The 10 most highly-rated day spas in New York City for 2024
The city can be quite exciting and magical, but sometimes it can get super busy too. Between work, school, family, and social requirements, we do not always have time for just ourselves to unwind. What better way is there to feel rejuvenated and refreshed than with a relaxing visit to a day spa? Your time and money are precious so you would not want to go to just any spa, but rather the best, most lavish and exquisite one that the Big Apple has to offer. Continue reading below to explore the top 10 most highly-rated day spas in New York City for 2024, as well as a brief history on spas and how they became associated with mental health, lifestyle and wellness.
The origins of spas
Spas have largely become associated with healing practices. No one knows for sure how this association came about, but there are a few clues. One is due to the word’s etymology. “Spa” is an acronym of the Latin phrase “Salus per Aquam” which means “health from water,” which is exactly what many spas do–heal you with water. Another idea comes from 1596 when Timothy Bright discovered a well and called the resort The English Spaw, and began to use the word Spa as a generic description. Another theory is that the word “spa” is named after the Belgian village, Spa, where hot mineral springs were used by Roman soldiers to treat sore muscles and wounds from being in battle.
While many people think that spas come from the Romans and their ancient baths, there is evidence that suggests spas have been around thousands of years before. Romans used baths to heal their wounds and viewed it as a form of rest and relaxation, but this was between 27 B.C. and 14 A.D. The Romans actually imitated and surpassed many of the Greek bathing practices in terms of the size and complexity of their baths; the Greeks have been using bathing techniques way before the Romans.
Greek philosopher Hippocrates, who was alive around 400 B.C. (over 2000 years ago), proposed that people become sick due to an imbalance of bodily fluids, and as a result should have a bath and scented massage everyday to heal themselves. We see the influence of balneotherapy, also known as the use of bathing to treat disease, today through mineral-infused treatments, using a hot tub after swimming, or swimming in seawater which is known as thalassotherapy.
In 1326, Collin le Loup, an ironmaster from Belgium, discovered chalybeate springs, which are natural mineral springs containing iron salts, in Liège, Belgium. Due to this, a health resort came about and the term “spa” began to refer to any health resort around the springs and became associated with curing disease. Other rituals beyond these locations were being practiced as well, such as ryokans in Japan, hammams in Turkey, and Finnish saunas and steam rooms, which were growing in popularity around the world as well.
In 16th-century England, the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived in towns like Bath. In 1596, William Slingsby, an English soldier, discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire. He built an enclosed well known as Harrogate, the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters.
Spas have become very popular today and are focused on mental and physical health and wellness more than ever. For example, massages aim to heal muscle aches and pains, facials work to cleanse the skin, and steam rooms help with detoxifying. Other spa locations include yoga, fitness, or meditation centers, and even include food and cafes. Spas are increasingly popular today and have become largely associated with providing a blissful escape from the stresses of everyday life’s responsibilities and tasks.
List of top rated day spas in New York City for 2024
Let’s dive into some of the top rated spas in New York City, as determined by services, ambiance, overall experience, luxuriousness, and individuality. Whatever the experience you are looking for, there is sure to be something from the list below that will cater to your needs.
1. ZZ Day Spa
ZZ Day Spa was awarded the #1 day spa in New York City as well as the #1 spa in the city with over 3000 Five-Star reviews. There are currently three locations in Manhattan, including 7 West 36th Street, 7th Floor New York 10018, 5 West 35th Street, 1st Floor New York 10001, and 120 East 56th Street, 2nd Floor New York 10022. ZZ Day Spa staff wants whoever walks through the doors to feel loved and cared for, and leave knowing that they are a friend. The spa’s goal is to not just provide the spa experience, but for you to take home memories of the spa being the most cherished part of your day, whether you are a regular guest or visiting for the first time. They strive to be the most guest-centric company in the world. ZZ Day Spa offers facials, massages, birthday packages, couples packages (some packages include a hot tub experience), bachelorette packages and more.
2. The Spa by Equinox Hotels
The Equinox brand, known for its luxury gyms that focus on health and wellness, offers other services in the industry – it has its own 27,000-square-foot spa located at Hudson Yards. The space includes a heated indoor pool, hot and cold plunge pools, and six treatment rooms. Plus, hotel guests and Equinox members can get access to the nearby fitness club, rooftop heated pool, a spa wave table, and barrel saunas. What makes this location special is its science-backed technologies, such as IV drops, cryotherapy, sleep-enhancing quantum harmonics, lymphatic drainage, and acupuncture; guests can also receive facials using products from Augustinus Bader and Biologique Recherche; they may also receive aesthetic services and eye treatments.
3. Spa Diane Barrière at Fouquet’s New York
Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s houses the luxurious and opulent French spa, which now has its first U.S. location right in Tribeca. The space has quickly become a favorite among those in the know thanks to its stylish lobby, restaurant, and spa. The wellness oasis has five treatment rooms which give an intimate feel, and include a sauna, steam room, indoor pool, and state-of-the-art fitness center to ensure visitors have all the amenities they need. The spa also boasts a selection of services such as their age-defying Ultimate Glow Facial and their restorative Jet Lag Remedy, which were both created in partnership with Biologique Recherche. The wellness center also offers more traditional services such as massages. There are options for calming, performance and therapeutic massages, as well as lymphatic drainage and their Mother to Be massage. Plus, all treatments at Spa Diane Barrière can be ‘enhanced’ with a Biologique Recherche scalp massage, gemstone collagen mask, nourishing foot treatment, and more.
4. Remedy Place
Located in the Flatiron district of New York City, Remedy Place spa is one of the newest and most cutting-edge wellness spaces, mainly from its celeb-adored ice baths. It also has a sleek and monochromatic vibe which has been designed to make you feel that you are part of one community where you gather, heal and relax with those around you. Services include IV drips, infrared saunas, ice bath classes, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy, lymphatic compression, acupuncture, and more. Guests can choose to visit the spa for one-off sessions, or decide to become a member at the Flatiron club. There will even be a new and larger Soho location in the future.
5. The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown
The financial district of New York does not seem like the place to have a wellness location, but surprisingly houses one of the city’s top spa destinations–The Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel. Taking up an entire floor, the spa and fitness center includes a sun deck and a 75-foot indoor pool with magnificent views of downtown Manhattan. The extensive treatment menu includes a wide range of massages which focus on the neck and shoulders and are designed to relieve stress. Facials are also offered which use products from brands such as 111Skin, Augustinus Bader, Omorovicza, and Soveral. Guests can choose to take part in one-on-one sessions with resident healers who specialize in crystal therapy, chakra clearing, sonic alchemy, hypnosis and more.
6. THE WELL New York
THE WELL spa seeks to bring Eastern healing and Western medicine together through holistic treatments, mindful movement classes, and delicious meals. The space is located just west of Union Square and houses a full-service spa with a steam room, a sauna, relaxation areas, a medical practice, an organic restaurant, three yoga, fitness and meditation studios, and a foot rub lounge, all within 13,000 square feet. It is a place that strives to be approachable and welcoming, and not the high-end, members-only wellness club that it used to be several years ago. Guests are able to receive IV vitamin drip therapy, a facial with Biologique Recherche products and LYMA Laser technology, craniosacral therapy, an Integration bodywork massage, a cold plunge, and many other services. Visitors can also choose between a series of specialized workshops and movement sessions led by guest practitioners of the wellness center. While the spa is open to all, membership options are still offered for those who look to visit very frequently, either monthly, quarterly or annually.
7. Sisley-Paris Spa at the Dominick
The Dominick Hotel located in SoHo includes the very lavish and sought-after Sisley-Paris spa. The spa’s wellness amenities include a steam room, sauna, Himalayan salt room, hammam, and outdoor terrace, and a wide range of treatments. Skincare services, which all feature products from the Sisley-Paris product line, include the Phyto-Aromatic facial, the Black Rose facial, the Stone Soother massage, and the Couple’s Deluxe massage which includes a jacuzzi experience and a bottle of Prosecco. The Sisley-Paris spa also offers several body rituals such as their special Dominick Honeybee ritual, which features a body mask made with honey from the hotel’s own honey bee hive, and finishes off with a scrub and full-body massage.
8. Aman Spa New York
The Aman Spa, which houses three floors and over 25,000 square feet dedicated to wellness and longevity, includes Hammam and Banya Spa houses, a cryotherapy chamber, a large fitness center with an Infrared Zone with a VacuTherm Treadmill and Stepper, a yoga and pilates studio with reformers, a 20-meter-wide heated pool, a John Barrett Hair Salon, and more. Treatments include scrubs, wraps, massages and facial treatments which feature products from AMAN’s skincare brand Essential Skin. The AMAN spa is mainly known for its personalized integrative wellness programming–each guest of the spa is offered a complimentary wellness assessment and consultation to address any of their health concerns. From there, they will receive a customized session and treatment recommendations.
9. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York
The luxurious Mandarin Oriental franchise has its own spa which is inspired by Asian wellness traditions. It is located on the 35th floor in the Columbus Circle hotel. The spa features a vitality pool, a tea lounge, an amethyst-crystal steam shower, and a custom-built Thai yoga studio. Services include a Diamond Cocoon Experience Facial, an Oriental Essence massage, or a Digital Wellness Escape which involves treating the full body including the head, eyes, neck, shoulders, hands and feet in order to ease the stress and strain that come from using digital devices.
10. Guerlain Spa at The Plaza
The French House of Guerlain is known to be one of the oldest fragrance, cosmetics and skincare companies in the world. It now has its own spa location, too. Found in the Plaza Hotel (previously in the Waldorf Astoria) near Fifth Avenue and Central Park, the Guerlain Spa offers services to guests such as their signature Royal Honey Repair & Renew Facial or their Impériale Relaxing Massage. These treatments incorporate the brand’s famous products into the treatments, such as items from the Abeille Royale product line, or lotion from Guerlain’s Eau de Cologne Impériale fragrance.
Conclusion
Taking a step away from life’s daily responsibilities and tasks to escape to a luxurious spa for the day is important and much-needed for your emotional, mental and physical well-being. This allows you to re-emerge feeling relaxed, recharged, rejuvenated, and soothed. Whether your spa vibe is lavish, tropical, or monochromatic, there is sure to be an option for you.
