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Hardcore Spa Fans Flock to This 24-Hour Koreatown Gem

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Photo: <a href="http://www.wispausa.com/index.php">Wi Spa</a>
Photo: Wi Spa

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Let's get one thing out of the way: Wi Spa is not for novices. It's for die-hard spa-goers that know their way around a traditional Korean bathhouse and aren't afraid of a little nudity. Okay, a lot of nudity. Like, this place borderlines a nudist colony. But once you get over this, you'll quickly learn that the Wi Spa experience is actually quite liberating and their services will leave you feeling pretty damn spiffy for half the price of conventional spas. Did we mention that they're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

Wi Spa is located at the corner of Wilshire and Rampart and borders Koreatown and Westlake. The property is a whopping 48,000 square feet and features two gender-separated floors of spa services, a fitness center, a hair salon, a nail salon, and one co-ed, clothes-required level called the Jimjilbang or "common area" that hosts five saunas, a computer center with free WiFi, a library, and and a full-service restaurant.

Upon arrival you're given a towel, robe, shirt and pair of shorts to wear on the co-ed floor, as well as a wristwatch that doubles as a locker-opener and form of ID. Enter your gender-specific level and lock up your personal items (including clothing), but keep the robe, towel, and watch with you. No clothing or bathing suits are allowed in the spa Jacuzzi area and sauna rooms, so brace yourself. You may want to keep your robe on at first, but you'll definitely be in the minority if you do because everyone else is naked.

Individual services run the gamut from facials, massages, and body treatments to waxing, nail care, and makeup application. The most popular package by far is the 90-minute Buff & Aroma Massage ($90), which includes an intense full-body scrub that leaves your skin ridiculously soft. But if you've never had a real-deal Korean body scrub before, be prepared because it's a very vigorous process. The sauna rooms are also crowd-pleasers, especially the clay and salt saunas in the Jimjilbang.

If you're on a budget, skip the special services and pay the $25 general admission fee to access the spa's standard Jacuzzis and saunas. Insider tip: Admission is only $15 on Tuesdays all day, so we recommend that first-timers give the spa a spin then, but be sure to get there early.
· Wi Spa [Official Site]

Wi Spa

2700 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90057 213-487-2700 Visit Website