
Top 10 Day Spas
No far-out treatments or long fee lists—in the West’s style of day spas, relaxation stems from one word: simple

Photo by Charles Gullung
Refuge, Carmel, CA. Refuge opened in 2012 as a sort of anti-spa—or anti-the type of spa that requires a long weekend and half a year’s salary to visit. It has no superfood cafe or body polish treatments, masks, wraps, esoteric peels, or facials, each with its own sub-tier of add-on pricing. “All those things are distractions to really relaxing,” owner Scot McKay says. Instead, Refuge is a kind of mini retreat, blending elements of Western Zen centers, natural hot springs, and European soaking traditions with modest pricing (and decorum—it’s always coed, with swimsuits required) to attract a mainstream crowd looking for an afternoon away from it all. “I call it a break-cation,” says McKay. Admission $39; refuge.com
Archimedes Banya, San Francisco. Archimedes Banya, which opened in a five-story building in India Basin in 2012, is a choose-your-own adventure of steam, sauna, soaking pools, whirlpool tub, TV and recliner room, clothing-optional rooftop deck with bay views, and surprisingly delicious Russian-style cafe. You even choose the level of modesty: The coed-all-the-time facility has clothing-optional and clothing-required areas. Admission $30/3 hours; banyasf.com
Watercourse Way, Palo Alto, CA. A pioneer in West Coast soaking spas, the Asian-style Watercourse Way doesn’t do communal baths. Instead, you rent a serenely private hot tub room (some also have a cold plunge, steam, or sauna) complete with your own sound system and three channels of spa tunes. Tub rooms from $18/hour; watercourseway.com