Sit and soak at the best Korean spas in L.A.’s Koreatown

There’s the Korean sauna, then there’s Wi Spa. The 24-hour mega spa is the granddaddy of Koreatown saunas: Couples, groups and families (children included, making it seem more like Disneyland at times) spend hours in the expansive co-ed jimjilbang which includes five different heated rooms, TV and Wi-Fi–outfitted lounge area, library and computer room, restaurant and sleeping room. Couples and groups laze (and sweat) in oversized T-shirts and khaki shorts, before heading into separate men and women’s dry and wet saunas. The basic body scrub ($60/30 minutes) is a must-do for baby-soft skin, while the Swedish and shiatsu-combo massage ($165/85 minutes) soothes away, through rough-and-tough pressure, tired muscles. There’s a $30 entry fee for services under $160.

This Aveda concept sactuary offers reasonably priced spa services like acupressure ($85/hour plus $15 entry fee) and full-body massage ($65/40 minutes plus $15 entry fee) to complement their electic roster of amenities. From the Himalayan salt room to the red mud room, Crystal offers a particularly enticing range of goods compared to other Koreatown spas. Admission for the day is $30 (waived with some services, and $10 cheaper on weekdays before 8:30am), and the generous hours of operation allow you to indulge during all but overnight hours—with six hours of free parking, no less.

Your one-stop-shop for Korean spa services with a contemporary twist, this Koreatown spot offers a veritable smörgasbord of feel-good treatments for guys and gals. For the $30-per-person admission fee (which is included with bookable services), bring your guy, your lady friend or a gaggle of buddies for communal relaxation in the unisex jimjilbang, where you can enjoy a nap, a roast in the sauna or a glass of fresh juice. The open-till-midnight Century also features separate men’s and women’s spas, as well as golf and swimming lessons for both kids and adults.

This luxury Koreatown spa and sports facility features an extensive menu of spa treatments, a fitness center, Jr. Olympic-sized pool and golf range. The Aroma Center’s 336,000-square-foot space leaves little to be desired, allowing you to spend the entire day, from opening till closing (11pm most nights), behind its tiled glass walls. There’s a $20 entrance fee for services under $110—and that includes five hours of free parking.

Treat yourself to a few hours of relaxation in this bamboo-colored, women-only Koreatown spa. Olympic Spa offers a variety of soaking pools, spa treatments and massage services ($160/55 minutes for Sweedish) for your pampering pleasure. Appointments are recommended, but bringing the hubby and kids is not: There’s no admittance for men or minors here. Also, if you’re not a member and aren’t opting for a treatment, Olympic no longer offers daily spa passes (it’s open daily from 9am to 9pm).

Touted as having the city’s only natural mineral thermal spa, this Koreatown spa caters not only to regulars of the soak-and-scrub Korean sauna, but also to newbies and those willing to dish out a few extra bucks for hydrotherapy treatments. Amenities and facilities are basic (and could use a touch-up) with separate men’s and women’s soaking tubs and steam and dry saunas. Services include the obligatory body scrub ($80/30 minutes)—foam-top tables are divided by glass panels in a dark, tiled room—massages and facials, as well as spray tanning and hair removal (basic spa admission runs $45 to $50). The spa closes on the early side (8pm, and it’s closed on Tuesdays), but this one-stop-shop means finding your zen (and your inner outer beauty) is easier than ever.