national and international trade, fashion and design publications.

Under Carolyn’s direction, the Bell Tower began to receive a large amount of acclaim for its services as well, including Salon Today’s “Salon of the Year,” one of Elle magazine’s top ten color salons on the east coast, the Lamar “People’s Choice” salon as well as being awarded Berks County’s “Golden Leaf Award.” Carolyn herself has also been recognized for her business savvy.

Helms strives to continually push the envelope with the services that the Bell Tower offers. In April of 2003, the Bell Tower officially became a medi-spa, which means that we are able to offer guests medical grade services in a relaxing environment, under supervision of our own in-house physician. Services offered through the medi-spa include advanced skincare, Botox, nutritional counseling, weight loss programs and medical massage.

In 2004, Bell Tower introduced The Store, a contemporary boutique that carries exclusive clothing and accessories lines not available anywhere else in Berks County. At the same time, we also introduced Bell Tower Café, a light fare eatery and coffee shop. Bell Tower prides itself on being Berks County’s only beauty and wellness complex.