No one seems to understand this better than, apparently, Koreans.
From the ultra affordable day spa (admission starting from $15!) to 24 hour facilities complete with (gender segregated) sleeping rooms, there's something for everyone looking to make that great escape, if only for a few hours or the day. And for those seeking reprieve from the hustle and bustle with their friends / families, there are places to serve those needs too (afterall, the original korean bathhouses were created not just as a place of hygiene, but a place for people to socialize).
But besides escapism, korean spas are supposed to be fantastic for promoting wellness. Apparently dry heat elevates heart rate, which boosts metabolism. As your core temperature and muscles warm up (no exercise required :P), circulation improves and and more oxygen is sent to body tissues / skin. As your body attempts to cool down by pushing water out your pores, the sweat carries away heavy metals and toxins with it. High heat also creates an artificial fever state: as fever is part of the body's natural healing process, this is said tp stimulate the immune system leading to increased production of disease fighting white blood cells and antibodies. Korean spas offer a variety of saunas made of additional materials that stack up the benefits, like Himalayan salt for its anti-inflammatory balancing properties (helps relieve respiratory issues).
K-spas also serve real, good food. Forget the abstinence approach to health: heal your body at these spas and feed your soul as well with korean comfort dishes.
I had my first korean spa experience at Olympic Spa last year, and have been on a mission to check out as many korean spas in town as I can since (though I suspect Olympic will always be my fav).
Here is a quick recap of my findings so far, and I will add to this list as I uncover more. (Please do share if you've been to a great place that is not on this list yet :))
Note on admission fees: In general, with paid admission you’ll get use of all spas, saunas, steam rooms, towels, and lockers unless otherwise noted below.
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OLYMPIC SPA *****
3915 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019 Ph: 323.857.0666
Saunas: salt w/ binchotan, jade, steam, dry
Tubs: hot, cold, mugworts (hot)
Admission fee: $20 (recently increased from original $15 :( ) Waived with service of $70 or more
Parking: free valet
Restaurant: Yes
Full Nude?: Yes
olympicspala.com
Spot the Difference (in a good way)
- Ladies only spa
- Still my fav himalayan salt sauna of the spas I've tried: the room is smaller and hotter, mixes healing properties of himalayan salt with that of binchotan (charcoal acts as natural air purifier)
- Mugworts tub!!! Mugworts is known in Asian cultures for being great at balancing female hormones
- Cafe is spacious, serene and serves tasty korean food that is definitely foodie friendly. My favs are: bibimbap, dumpling soup with rice cakes, steamed egg
- It's across the street pretty much from Soban (and their ridiculously delicious raw marinated crab - post on this to come), great for a lovely bite before or after your spa visit
- You're skittish about the no swimsuits (full nudity) policy
- Personal space is critical to you (the tubs here fit maybe 4 people max at a time, each) and you enjoy more of a megaplex style, uber spacious spa (see Wi Spa)
CENTURY SPORTS CLUB & DAY and NIGHT SPA *****
4120 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019 Ph: 323.954.1020
Saunas: gold, salt, ice, hot stone kiln, (in jimjilbang), steam, dry
Tubs: hot, cold
Admission fee: $20 for spa only / $25 for spa plus jimjilbang (note first 4 sauna rooms listed herer are in the jimjilbang). Waived if you book services $75 or above.
[Deal: Get $5 off admission with Foursquare or Yelp check-in!]
Parking: free in attached lot
Restaurant: Yes
Full nude?: Yes in Women's spa area; Spa issued t-shirt and shorts required in jimjilbang (common co-ed area) where saunas, cafe and juice bar are located; gym clothing required at gym obviously
centurydayandnightspa.com
Spot the Difference (in a good way)
- 24 hours so you don't have to worry about getting out of work in time on weeknights
- Gold sauna
- Modern, spacious, clean facilities, not overcrowded like Wi Spa and relatively quiet
- Juice bar!!
- Cafe offers great selection of food and drink including samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), patbingsu (korean shaved ice with various toppings)
- Driving range for golfers
- Gym and training studio can be used at no additional cost
- Full sized indoor pool can be used with no additional cost
- Lessons offered for adults or kids for those interested in swimming / golf (for separate fee)
- Cool displays at entrance to each sauna showing current temperature inside
- Mugworts tubs are the whole reason why you go to korean spas (they just removed theirs)
NATURA SPA *****
3240
Wilshire Blvd. Suite B, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Ph:213.381.2288
Saunas: jade (includes himalayan salt wall, binchotan and clay ceiling), clay (includes himalayan salt pebbles, binchotan in bags), mugworts steam, dry
Tubs: hot, cold
Admission fee: $15. Waived if you book any two services (excluding nails)
Parking: $2 valet with validation ($3 without validation)
Restaurant: Yes Mon-Sat 10:30am-9:30pm last call 9pm (Sun 10:30am-8:30pm last call 8pm)
Full nude?: Yes. Gym clothing required at gym obviously, but gym is conveniently located inside women's area
natura-spa.com
Spot the Difference (in a good way)
- Mugworts steam room!!!
- I felt like Goldilocks coming to this place after Olympic Spa and Wi/Century - it's 'just right' with its intimately sized yet modern, clean and upscale looking space. It wasn't crowded on a Monday night. If they had a mugworts tub, it would easily take top spot on my favorites list!
- Love that each sauna packages together all the best and most effective 'ingredients' to use in a dry heat treatment room: himalayan salt, binchotan and clay.
- Modern gym, inside women's area (no need to exit spa to go work out) at no extra cost!!
- Abalone porridge, samgyetang and fresh squeezed juices are on the menu!!!
This may not be for you if...
- You don't like the smell of mugworts and just want a 'normal' steam room
- Wide open floor plans are more your thing: get out of my personal space, people!
CRYSTAL SPA ****
3500 W 6th St #321, Los Angeles, CA 90020 Ph:213.487.5600
Saunas: salt, wood & charcoal, red mud, ice, steam, dry
Spas: hot, cold
Admission fee: $30 (reduced to $15 if you book services $60 or above)
Parking: 6 hours free with validation in mall structure
Restaurant: Yes
Full nude?: Yes in Women's spa area; Spa issued t-shirt and shorts required in jimjilbang (common co-ed area) where saunas and cafe are located; gym clothing required at gym (outside spa entirely, but within same mall complex)
Spot the Difference (in a good way)
- Aveda products 'on tap' (free) in locker rooms and showers, and for purchase at spa store
- Secure at top level of Wilshire Galleria Mall
- Tip: Pick up your fav drinks at Zion Market on ground floor before you enter spa
- Free admission to gym with entrance fee to spa
- Red Mud sauna
- Wood & Charcoal sauna
- Admission includes use of gym at no additional cost
- You don't like having to fully exit the spa to get to the gym
- You were looking for traditional korean soaks (e.g. mugworts pool)
- You like your salt saunas scorching hot
- You don't like having to exit into a service elevator hallway to access a decidedly not spa-style / clean and decorated and very public style restroom from the jimjilbang
- Food is a big part of the experience for you, and you need to see pictures. Crystal Spa offers food, but their selection is not large, and unlike other spas, they do not have pictures posted of the dishes - just simple text only menus (they do have English translations though, and include skate!). They also stop serving food at 9:30pm
2700 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 Ph: 213.487.2700
Hours: 24 hours
Saunas: bulgama (oak wood), salt, clay (balls), jade, ice
Tubs: hot, cold
Admission fee: $25. Waived with treatments of $90 or more. Additional overnight fees apply depending on time of check in and out: check in before 12AM: overnight Fee applied after 4AM. Check in after 12AM: overnight Fee paid upfront. Check in before 4AM, a New Day charge applied after 11AM
[Deals: $15 admission Tuesdays. See more deals here.]
Gym: Yes (but requires membership / extra fees to use)
Parking: Free in attached lot (if crowded, they have complimentary valet)
Restaurant: Yes
Full nude?: Yes in Women's spa area; Spa issued t-shirt and shorts required in jimjilbang (common co-ed area) where saunas, cafe and computer stations are located; gym clothing required at gym
wispausa.com
Spot the Difference (in a good way)
- 24 hours, taking the stress out of trying to get out of work in time to enjoy the place on a weeknight
- Impressive space featuring 4 floors of shiny, state-of-the-art facilities
- Clay room like a ball pool with balls smaller than gobstopper size. You can really dig yourself into/under these if you wish for more even heating. And, they have 2 large flat screen TVs IN this sauna so you can catch up on your korean dramas while your stress
sweatsmelts away. - Saunas have cool designs: the bulgama is shaped like an igloo made of wood/stone or a smokehouse. The ice sauna has cool rough-hewn crystals protruding from the ceiling, as if in a cave
- Gift shop in women's spa area so you can buy masks, scrubs or any other DIY beauty supply you might have forgot to bring, without exiting spa
- For those who want to fully disconnect / don't want to carry their phone around: desktop computers in jimjilbang are provided if you want to websurf for your own purposes and not be distracted by incoming work emails
- Library of manga and mags in jimjilbang
- Rooftop patio to hangout al fresco
- Kids are not your thing, especially kids running around being as loud as they like, at the spa where you're supposed to be relaxing (I know, I am the very embodiment of evil and do not deserve to live. No, I don't hate puppies too.)
- You don't like sharing your spa experience with large groups of people
- Cozy, intimate facilities are more your style
Aroma Spa & Sports
3680 Wilshire Blvd. (3rd & 4th Floors) Los Angeles, CA 90010 Ph: 213.387.2111
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-7pm; Sat 8am-7pm; Sun closed
Saunas: steam (mugworts), dry, mist, mud, jade
Tubs: hot jacuzzi, hot tub, cold tub
Restaurant: snack bar only with limited seating within spa; sushi restaurant on 2nd floor of complex (separate business)
Admission fee: $15 (waived with service over $90)
Parking: in attached structure (get validation from spa)
Full nude?: in spa area; swimsuit required for pool, and gym clothes required in gym (they provide shorts and t-shirts if needed)
aromaresort.com
Spot the difference (in a good way):
- Giant gym free to use with purchase of spa service: this is the biggest and most well equipped gym at a Korean spa that I've seen yet. Weight machines for pretty much every muscle, bikes, ellipticals, treadmills and those strange looking hand-pedal machines.
- Golf range with great views over the city, for those into golf. Just want to try it as a one-off thing? They will rent you the clubs to, for a fee.
- Big pool with 4? lanes
- You love salt saunas (they don't have one)
- Modern venue upgrades are important to you (this place looks like it hasn't been renovated since the 90s, very early 90s)
- A good Jjimjilbang is critical to your spa experience:
- there aren't many common areas to lounge around in, at this spa: the only seating areas are 2 loveseats in the hallway from the lockers to the gym, and a few sofa chairs in the closed off snack bar area
- snack bar is behind a closed, frosted door that makes you think it's not in business - if you are inquisitive/ determined enough to pass through that first door you will find a dark and dingy claustrophobic windowless room with service through a split top door. Mainly salads and juices served, with very limited Korean food menu. Hours are inconveniently until 8pm on weekdays and 7:30pm Saturday, even though the spa is open til 10pm (so you don't have much time to get services done and eat after, unless you spend a lovely sunny socal afternoon indoors).
- You were looking for Korean or other imported / higher end products to be used: when I tried the Aroma Signature Treatment ($110), when it came time for my facial scrub, they squeezed some out from a tube of Rite Aid Apricot Scrub.
- You want your Jacuzzis / hot tubs to actually be hot (Aroma's were more lukewarm)
- Efficiency / effectiveness is what you value most in a therapist (if you wanted friendly/chatty you would have gone to a non-Korean spa)
Hugh Spa * (not recommended at night)
1101 S Vermont Ave, (2nd floor) Los Angeles, CA 90006 Ph: 213.365.1268
Hours: Mon-Sun 8am-midnight
Saunas: jade steam, clay mud, himalayan salt, magnetic infrared, wormwood, ice, oxygen
Tubs: pink himalayan salt hot, cold
Restaurant: Yes
Admission fee: $20
[Deal Alert: $10 for $20 voucher i.e. price of admission with Yelp Deal. Also, check in to get free Himalayan Salt Room Baked Egg if you are literally starving]
Parking: in attached open air lot on ground floor
Full nude?: in shower area only; in all other areas, spa robe required
hughspa.com
Spot the difference (in a good way):
- Ladies only
- Cheap admission if you use the Yelp Deal (you can buy on phone and redeem instantly)
- Only korean spa with magnetic infrared sauna in the area
- Wormwood seated steam saunas - where the herbs are put on a stove literally below a seat with an opening, so you can steam yourself where the sun don't shine, to maximize female hormone balancing and other alleged health benefits of wormwood. Sounds like a unique experience: I did not try this as it was $20 extra.
- For the uninitiated, the rooms are labelled with Step numbers, to help guide you through how to enjoy the spa, in the correct sequence.
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| Photo from hughspa.com |
This spa may not be for you if...
- You don't like walking past a Bail Bonds company on the way to the spa
- You don't find it relaxing to be across from a Police Station (though a very nice, modern looking one, and one that probably makes the spa the safest most protected location possible in practice)
- You don't want to hear the pounding (and often off-pitch) sounds of karaoke coming through from the bar downstairs
- Old tiles around tubs / worn fabric on furniture bothers you, and you want everything to look clean and modern
Photo from hughspa.com - If you don't like your clay sauna to feel a little creepy, like you're rising from the dead / takingthe first breath as an 'immortal' from your coffin ( partitions in the clay room resemble wooden coffins without the lid).
- Food is an important part of the spa experience for you. The signature 'himalayan salt room baked egg' (that I tried for free thanks to Yelp check-in) tastes exactly like an egg that has been baked for 7 hours would. Rubbery and sulfurous. And also, not necessarily expected, brown and bland. To be fair, I did not try their other cooked cafe foods, but I had no desire to, after that signature item.
Wilshire Spa * (not recommended)
3442 Wilshire Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Ph: 213.387.0281
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 7am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 7am-2am
Saunas: mineral salt, charcoal/yellow ochre, pure onyx, steam, dry
Tubs: hot, cold
Restaurant: Yes
Admission fee: $20 ($25 after 10pm)
Parking: in lot across from building
Full nude?: Yes
wilshirespa.com
Spot the difference (in a good way):
- Onyx sauna - "improves blood circulation, increases metabolism, and relieves muscle pains and stiffness"
- Charcoal/yellow ochre room hung with bags of herbs including lavendar
- Not crowded at all late on a weeknight, in fact you could potentially have the spa to yourself
- You don't enjoy feeling like the star of a low budget horror movie (with gaping holes in ceiling in the spa room, peeling paint in the walls in the massage chair lounge area; late at night lights are dimmed and flickering, the only door to the women's spa is propped open where anyone in the open lobby upstairs - street level facing public parking lot directly - can potentially peek in at the right angle, and feels like they could also walk in if the female receptionist is not looking)
- Jjimjilbang and other spa amenities are important to you
- You can't disconnect entirely and need that WiFi to work (since your phone signal likely won't)
Now that you are informed, hope you'll keep an open mind and give Korean spas a try! (It will do wonders for any body hangups as well. Women of all shapes, sizes and age go and couldn't care less what yours looks like - they are there for cleansing and health, not for judgment. As long as you shower before going into any tubs or saunas, you will not be bothered or stared down in any way).
Enjoy!
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