Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Take a long look outside your window, then ask yourself: What could possibly be worth leaving my apartment for? Answer: a hot, steamy sanctuary where the jacuzzis are hot, the food is delicious, and the only freezing cold can be found inside an ice sauna. Here, we've rounded up 11 of the city's best spas where New Yorkers can take a mini-vacay to the baths and saunas of Korea, Turkey, Russia, or Sweden—all without leaving the five boroughs. —Additional reporting by Naomi Collett Ritz
Spa Castle in Queens might be a little bit out of the way, but what it lacks in convenience it makes up for in extravagance. There's a Healing Room on the lobby floor, L.E.D. saunas on the first, waterfalls and baths on the second floor, and a fitness center on the third. There's also a restaurant, bar, and a separate food court.
At the Mandarin Oriental's spa, you're going to get Mandarin Oriental prices: the least expensive massages and facials start around $225, and that's only during off-peak hours. However, you'll also be privy to an amethyst crystal steam room, a tea lounge, the Thai yoga suite, and absurd views of Central Park. [Photo]
The long-awaited sister to Queens's Spa Castle, the luxurious offshoot opened in December to well-deserved fanfare: For $65 a day, guests can journey through all six different types of saunas in Sauna Valley, hang on the roof deck, order a drink at a swim-up bar, and chill (quite literally) in an "ice igloo." [Photo]
What time of day (or night) you chose to go to Juvenex on West 32nd Street makes all the difference. During the day, it's a women's-only facility; at 5pm, it turns into a couple's retreat; and at 4am, it's a wild single's party. Besides all that, the spa's main draw is the twenty-ton Jade Igloo sauna, but there are also plunge pools infused with ginseng and lemon, and a salt detox room.
Arguably one of the city's most popular bathhouses, this East Village spot offers everything from Russian saunas, Turkish steam rooms, a frigid dipping pool, and a Swedish shower. Co-ed baths are offered on specific times each day, and single-day admission is just $35. Want to add a massage? Prices start at $55, and you don't have to book them ahead of time.
In addition to offering a variety of treatments, the Great Jones Spa also boasts a Water Lounge, which includes a River Rock Sauna, a Chakra-Light Steam, a Thermal Hot Tub, and a Cold Plunge. Admission to the baths is $50, or free for three hours with any spa services. They also offer traditional platza treatments, which is where a specialist scrubs you with a broom made of fresh oak leaves that's been soaked in olive oil soap.
Located inside a reconstructed Japanese farmhouse in the basement of the Greenwich Hotel, the upscale Shibui Spa is a total treat. It includes a latern-lit swimming pool and lounge, a traditional Japanese bathing room, and a wide variety of massages and facials. If you're feeling invigorated after all that, you can also hit up the fitness studio for private training, yoga, or pilates.
For a spa day that's truly decadent, head to the Aire Ancient Baths in Tribeca. Be warned that prices run high, with a 90-minute soak in the Thermal Bath starting at $75. For $450, you can partake in either the Red Wine or Cava Champagne ritual. Not into that? Standard, 45-minute massages are a more affordable $150.
This bathhouse is larger than most of its counterparts, but people here generally tend to keep to themselves—making this spot perfect for when you're just trying to relax. However, the baths can get crowded on the weekends, so reserve one of the lounge areas ahead of time for just $5 per person.
General admission is $40/day, and annual admission, should you want to bathe all year round, is $2,000.
This 10,000 square foot Euro-spa under the BQE combines the best of Russian, Turkish, and Swedish bathhouse traditions. They offer everything from private parties to massages, and the facility also includes a Martini Lounge that gets pretty busy during brunch hour. Not sure what else to try? The NYT recommends the Red Flower Hammam body treatment and luxurious Chocolate Massage.
It's worth the trek to Sea Gate to experience this authentic banya (Russian for "bathhouse"). For $40 a day, you'll get access to three Russian steam rooms, an ice sauna, the spacious backyard, and a Turkish bath. The in-spa restaurant's extensive menu also includes Old World cuisine from borscht to potato dumplings. [Photo]
Spa Castle in Queens might be a little bit out of the way, but what it lacks in convenience it makes up for in extravagance. There's a Healing Room on the lobby floor, L.E.D. saunas on the first, waterfalls and baths on the second floor, and a fitness center on the third. There's also a restaurant, bar, and a separate food court.
At the Mandarin Oriental's spa, you're going to get Mandarin Oriental prices: the least expensive massages and facials start around $225, and that's only during off-peak hours. However, you'll also be privy to an amethyst crystal steam room, a tea lounge, the Thai yoga suite, and absurd views of Central Park. [Photo]
The long-awaited sister to Queens's Spa Castle, the luxurious offshoot opened in December to well-deserved fanfare: For $65 a day, guests can journey through all six different types of saunas in Sauna Valley, hang on the roof deck, order a drink at a swim-up bar, and chill (quite literally) in an "ice igloo." [Photo]
What time of day (or night) you chose to go to Juvenex on West 32nd Street makes all the difference. During the day, it's a women's-only facility; at 5pm, it turns into a couple's retreat; and at 4am, it's a wild single's party. Besides all that, the spa's main draw is the twenty-ton Jade Igloo sauna, but there are also plunge pools infused with ginseng and lemon, and a salt detox room.
Arguably one of the city's most popular bathhouses, this East Village spot offers everything from Russian saunas, Turkish steam rooms, a frigid dipping pool, and a Swedish shower. Co-ed baths are offered on specific times each day, and single-day admission is just $35. Want to add a massage? Prices start at $55, and you don't have to book them ahead of time.
In addition to offering a variety of treatments, the Great Jones Spa also boasts a Water Lounge, which includes a River Rock Sauna, a Chakra-Light Steam, a Thermal Hot Tub, and a Cold Plunge. Admission to the baths is $50, or free for three hours with any spa services. They also offer traditional platza treatments, which is where a specialist scrubs you with a broom made of fresh oak leaves that's been soaked in olive oil soap.
Located inside a reconstructed Japanese farmhouse in the basement of the Greenwich Hotel, the upscale Shibui Spa is a total treat. It includes a latern-lit swimming pool and lounge, a traditional Japanese bathing room, and a wide variety of massages and facials. If you're feeling invigorated after all that, you can also hit up the fitness studio for private training, yoga, or pilates.
For a spa day that's truly decadent, head to the Aire Ancient Baths in Tribeca. Be warned that prices run high, with a 90-minute soak in the Thermal Bath starting at $75. For $450, you can partake in either the Red Wine or Cava Champagne ritual. Not into that? Standard, 45-minute massages are a more affordable $150.
This bathhouse is larger than most of its counterparts, but people here generally tend to keep to themselves—making this spot perfect for when you're just trying to relax. However, the baths can get crowded on the weekends, so reserve one of the lounge areas ahead of time for just $5 per person.
General admission is $40/day, and annual admission, should you want to bathe all year round, is $2,000.
This 10,000 square foot Euro-spa under the BQE combines the best of Russian, Turkish, and Swedish bathhouse traditions. They offer everything from private parties to massages, and the facility also includes a Martini Lounge that gets pretty busy during brunch hour. Not sure what else to try? The NYT recommends the Red Flower Hammam body treatment and luxurious Chocolate Massage.
It's worth the trek to Sea Gate to experience this authentic banya (Russian for "bathhouse"). For $40 a day, you'll get access to three Russian steam rooms, an ice sauna, the spacious backyard, and a Turkish bath. The in-spa restaurant's extensive menu also includes Old World cuisine from borscht to potato dumplings. [Photo]
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45233792/best-saunas-spas-baths_2015_01.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438396/spacastle.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438397/new-york-luxury-spa-amethyst-crystal-steam-room.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438398/SpaCastlePremier57-TodSeelie-16.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438399/Juvenex-Spa-Setting-3-300x188.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438400/R_T.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438403/great-jones-spa-water-lounge.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438404/shibui.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438405/aire.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438406/88.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438407/bodybybk.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62438408/11851_230161957185721_1222365495_n.0.0.jpg)