Like most modern parents, I work hard and play hard. Because of this, I have come to appreciate the value in taking a day off for wellness and restoration. Lucky for me, Northern Virginia (just a quick drive) has three fantastic Korean Spas in the area now. Each is a variation on a theme, with a different personality. The question is: what is the BEST Korean Spa in Northern Virginia?
I have spent time at all three (Spa World in Centreville, King Spa in Chantilly, and Balian Springs in Alexandria). I think which is “best” depends on the experience, and pricetag, you are looking for. So scroll along as I dive into the nuances between the three.
What is a Korean Spa?
If you are unfamiliar, a Korean Spa, much like the Turkish hammam experience, has deep roots in social and cultural history.
These spas are large spaces where people soak in hot tubs, sweat in saunas, cold plunge, get scrubbed down from head to toe, and just relax. Think of it as a mix between a bathhouse, wellness center, and cozy spot to lounge for a day. In addition to places to take in the heat and the cold, most offer various treatment services, rest areas, and sometimes sleeping quarters, entertainment zones, and cafeterias.
A Korean Spa, known in Korean as a jjimjilbang, is open to individuals as well as families and they play an important part of Korean daily life and culture.
Korean spas evolved from traditional bathhouses (mokyoktang) that were common in Korean neighborhoods during the 20th century. These bathhouses were places where people bathed communally, especially in times and areas where private bathrooms were uncommon. Over time, they expanded into the jjimjilbangs of today, which offer a more comprehensive wellness experience and serve as social hubs.
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It is important to understand, I think, that Korean Spas were originally intended to be less about relaxation and more about balance and community.
Jjimjilbangs serve a strong social and cultural function. They are places where people can spend quality time with family and friends, take a break from the stresses of daily life, and enjoy community and a sense of belonging in a calm, respectful environment.
It’s common in Korea for people to visit jjimjilbangs regularly, especially during weekends or holidays, sometimes even staying overnight. The focus is on holistic wellness—resting the body, clearing the mind, and connecting with others.
Because of this atmosphere, Korean spas are not quiet or calm. There are also less norms around typical spa behavior you may see in standard Western spas. For instance:Â bring your phone into the hot room and listen to your audiobook if you want (with earbuds), bring your laptop and take the Zoom meeting (with earbuds) if you need to. It is a place to respect rest, but also a place where real life doesn’t stop.
What to Expect at a Korean Spa ("Do I Wear a Swimsuit?")
Most Korean Spas are divided into two main areas:
Bathing Area (gender-separated):
This section includes multiple hot, warm, and cold pools, showers, and saunas. You are required to be nude in this area to get into the pools (no swimsuits). This is also where the full-body scrubs (called seshin) are offered. These are incredibly popular, with phenomenal exfoliating and revitalizing benefits.
Co-ed Common Area:
Usually, visitors wear provided spa uniforms only (nothing underneath) and traditionally they look like jumpsuits. (Note that Balian Springs is different, though, and requires swimsuits throughout the entire area, with robes they provide.) Usually, the co-ed area includes various heated rooms (salt rooms, jade rooms, ice rooms, etc.), rest lounges, cafeterias, sleeping areas, and even TV rooms.
You will pay the entry fee (which I listed below) to get in and to use the amenities provided. Everything else (food, spa services, beverages) will require an additional purchase.
There are absolutely no street shoes allowed anywhere in the spas – a separate, small shoe locker will be assigned to you immediately upon entry and you will be given flip flops. A larger locker for the rest of your belongings will be given to you inside the appropriate locker room.
However, some of the Korean Spas in Northern Virginia have evolved to fit a more Western sensibility. And you will want to bring a swimsuit. For example, King Spa has outdoor pools that are co-ed and require a swimsuit (although you will head back to the locker room and remove your swimsuit, putting on the spa uniform, to do the hot and cold rooms). Balian Springs is swimsuit only and required throughout. They provide a robe to cover the swimsuit. But Spa World is traditional and you will wear only the issued spa uniform.
For a lot of the spa services, you can book upon arrival, although the slots do fill up quickly. You can book online before arriving at most places.
Plan to spend ALL DAY here. You will be shocked at how quickly time flies. Even arriving at 9:00Â am, I am usually not ready to leave until around 5:00 in the evening!
Which is the best Korean Spa in Northern Virginia? A Review of all Three.
Table of Contents
Review of Spa World in Centreville
I like to think of Spa World as the “O.G.” This one feels much more authentic and “real” to what I imagine the Korean Spa is meant to be – and may still be in Korea. (Some day I’ll get there.)
It has all of the hot rooms and cold rooms. There are steam and dry heat to be had. There is also a cafeteria with delicious food and teas available. Spa World is clean, but it is not built to feel luxurious. It is meant to be practical.
Given that this was my first Korean Spa experience, Spa World holds a special place in my heart. Mothers bring their children and everyone hangs out on mats throughout the day, watching TV, working on laptops, reading, or napping while going in and out of the various hot and cold spaces. It wasn’t quiet here, but it felt very comfortable.
There aren’t any outdoor pools or any co-ed spaces outside of the hot and cold rooms. The bade pool (the pool with jets targeting different parts of the body) is inside the gender-specific locker room, no swimsuit allowed. Traditional body scrubs are offered next to the bade pool.
Each time I have been to Spa World, it has been a hive of activity, with many families there for the day.
It is also the most affordable of all the Korean Spas in Northern Virginia.
Spa World:
spaworldusa.com/
(703) 815-8959
1383 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA
$45-$50 for adult entry for the day; $80 – $250 for services such as body scrubs and massages
Review of King Spa in Chantilly
I think of King Spa as a nice compromise between the luxury vibe of Balian Springs, yet trying to maintain the integrity of the spirit of a Korean Spa.
The outdoor pool area is lovely – although the only bade pools are up here on the roof and outside. Also, King Spa didn’t have many options for taking in the cold – not as many cold plunge pools.
That said, there are some really lovely hot rooms and specialty rooms. And the food was delicious (PRO TIP: get the lemon ginger tea).
The women’s locker room here is busy as traditional body scrubs are still offered next to the hot pools inside the locker room.
King Spa allows you to create your own experience. If you want to have a luxury-tipped day with the girlfriends, you can do that here. If you want to have a traditional K Spa experience where you walk into hot rooms between answering emails, you can also do that here.
King Spa:
kingspa.com/
(703) 957-3010
25330 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly, VA
$60-$90 for adult entry for the day; $120-$260 for services including body scrubs, facials and massages
Review of Balian Springs in Alexandria
Balian Springs leans all into the luxury. It has the most cold pools as well as a swim-up smoothie bar. There is also a rooftop bar with a bade pool there – and it is the only Korean Spa out of the three that serves alcohol (although be warned the drinks are expensive).
Unlike Spa World there is very little activity in the woman’s locker room. Instead, all services are offered upstairs in the spa suites. It might seem weird that there is a spa within a spa, but Balian Springs calls itself a “social club.” Nearly all of Balian Springs (outside of locker rooms) is mixed gender and swimsuits are required throughout the spa (bathrobes and flip flops are provided – no jumpsuits.)
Balian Springs offers cabanas and private areas for your group to rent out for an hour or the day, if you wish.
Balian Springs offers the most unique rooms and the most spaces for taking heat or cold. And everything was bumped up a notch in look, feel, size, luxury, and technology.
Balian Springs is where groups come to be together (guess “social club” makes sense) and can get loud. They offer glass-walled private offices for people needing to work in privacy. They also offer exercise classes throughout the day. It also gets BUSY! If you want a chair and to enjoy some time where it is easy to meander around, get there right when it opens.
Given all of this, it should be no surprise that Balian Springs is the most expensive of all three Korean Spas in Northern Virginia to visit for the day.
Balian Springs:
baliansprings.com/
 (703) 436-9107
6432 General Green Way, Alexandria, VA
$130-$165 for adult entry for the day, $75-$215 for services including facials and massages
Truthfully, taking a full day out of my busy work-hard play-hard life is a luxury in and of itself, so no matter which of the three Korean spas in Northern Virginia I am able to sneak away to, it is bliss. I love taking my journal, reconnecting with myself and my own heart.
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