There are few better gifts for your body and mind than heading to the spa.
Not is the Bay Area home to some of the most luxurious, beautiful spas in the country, there are also plenty of budget-friendly and culturally diverse options that won't break the bank.
From mega Wine Country sanctuaries to globally-inspired urban bath houses, we’ve rounded up the best spas in the Bay Area for any budget.
Budget-Friendly Spas in the Bay Area
One of the many pools available at the four-level Archimedes Banya.
(Courtesy of Archimedes Banya)
Imperial Day Spa
A brutal scrub down at Imperial Day Spa is all you need to feel human again. Watch the dead skin peel away as a worker gets into all your crevices while you stand helpless in the nude. It's a bit much, yes, but the exfoliation leaves you feeling like a newborn baby. While the facilities at this Korean-style communal bathhouse aren't the most modern or fancy, they are clean and well-maintained. Spaces for women and men are separate, and going nude is the norm. Enjoy the jacuzzi, cold plunge, and dry and steam saunas; in the women's space, there is also a red and yellow clay room. Enjoy the space for $25 day pass, opt for a signature scrub ($90), or choose from a variety of other treatments ranging from foot acupressure to massage. //1875 Geary Blvd. (Japantown), reservations at imperialdayspa.com
Kabuki Springs & Spa
Inspired by Japanese bathhouses (sentos), this Japantown spa has been a place of reprieve for San Franciscans since it opened in 1968. Located within the Japan Center, the communal facilities include a hot pool, cold plunge, dry sauna, steam room, and showers with all-natural products. Access to the facilities is only an extra $20 bucks on top of any treatment (massages start at $145) or you can access them with a $49 two-and-a-half-hour day pass. Be prepared for lots of nudity, as bathing suits are only required on Mondays and Tuesdays when the facilities are co-ed (otherwise, it’s open to men on Saturdays and Thursdays and women on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). // 1750 Geary Blvd. (Japantown), reservations at kabukispringscom
Piedmont Springs
Sometimes you want an expansive luxury spa. Other times, you just want a hot tub. Or a sauna. Or a steam room. Piedmont Springs in Oakland offers these at an affordable price. The facility has four private, outdoor hot tubs with a covered shower and dressing area. Great to book solo, with a date or a small group of friends, the hot tubs are $30 per person per hour. Some of the rooms come with a sauna, as well. A separate sauna and steam room are both available to book for $20-$22 (30-45 minutes). Piedmont Springs also offers massages, scrubs, wraps, waxing and facials. // 3939 Piedmont Ave. (Oakland), reservations at piedmontsprings.com
Archimedes Banya
If you’re up for an adventure—with lots and lots of nudity—we have the place for you. This four-story facility in Bayview is truly massive. Inside you’ll find treatment rooms, a Finnish sauna, a Russian banya, a hot tub, an ice-cold plunge pool, quiet lounge rooms, a restaurant, and a rooftop deck with sweeping views. Word of warning: Aside from the locker rooms and restaurant, all spaces are clothing-optional and co-ed after 6pm. If you don’t feel like mingling naked with the opposite sex, they regularly host women's and men's only nights. While traditional services like massage and facials start at $80 for 30 minutes, you can get a pass just to use the amenities (three-hour weekday happy hour passes are $60). The many ancient wellness rituals from across the globe also are wallet-friendly. Get scrubbed down in a Turkish hammam (starting at $65) or get a real taste of the Russian banya experiences with a venik platza ($47), in which a masseuse slaps birch and oak leaves soaked in hot water against your body to increase blood circulation. // 748 Innes Ave. (Bayview-Hunters Point) reservations available at banyasf.com
Mid-Budget Spas in the Bay Area
RedMint has two locations in SF.
(Courtesy of @redmintwellness)
Burke Williams Day Spa
With 10 locations throughout California, Burke Williams is known for its large, high-end facilities packed with amenities. Although the SF location is no longer, the San Jose location on Santana Row is a Moroccan-inspired sanctuary of more than 12,000 square feet. Book a treatment and get full access to amenities, including separate women's and men's lounges, jacuzzis, a steam room, sauna, showers, and dressing areas. Membership is another option: For $165 a month, you can choose from a 50-minute massage or facial, along with other perks. // 355 Santana Row, Ste. 2010 (San Jose), reservations at burkewilliams.com
Rockridge Day Spa
Spa options are not as prolific in the East Bay, so Rockridge Day Spa is a locally beloved gem. The menu of services here is extensive: hair cuts and colors, dermaplaning, hydrafacials, bodywraps, threading, waxes, and more. If a decadent massage is what you're after, the quality of here is consistent. The spa is an easy walk from BART and there are plenty of lovely places to eat and shop before or after your visit. // 5413 College Ave. (Oakland), reservations at rockridgedayspa.com
Pearl Spa and Sauna
This one is for the ladies. Located in Japantown, Pearl is a Korean-style, women-only spa. The most popular treatment here is the body scrub ($90), inspired by traditional jjimjilbangs (South Korean bathhouses). Trust us and book it—it's extremely satisfying to watch sheaves of dead skin just fall off your body. For the full experience, the scrub-massage combo ($130 for 60 mins) is the way to go. All booked services include two hours use of the amenities, which include a hot tub and eucalyptus steam room. // 1656 Post St. (Japantown), reservations are available at pearlspasf.com
Redmint
Redmint expertly blends Western and Eastern rituals, infusing both traditional Chinese medicine and modern wellness techniques into their treatments. At both locations in San Francisco—on Fillmore Street and in the Marina—you can truly get any treatment you dream of: acupuncture, massage, foot reflexology, sound bath meditation, LED therapy, scalp massages, facial peels, and more. Redmint focuses on natural elixirs and Eastern herbs to promote healing, so stop at the herbal bar, which you can walk in off the street, for medicinal and herbal lattes, teas, and more. Services are available a la carte or via membership (starting at $160/month), which includes a credit toward any service, a complimentary modern-wellness technology session, and savings on retail and drinks at the bar. // 2044 Fillmore St., 2nd Fl. (Pac Heights) and 1958 Union St. (Marina), reservations available at redmint.com
Luxury Spas in the Bay Area
The cedar sauna at Halehouse Spa at Stanly Ranch.
(Courtesy of Stanly Ranch)
Bamford Wellness Spa at 1 Hotel
A rooftop bubble bath with Champagne while gazing out at the Bay? That’s the situation over at Bamford Wellness Spa, which is perched on the top floor of the trendy 1Hotel in downtown San Francisco. While the spa is small and doesn't offer extra amenities (like a sauna or showers), the views make up for it. The Bay Bridge is a bold backdrop to every treatment room, and the private rooftop terrace features two stone spa tubs you can book for 30 to 60 minutes, letting you soak in a mineral-rich salt bath while enjoying prepared snacks, tea and a mimosa, all while being surrounded by skyscrapers. Holistic treatments use natural and organic products in both the massages (50-minutes, starting at $276) and facials (starting at $276), with plenty of upgrades available including red light therapy, microcurrent lifts, and a 24-karat nanogold “repair” meant to reduce inflammation and puffiness. // 1 Hotel, 8 Mission St 8th floor (Embarcadero); reservations are available at 1hotel.com
Halehouse Spa at Stanly Ranch
If you want a spa where you can spend an entire day and still not want to go home, head to Stanly Ranch, which sits on 700 acres of ranch land in Napa. Set on a hilltop surrounded by vineyards, the property's spa is stunning from every direction. It's comprised of three main buildings: Halehouse (treatment rooms), Fieldhouse (a movement studio), and Springhouse (a wellness circuit that includes a cedar sauna, steam room, salt therapy, cold plunge, and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber). In the center of the spa, you'll find a large pool overlooking the vines that's yours to enjoy for the day. Treatments range from classic ($305 for a 60-minute holistic sports massage) to less traditional options like dry brushing, reiki, lymphatic drainage, and even $482 facial that uses a “remodeling face machine.” // 200 Stanly Crossroad (Napa), reservations aubergeresorts.com
Healing Arts Center & Spa at Cavallo Point
Looking to try something new but still get the luxurious atmosphere? Head to this 11,000-square-foot sanctuary within the historic Cavallo Point Lodge at the base of the Golden Gate. The Healing Arts Center is far more than a spa. Yes, you can get an excellent massage here (starting at $235), but it's the more unique offerings that set it apart, including shamanic journeys, meditation, reiki, and a fully integrative medicine program directed by primary care physician Dr. Bradly Jacobs. Jacobs sees individual clients and also leads lectures, workshops, and other experiences. With any treatment, you get two hours of access to the full facilities, so be sure to relax in the zen garden, take a dip in the meditation pool, spend time in the eucalyptus steam room, and enjoy the outdoor fire pits. // 601 Murray Circle (Sausalito), reservations at cavallopoint.com
SenSpa
Located at the edge of the Presidio, this former army building has been transformed into a 13,000-square-foot oasis that blend Eastern and Western techniques. On the menu is everything from acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine to classic spa offerings like massages and facials, but the best experiences are the hybrid treatments that incorporate both East and West like the Integrative Acumassage Healing, a 75- to 120-minute session ($255-$345) involving anything from massage to acupuncture to cupping, all personalized to your body's specific needs. Plan to spend hours exploring this large facility before or after your session, which includes three lounges, an aromatherapy steam room, a sauna, and a tea garden. //1161 Gorgas Ave. (Presidio), reservations available at senspa.com
