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Let’s face it, the frenzied pace of New York City can wear even the most devoted urbanite down after a while. That’s why we are brining you our curated list of the best spas in New York City. Consider this the little sister of our Global Spa Guide, a list of the best spas in the world; there is some overlap here, but also a few honorable mentions that didn’t make it onto the list of best spas in the world, but are nonetheless, real standouts in the five boroughs. One of the amazing things about New York City, in fact, is that whatever your wellness desires, you can likely find somewhere to fulfill it. Read on for our guide to the best spas in New York City.
Aman New York
Visiting an Aman is a bit like getting on a spacecraft destined for planet Luxury. From the moment you enter the hotel’s lobby, you’re enveloped in an all-encompassing aesthetic, each detail—from the sprig of eucalyptus poking from a hammered pewter pot to the swathes of haute taupe decor—calibrated to create a just-so environment that banishes the hectic hubbub speeding along 57th Street outside. This hotel might be in the very heart of Manhattan, but it is also worlds apart. Is this the best spa in New York City? It is certainly striving to set a very high bar. Housed in a three-story 25,000-square-foot complex, the spa has an overall aesthetic that can be described as Asian minimalist. Within the warren-like structure, an unmarked wood-paneled door opens up into a lofty atrium-like space; the private yoga studio is situated in something like a private bento box, sealed off by key card access. This is the vibe at Aman: extensive yet extremely private. The treatments menu is truly encyclopedic. You can get a bit of everything here.
Shibui Spa
“Basement spa” doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of grandeur and sumptuousness, but Shibui Spa at the Greenwich Hotel is subterranean in the sense that diamond mines or truffle deposits are subterranean. Heaven is in the stratosphere, but paradise is in Tribeca, where Shibui is an oasis modeled on the Japanese onsen. Its treatment rooms are pin-drop quiet, the enormous indoor pool is heated, and the entire scene is framed under a bamboo crosshatch roof that Japanese craftsmen imported and reassembled in a painstaking homage to ancient bathing ceremonies. Even the heated towels are soaked in hot sake. Other spas boast aerial views or shout about amenities; Shibui whispers, and the result is the world’s most opulent ASMR experience.
The Four Seasons Downtown
While the OG Midtown Four Seasons is known the world over for its iconic I.M. Pei design, its Lower Manhattan outpost, which opened in 2016, is home to one of the finest spas in the city. Let’s start with the showstopper: the 75-foot heated lap pool—one of the city’s largest—which is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. The pool is perfectly heated at about 82 to 85 degrees, and the floor is set at a temperate 85 (meaning no teeth-chattering strides back to your towel). There are seven treatment rooms, a Peloton-packed fitness center, a steam room, infrared sauna, and a sundeck that overlooks Downtown Manhattan. The Four Seasons Downtown is the kind of place you’d expect Succession’s Shiv Roy to turn up. Stylish and discrete, the hotel is for those who live in quiet luxury (but who’d never utter such a phrase). The spa is just as refined—all white marble and dappled sunlight—with plush sitting rooms for whiling away the afternoon or taking over a business empire.
Remedy Place
There’s no gym equipment, massage tables, or beauty offerings at Remedy Place. Instead, there’s an extensive array of holistic treatments. Facilities include an infrared light sauna, acupuncture and cupping rooms, cryo chambers, hyperbaric chambers (they’re different!), and ice baths, just to name a few. Some experiences are solitary, but many can be done with friends, and that is part of the DNA of Remedy Place. When Remedy Place founder Jonathan Leary opened his first location in West Hollywood in 2019, he had the idea that he would create a “social wellness club.” (Let Leary himself define that for you: “It’s a club that is temptation- and toxin-free, that enhances health and social life at the same time.) The second opened in 2022 in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, and if you’re interested in getting your lymphatic drainage done with a friend or bringing your boyfriend along for emotional support while you endure a whole-body cryo chamber, this is the place for you. Or corral a few of your friends to take the (literal) plunge in one of their icy baths. Meanwhile, those looking for a hangover cure can opt for one of their many IV treatments.
Chelsea Hotel
Despite the spa only opening its doors in January of 2024, the rich history of Hotel Chelsea remains at the very forefront of this brand new space. As any New Yorker (or aspiring Manhattanite) is aware, the Hotel Chelsea housed residents like Patti Smith, Dylan Thomas, and Madonna. Jack Kerouac is said to have written On the Road there, and Leonard Cohen allegedly met Janis Joplin within its halls. And now, on the very top floor, you can cosplay as a tortured artist as you sip citrus water on their terrace and await your 90-minute massage. They retained many of the original features, so the interiors align with the antique aesthetic of the rest of the hotel, yet it’s obvious that luxury was a leading thought when conceptualizing the new space. Although there is no shortage of wonderful spas in New York City, there is something special about the Hotel Chelsea embraces its idiosyncratic past.
Mandarin Oriental
A trip to the spa is a luxury, an indulgence! If you’re going to pamper yourself, why not do so at a luxury hotel marked by sleek decor, a staff that anticipates your every need, and fresh flowers at every turn? The Columbus Circle location is walking distance from Bergdorf Goodman, Central Park, and two Shake Shack locations (accommodating a range of post-spa interests); the 35th-floor views are sweeping and stunning; and the spa’s therapists are some of the most skilled in the city. Several masseuse and estheticians have been with the Mandarin Oriental for more than 15 years, owing some of that tenure to the perk of traveling to other properties around the world to learn new treatments and spend stints of time living in a far-flung location.
Rescue Spa
The central location, welcoming demeanor, and edited boutique all cultivates one of the most perfect escapes from the hustle of New York City, while still making you feel—that elusive urban quest!–that you’ve found the place to be. Despite the bouncer-doorman who seems consistently stationed at the front door, Rescue Spa is the kind of drop-by place that has become a mainstay for the downtown New Yorker. More than one beauty editor I know swears by their facials. The consensus among anyone who tries them is so universally glowing as to be almost suspicious. Just what are they using to scent the washcloths?
The Rockaway Hotel + Spa
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Located just an hour on the subway from the center of Manhattan, The Rockaway Hotel + Spa is a wellness oasis for those looking to escape the city without having to trek to Hudson Valley or the Hamptons. This seaside establishment will make you forget just how close you actually are to the chaos of NYC as you enjoy the sound of waves crashing while you rotate between dips in the pool, lounging on your cabana, and stints in the poolside saunas all before your second round of spritz arrive. Your serenity will reach an all time high with the addition of a Rockaway Signature Massage, a complimentary wellness class, and an early dinner at their restaurant Margie’s.
Sage and Sound
Uptown has a reputation for stuffiness (let’s be generous and call it an old-school vibe), but Sage + Sound brings decidedly new energy to its zip code. An airy retreat on an otherwise nondescript stretch of Third Avenue, the spa boasts both a delightfully woo-woo menu of services and an expertly trained staff that seems to have relaxation down to a science. Treatment rooms are spacious and kept at womb-like temperatures. A small retail area has a curated selection of every status skin-care and hair product you’ve been tempted to spend a small fortune on. And nontoxic nail salon Sundays maintains a connected storefront for manicures and pedicures. There are nice spas with small menus of snacks to nibble on after massages. And then there’s Sage + Sound, where the Isle of Us marketplace and café is so good that I would go back just to eat lunch. If I could have the salmon rice bowl every day, I would.
AIRE Ancient Baths
New York City is in the midst of a bathhouse revival, and spaces like AIRE Ancient Baths are working overtime to revive the bathhouse as a social pillar, channeling the sentōs, banyas, and hammams that came before them. While there are bare-bones offerings across the city, the Spanish chain most recently opened an outpost on New York s Upper East Side (though it boasts locations across the United States and Europe, including a second Manhattan venue in Tribeca). AIRE Ancient Baths is seizing upon the bathhouse’s recent surge in popularity by offering a more luxe take on the ancient practice, capturing the Old World tradition with its signature candle-lit Ancient Relaxing Massage, which also grants access to the spa s thermal baths. Fly solo or take your partner for one of the spa s Love Connection packages—either way, you ll probably get hooked on bathhouse culture.
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
