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Welcome to Vogue’s first-ever spa guide—a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide, pulling from the expertise of our global editors. There is a lot out there in the world of wellness, and we are here to sort the cryo from the cold plunge, the infrared light treatment from the IV infusion. Or if your path is a more holistic one—there’s something for you here as well.
Why go here?
Incorporating wellness with healing arts and a culinary program by a Noma founder, all set amid bright and cozy Japanese-inspired minimalist spaces, Shou Sugi Ban House is the Hamptons’ first destination spa and wellness retreat. It’s located in Water Mill, about a two-hour drive from New York City. Beyond a robust selection of facials, massages, and body treatments, they have extensive, culture-spanning healing-arts offerings and life-enhancing therapies—including sound, aromatherapy, crystal healing, shamanic sessions, Reiki, shiatsu, Watsu therapy, craniosacral therapy, reflexology, Thai massage, polarized light therapy, and pressotherapy (mechanical lymphatic drainage). For the complete holistic experience, these treatments can be combined with yoga, meditation, fitness classes, nutrition workshops, guided beach walks, and plant-forward meals.
What’s the vibe?
The Hamptons beach vibe meets natural, Japanese-inspired aesthetics and a touch of the New Age, starting with the imposing Buddha that greets you at the entrance. (A remnant of the site’s previous incarnation as a sculpture garden, the eight-ton statue was blessed by local monks before the property opened.) Expect a combination of ancient healing arts, movement classes, and local, seasonal, healthy eating and drinking. For example, opt for an early-morning meditation or beach walk, followed by a challenging stretch-and-balance class, before relaxing at the 90-degree saltwater pool and then sampling custom blends at the Tea Barn. There’s something for everyone, says director of special events Taylor Rose Berry, and “most guests discover something they didn’t even know they were looking for.”
The history?
Opened in 2019, the property was named after the ancient Japanese technique of charring wood in order to preserve, waterproof, and render it more resilient. This paradoxical process of transformation to build strength and resistance aptly applies to wellness—and echoes the history of the property, which sustained an electrical fire during construction. Shou Sugi Ban House’s spaces and philosophy were influenced by the Japanese principles of wabi-sabi, with an appreciation for the beauty and healing properties of the natural world. The main spa has five luxury treatment rooms, and due to demand, another five were recently added in another building.
What should you try?
The most popular offering is the Sacred Sound Journey, a 60- or 90-minute immersive sound bath where tuning forks, gongs, and Himalayan and crystal singing bowls create a body-healing vibrational frequency. Lying supine on fur pelts, blankets, and pillows with eyes covered, the harmonies of up to 30 instruments wash over you, lulling you into a deeply meditative state meant to soothe insomnia and anxiety and even aid digestion. I’m not sure if that worked in my case, as my sleep-deprived partner snored thunderously through the entire set—but rest is healing, I suppose. The candlelit sunset yoga in view of a roaring fire bowl (that also concluded with a sound bath) was one of the most peaceful yoga experiences I’ve ever had.
How environmentally friendly is it?
Medicinal herbs and plants are grown in the on-site biodynamic gardens, and so are the nuts and berries used in culinary menus and spa treatments. Many areas incorporate reclaimed wood from previous structures, including repurposed floorboards and doorways, and the gently gurgling water fountains were made from existing rocks on site. Some cedar stools and altars were made from older trees that had to be taken down and underwent the namesake shou sugi ban technique. Solar panels offset a portion of electricity, geothermal wells provide more efficient heating and cooling, and three electric cars and car chargers are available on the property.
What else do we need to know?
The spa features a hydrotherapy circuit and thermal suite with an infrared sauna, dry sauna, steam room, ice fountain, and experience shower with chromotherapy; three outdoor contrasting hydrotherapy plunge pools; an outdoor watsu pool; indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges; and a solarium deck. Some of these spaces (all coed) tend to get crowded during communal hours.
The culinary program was designed by Mads Refslund, cofounder of the gastronomic mecca Noma in Copenhagen, with pescatarian and vegetable-forward menus featuring the organic bounty grown on the property. Some menu prices, like the $50 rice bowls, demand breathing exercises. Wine, beer, and cider were added only recently, due to (what I assume was vociferous) demand. It’s worth noting, for caffeine-addled New Yorkers considering a stay, that no coffee is provided in the rooms—only house-made tea.
Who can go?
The spa is available to overnight and day guests. There is not currently a membership program.
Booking details for Shou Sugi Ban House
Address: 337 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976, United States
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.
