ARCHIMEDES BANYA
Borrowing from renowned bath cultures — including Russian, Turkish and Greek — Archimedes Banya offers multiple floors of spa indulgences and services, not just limited to steam rooms and plunge pools, of which there are plenty. A restaurant serving cold pressed juices, lox platters, caviar and champagne is located on one floor, while the entire rooftop is furnished with tables and chaises, great for sunning and taking in sweeping bay and city views. A three-hour pass costs $47 and grants access to all the spa’s basic amenities.
IMPERIAL DAY SPA
The $30 charged for a four-hour day pass is waived with any treatment at this popular Korean spa. You’ll find essential amenities like a sauna, steam room, hot tub and cold plunge pool, but it’s the body scrubs that keep visitors coming back. Starting at $60 for 30 minutes, this invigorating treatment is not for the faint of heart, but it uncovers skin that’s radiant and baby- soft and it ends with a hair and body wash.
KABUKI SPRINGS AND SPA
A San Francisco favorite for over 50 years, and with good reason. The host of treatments include traditional Eastern, Western and CBD massage as well as facials, wraps, acupuncture and others. A three-hour $30 day pass gives you access to the hot pool, cold plunge, sauna, and steam room plus standard perks like aromatic drinking water and body-polishing sea salts.
ONSEN BATH AND RESTAURANT
A slice of Japanese bathing culture is hidden in the middle of the city. The entrance is easy to miss and you’ll need to pass through the adjoining restaurant to enter the spa. Once inside, you’ll find a communal tub and amenities like a redwood sauna, steam room and overhead cold plunge, all under a mood-setting skylight. Onsen aims for a Zen experience with complimentary hot tea and a rotating short film series inspired by the five elements in Eastern philosophy — September’s will focus on water. $38 for 105 minutes.
This article originally appeared in Marin Magazine as “De-Stress for Less”.
Kasia Pawlowska loves words. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the States when she was seven. The San Francisco State University creative writing graduate went on to write for publications like the San Francisco Bay Guardian and KQED Arts among others prior to joining the Marin Magazine staff. Topics Kasia has covered include travel, trends, mushroom hunting, an award-winning series on social media addiction and loads of other random things. When she’s not busy blogging or researching and writing articles, she’s either at home writing postcards and reading or going to shows. Recently, Kasia has been trying to branch out and diversify, ie: use different emojis. Her quest for the perfect chip is never-ending.
