An IV hydration spa has reopened its Ames location after abruptly closing last fall.
Live Hydration Spa, located at 620 Lincoln Way, Suite 3, is accepting appointments and walk-ins. The business closed suddenly in September when a flyer giving notice was taped to the front door.
The notice said the decision was difficult but “necessary to ensure the safety of clients” and to “uphold the brand’s integrity.” It also said Live Hydration Spa was committed to reopening under new ownership “as soon as possible.”
Toby and Marci Smith, the current and original owners, have teamed up with majority owner Mary Ann O’Brien. Live Hydration offers drip IV hydration, vitamin therapy, hormone replacement therapy, Botox injections,weight loss programs, and injectable wellness products.
“The Ames community needs a place to offer top-tier wellness,” Marci Smith said.
The spa’s hours will be irregular until May 5, when Live Hydration holds a grand reopening. Regular operating hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and by appointment only on Sunday and Monday.
What is IV hydration?
Live Hydration Spa has locations in Grimes and West Des Moines. The company also has stores in 12 other states, including Illinois, Nebraska and Missouri.
Basic hydration therapy is comprised of a simple saline solution, often supplemented with electrolytes. IV hydration therapies can also contain specific ingredients to meet specific needs and objectives. Live Hydration Spa offers hydration therapy for performance, skin, energy and wellness recovery.
Marci Smith said people often think of IV hydration therapy as a hangover treatment, though she said it’s more than that. It can be used in a variety of ways, for athletes who need to improve their performance or someone that’s dehydrated.
“Whether it’s enhancing your immune system, reducing fatigue or even just treating an acute or chronic condition, IV hydration can help,” Marci Smith said. “If you’re looking to be a better partner, parent, feel better, look better, promote better and perform better, that’s really the focus of Live Hydration.”
Toby and Marci Smith initially opened a Live Hydration store in Ames on May 18, 2023.
Smith has 16 years of experience as an emergency room nurse, noting firsthand how patients spend a long time waiting in the emergency room for dehydration that she says can be treated with IV hydration.
“I’ve seen how much benefit patients have from coming here for something as simple as a migraine,” Marci Smith said. “The last thing I want is somebody to sit in an ER and wait for something as simple as dehydration when they can come here and get help.”
Former Live Hydration medical director was terminated, forcing sudden closure
Editor’s note: The injunction against Antoinette Thompson, who served as the medical director and an RN for Live Hydration Spa Ames when the store closed, was dismissed on June 16, 2025. The motion to dismiss said Live Hydration “failed to state facts and information” in relation to its petition. The “Thr’iv” business is not owned by Thompson and is an independent and unrelated party. Live Hydration, as a Nebraska limited liability company and franchisor, is an “unregistered foreign company,” the motion said, that cannot maintain any action against Thompson or Thr’iv.
Last year’s closure of Live Hydration in Ames was done out of an abundance of caution, Marci Smith said.
The store had received some client complaints over the safety of care and took steps to protect clients and the brand, she said.
Antoinette Thompson, who served as the medical director and an RN for Live Hydration Spa Ames when the store closed, was fired on Sept. 3, according to an injunction petition filed by Live Hydration in Story County on April 1.
Thompson is accused of removing all property from the Ames location that was “useful and necessary for conducting a business that offers products and services identical or comparable to a Live Hydration spa, including property belonging to Live Hydration.”
The petition says that Live Hydration became aware of several issues at the Ames Location in the summer of 2024, including a “territorial violation” against another Live Hydration franchisee in West Des Moines, Iowa. Thompson was accused of “deficiencies” in patient charting and “inconsistencies” in billing practices.
All issues were “directly attributable to Thompson’s operation of and provision of services” at the Ames store, according to the petition.
Notices of the violations were sent on Aug. 8 and Aug. 21, and a meeting was held on Aug. 22. Live Hydration’s petition said Thompson was invited but did not attend.
The petition notes that Live Hydration terminated Thompson’s contract on Sept. 3, 2024 and asked her to “cease operations.”
Thompson, according to court documents, did not cease operations until two days later, on Sept. 5.
Live Hydration filed the permanent injunction because they said Thompson has since opened a new business less than a mile from Live Hydration’s location. This business, “Thr’IV,” is located at 213 Duff Avenue, Suite 3B.
The injunction says Thompson’s business directly competes with Live Hydration by allegedly offering the same products and services, which violates a franchise agreement Thompson signed in July 2022.
The injunction says that Thompson, on Spet. 4, one day before she closed the Live Hydration store, had an employee of hers allegedly message all of Live Hydration’s clients in Ames, noting that they were “no longer with Live Hydration.” The message allegedly “disparaged” Live Hydration, and also informed the clients that the two were planning to open a local and “competing” business.
Thr’IV, according to Live Hyration’s petition, publicly advertises competitive products and services, including IV vitamin therapy, injections, hormone replacement therapy and Botox.
No action had been taken on the injunction as of April 17, according to court documents.
Same Live Hydration owners, new focus
When new majority partner O’Brien reached out to the Smiths in January about reopening Live Hydration in Ames, their desire and passion made the decision a “no-brainer.”
“Our partner Mary-Anne recognized losing Live would mean losing my passion and next step in my career,” Marci Smith said. “The franchise never gave up on my husband and I, and we were able to be blessed to reopen in the same location.
O’Brien is the owner of OBI Creative, the marketing and social media team Live Hydration Spa uses. She handles the financial and marketing, while the Smiths provide day-to-day resources.
The local Live Hydration store is dedicated to providing clients with “proper care.” They’ll host extensive training for staff, which will include a visit to the original legacy store in Omaha for on-site training.
The Smith’s previous experience with Live will also be utilized, as well as standard protocols from the medical director and franchise CEO, Cassandra Kuhl.
What treatments are available at Live Hydration Spa in Ames?
Live Hydration Spa will is offering the same services it previously did, including ionic detox footbaths, hormone replacement therapy and weight loss services. They plan to introduce cosmic ingestions at the end of May.
The IV spa is also offering ozone therapy for the first time, which targets antioxidants and inflammation. A small amount of ozone enters the patient’s blood and is then returned to the body.
“It’s a very painless process,” Marci Smith said. “It increases oxygen to the body’s tissues, which helps with recovery, healing and overall health.”
A full list of Live Hydration’s services can be found on its website.
Live Hydration Spa will honor clients’ previous packages and outstanding balances from gift cards and loyalty points.
(This article has been updated to add new information.)
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: After sudden closure for ‘client safety,’ Live Hydration opens with renewed focus 6 months later
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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