KATY, Texas – If your idea of a spa includes an overpriced massage, one to two saunas and a single hot tub, get ready to open your eyes to a whole new world. Located in Katy, Texas, Spa World is a traditional Korean spa where the motto is “More than you expected,” and boy do they deliver. Houston Life reporter Lauren Kelly visited the spa, which opened in the fall of 2020, to learn all about the cultural traditions and health benefits associated with it.
“I really wanted to immerse myself in this assignment,” said Kelly. “It was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it.”
Kelly met with Spa World Marketing Manager Ana Torres, who provided an overview of the traditional Korean spa experience.
“This is a traditional site for family and friends to enjoy time with each other. It’s also to focus on health and wellness, and it’s just a great place to have fun,” said Torres.
In Korea, going to the spa is a common social pastime for friends and family, much like going to the mall in Western cultures. A trip to the spa is meant to be an all-day outing, with most facilities offering amenities for food and other fun activities to keep everyone occupied and entertained for hours. In addition to the spa facilities, guests can enjoy an onsite restaurant, bar, movie theater, napping pods, virtual golf, karaoke lounge and even a kids play area with childcare.
While the extra amenities are extensive, they do not eclipse the vastness of the actual spa. The gender separated bath areas include showers, hot and cold pools, dry and steam saunas, plus the Korean body scrub stalls. Kelly met with Spa World Associate Ella who explained more on the body scrub treatment.
“The Korean body scrub is a Korean full body cleansing process. We call it Seshin in Korea,” said Ella. “After you soak the body, we will use this Korean body scrub towel to rub your skin to rid [it] of all the dead skin and the dirt accumulated naturally.”
Kelly was able to get a small scrub on her legs and was shocked to see the results.
“I’m going to have the smoothest back calves,” said Kelly.
Outside of the bath area, patrons can don their spa uniforms to enjoy the rest of the facilities, which include a Himalayan salt room, arctic room and fire dome among others. The price of admission grants access to all spa facilities. Services, including the Korean body scrub, are extra as well as use of certain amenities.
Spa World is located at 929 Westgreen Blvd., Katy, TX 77450. To learn more about Spa World, click here.