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Post by nuwildcats on Oct 8, 2013 13:59:30 GMT -5
I first learned about this spa late Spring through a Groupon deal. Thought it might be good to post their info before the holidays but WGN morning news ran a segment on it yesterday so while the link is still available, I'm posting what I've learned so far: morningnews.wgntv.com/2013/10/07/king-spa-in-niles/Kdrama fans often say they dream of going to Korea someday. For me, this is the closest - and cheapest way - I'll ever experience what I see on Korean programming. King is a 24-hour sauna ("renowned for being the largest Asian sauna in the United States," they claim) with 6 dry as well as steam saunas, salt, charcoal, ice rooms, pool, restaurant/food court, movie theater featuring Hollywood films, and 1 of only 3 mineral beds in the world (others, Japan and Dallas) promoting healing. WGN showed the gold sauna where the walls are lined with 24 karat bricks. For the more bankrolled, the annual membership fee running $1,600 gives you unlimited access to the facility at a discounted price and VIP privileges for any King Spa & Sauna events. I'm interested in the facials that show up in so many dramas, where even the elderly have glowing skin. There will always be a $30 admission fee giving you use of the facilities. But any beauty/health services are charged additionally. One can always hope. By next Xmas, I've put in my bid for a facial running $80-100 or, the massage $90-120 or even an accupuncture massage ($80-110). For more details: www.kingspa.com/c-about.php
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Post by TheBo on Oct 9, 2013 10:52:56 GMT -5
Thanks so much, nuwildcats. MyBob would really like to go, but I'm thinking it's more a winter thing, so we'll probably go when it's cold.
Bo
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Post by nuwildcats on Oct 10, 2013 19:08:08 GMT -5
Wanted to add that the WGN link is an abbreviated edition of the aired segment. What caught my attention was the completely empty seating area that WGN said on-air had been jammed-packed with patrons. That is, until the early morning TV crew moved in with their bright lights and cameras. Then everyone scattered away from the cameras' reach.
So I'm impressed this really is an authentic Korean cultural experience. Can you imagine a western counterpart packed with users so early in the day? I can't.
In subsequent calls to King Spa, I learned the $30 admission fee allows you to stay there 24 hours, although you can't go out to your car even w/o paying another $30 fee to get back in. There's a limitation of available activities in the middle of the night so I'm not sure why someone stays on the premises during those hours.
I see the Spa now in a broader way than before this aired. Previously, I couldn't see asking for a $140 gift, just to get a facial. But my interest is piqued now so I'll visit the facility for the full tour they offer as soon as I'm able. In this new light, $30 for a variety of dry or steam sauna options with crystals, and other gobbledy-gooks offered, seems like a steal. Looking over the menu of food offered, this is my chance to experience Korean foods as natives would demand be prepared.
Bo, post if you and Bob go, and I'll do the same on my end.
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Post by ajk on Oct 10, 2013 21:29:50 GMT -5
I think this is the place my sister and her family went to a while ago. They loved it--even the kids. I'll check with her.
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Post by TheBo on Oct 16, 2013 12:39:25 GMT -5
Yeah, ajk, I'm pretty sure you said she'd gone to this one, it's the one in the H-mart Plaza, right?
I'm sure you'll let us know, not just rely on my faulty recollection. LOL...
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Post by ajk on Oct 16, 2013 16:22:28 GMT -5
Yeah, same place. I can get more details if you want them, but she said they all really enjoyed it.
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Post by TheBo on Oct 23, 2013 9:34:43 GMT -5
I think you posted the details before, but nuwildcats is probably posting much the same report, so don't worry your pretty little head about it. And, nice hat there. I feel we should take time at least once an era to acknowledge, nice hat there.
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Post by nuwildcats on Nov 21, 2013 17:54:23 GMT -5
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Post by nuwildcats on Nov 25, 2013 17:17:53 GMT -5
Living Social has added a 25% off with the promo code: BLACKFRIDAY (expires 11/29). This brings King Spa's deal down to $14.25. For a standard admission to all saunas, and admission to the extra-fee Base Rock Room, this is one terrific price. King Spa's deal continues for another 9 days and is only good 11/26/13 - 2/28/14. As of today, 2200+ have been sold so I'm curious how crowded the Spa will be until its Feb. 28th expiration date.
Now this deal makes asking for a King Spa facial gift a whole lot easier!
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Post by nuwildcats on Jan 17, 2014 19:26:31 GMT -5
On my way back to Chicago from Barrington and after days of subzero temps, I made it to King Spa for a 4-hour stay, and didn't even scratch the complete experience available with basic admission. I thought the Spa would be small behind its exterior, but nope was I wrong, the place is h-u-g-e.
Bo, if you and Bob go as a couple, here's what you might expect from your time there. I'd say allow yourself 7-8 hours, to be free to take in everything they offer, which is puh-lenty.
When you check in at the lobby and pick up your 'spa uniforms' kiss Bob goodbye, because who knows when you'll see each other again? Men go off to their locker rooms and women go off to theirs. If you want to take advantage of the wet spa and steam sauna, they suggest you go through a long ritual of something like, 10 mins hot shower, 6 mins cold, then back to some mins hot shower, etc. Know ahead of time that women, no doubt men, strip down buff for the group showers and the group pool, and walking around the locker room in the buff is the norm.
If you want to shave time off your stay, you can skip the wet spa and steam sauna, and go on out to the dry saunas offered. They rank the dry saunas from mildest to hottest, with the Bul Ga Ma (where you can do exercises and yoga) and the Fire Sudatorium (or crematorium as it should be called, and something I decided to pass on) saved for the very last, if you can make it that far.
The Spa recommends you give yourself 15 mins between dry saunas, something I didn't know about upfront and which I hadn't planned time for anyway, given the number of saunas available to try. There are numerous seating areas where people of all ages are crashed out, winding down after a sauna. What I found myself doing though was going into the Ice Room after some of the longer stints, like the 20 minutes recommended by the attendant for one sauna.
If I'd given myself more time, I would've used the 'sleeping' areas set up on the 2nd floor, where users literally are sleeping off their spa usage. These have to be the most comfortable loungers available anywhere. One darkened area has a unisex rest area with a segregated-gender area, as well as a separate area where couples massages are done but mainly is used by women sleeping off their spa use.
The theater on the 1st also has numerous sleeping bodies crashed out in between movies. The movies listed are A-list but dated. Frost/Nixon, how long ago did that come out? A couple of large seating areas had some Korean women visiting with each other for most of the time I was there, or Korean men lounging and reading newspapers.
If I'd have had the time, I would've eaten in the Food Court/Juice Bar. The food looked and smelled delicious, and appears to be their cash cow: juices/smoothies run $7, and the entrees start at $10. A widescreen TV had Korean programming showing, and there were quite a few people making use of the area while never appearing crowded.
I don't know how many 70+ yr-old people might decide to go there through this thread. I learned that they ask those over 70 come in accompanied by a same-sex companion. I did find myself as I exited a couple of dry saunas light-headed and this is with low blood pressure. So I understand the Spa's concern about negative effects from the extreme heats.
Overriding impressions?
1) The extra-fee ($5) sauna, The Base Rock Room, is the reason to go there and with some daily deals I've seen is included in the voucher. With only Japan and Dallas having this rock (not even Korea has it!), it's the Room that is nearly guaranteed to help any joint pain or injuries. It helped a chronic pain I've had following a bicycling accident. A young woman next to me had her head touching the ground, but I don't know how that would help. You're given a large spa towel to lay on in that Room, and it's really hard to walk on the heated rock without scalding the soles of your feet. It was the one and only room that actually at times had small groups gathered to get into it.
2) Despite the thousands of daily deals to King Spa that were sold with short expiration dates, there was no place that had lines with long waits to get into a spa.
3) Think like an Asian when you go, not a Westerner on a sprint toward good health. I knew there had to be a good reason why King Spa charges extra for staying more than 24 hours. This place has got to be the best expression of how to approach a Korean-inspired spa experience, and savor it.
4) Since you can't carry your watch and cell phones around with you, this is probably a better experience for same-gender groups to go, or maybe group dates. I met a couple of girl groups who'd come together from work and things worked easier I thought doing the spa by same genders. It seems a little hard to manage meeting up with your significant other with the segregated areas (not including the dry unisex saunas).
Btw: This is next door to the H-Mart which I visited. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb, I was literally the only occidental in the Mart except for its eating area. Don't think I'll be going back again.
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