The Five Best Spas in New York

"Relaxation" has never typically been a word associated with New York unless when referring to the absence of it, but even frenzied city-dwellers need to wind down sometimes. And with all of the hotel spas, beauty companies and luxe lifers in New York, there are certainly enough options. However, where does one go for that one thing? Who does prenatal massages the best? How about organic facials? Which day spa has the best steam rooms and saunas? What’s the newest thing on the market? No two day spas are the same, and even if they are, New York is a place for only the best. So peep these day spas, because at least one of them will hit exactly on the spot. After all, the main objective of all these places are to make sure that you get a good rest in the city that never sleeps.

No dragons, no witches, but magic and relaxing amounts of it at New York Spa Castle

The most unique, cutting edge and atmospheric spa experience is also one of New York’s most affordable spas. And biggest. Seriously, Spa Castle is huge. The five-floor spa facility in Queens looks from the outside like it should be part of a suburban strip mall, but visitors enter into a sprawling, luxurious and atmospheric fantasy world. Housing eight kinds of saunas, including Color Therapy, Himalayan Salt, and a variety of infrared saunas, same-sex spa pools with hydrotherapy jets, Hinoki baths and waterfalls, and incredible food options that range from Italian comfort foods, light Korean snacks, and every kind of liquid refreshment spa-goers could want. Inside this decidedly un-Medieval palace of luxury (they have special bracelets that add up all your charges so you can leave your wallet safely in the lockers), visitors often reserve three hours but stay closer to eight.

Go to the Great Jones Spa

Find solace from bustling Manhattan in this 15,000-square-foot three-story spa facility where water runs abundantly down indoor waterfalls, through the River Rock Sauna, Thermal Hot Tub and Cold Plunges, and gently evaporates through the Chakra Light Steam Room. Here, spa-goers will not find the fancy and overwhelming new spa technologies – no lasers or infrared lights – just clear, calm, healing and calming water therapies, natural sun from skylights, and an insulating river rock sauna. Great Jones Spa also offers a wide variety of massages, body treatments and facials designed to deep-clean, relax, and re-energize the skin.

It’s a women’s only sanctuary at Soho Sanctuary

This aptly named women’s only day spa and fitness studio in trendy SoHo offers every luxurious and relaxing spa goody to have their clients ready to face the hard pavement of NYC. They stock only top-of-the-line, organic spa products and blinged out salon swag (awwww yeah Swarovski-encrusted nails in their Beauty Loft, you want that, go get it!), all doled out by people who not only know the difference between Craniosacral therapy and Shiatsu but can deliver both magnificently. Pro tip before you go, though: reserve some time before and after to waft up some lavender in their seasonally changing aromatherapy-infused steam room, complimentary for clients of the spa and fitness studio members.

Bliss out at Bliss57

This beauty and body care company knows luxury. Their products line the shelves of Sephora and can be found worldwide at W Hotels, but for the ultimate Bliss experience, go straight to the source. Their menu offers the company’s well-known facials, massages, spa treatments and more using tried and blissfully true products. Their location caters to the uptown crowd, and they don’t disappoint: anyone who drifts through any one of their 11 treatment rooms and lounges or gets a whiff of their brownie buffet (which is exactly what you think it is) knows what they’re in for.

Oasis at 1 Park Ave is an apt moniker for this relaxing spa

Oasis Day Spa on 1 Park Ave is a wonderful place for massage treatments, as their trained professionals are prepared to give customers anything they want, whether it be reflexology, scalp therapy, Swedish, deep tissue or sports massages, as well as hot stone, aromatherapy and more. Armed with an arsenal of seaweeds, kelps, body scrubs, and high-quality organic Eminence body products, the staff at Oasis Day Spa on Park are not afraid to get their hands messy if it means that their guests walk out feeling fresher, brighter and more relaxed than ever.