Image courtesy of the Greenwich Hotel
When you first enter the subterranean Shibui Spa, in Manhattan's Greenwich Hotel, you feel like you’ve been transported to Japan. You’ll be led down a corridor, past the Peloton-equipped gym (“The gym’s always empty, the spa’s always full,” my massage therapist later told me) and into the locker room, where you’ll don a black-and-white Japanese robe, crafted with thick, soft fabric. As if by magic, the hustle and bustle of New York’s TriBeCa neighborhood melts away. Your shoulders drop; you can finally exhale.
At most spas, the waiting area is just that: a waiting area, the prelude to the main event. At the Shibui Spa, however, the wellness-relaxation area is a major character. An illuminated pool sits beneath a reconstructed centuries-old Japanese farmhouse, whose handsome wooden beams and bamboo rods add to the room’s transportive effect. (Bring a swimming suit.)
Guests can choose to unwind with citrus-infused water or soothing tea, served in a surprisingly heavy Japanese ceramic teapot, heated by a candle. From there, you’ll lounge on plush daybeds near the pool as you await to be summoned to your treatment. Soft jazz music plays. When your therapist arrives, they already know who you are — there’s no roll call here.
Shibui Spa offers New York’s best spa treatments
Image courtesy of the Greenwich Hotel
Everything about the Shibui Spa is rooted in Japanese tradition. (If a trip to Japan is in the works, check out our insider's guide to Tokyo.) “Shibui” translates to, roughly, understated beauty and elegance, grounded in nature and stillness. In a sense, it’s about slowing down and getting back to basics. All of the rejuvenating treatments are simple, effective and supremely relaxing. There are facials (including one using Augustinus Bader products) and massages (shiatsu, reflexology, Thai massage), body scrubs and onsen rituals. The latter spa experiences include a bath in a luxurious soaking tub followed by a massage.
If you have trouble deciding, know you can’t go wrong, but an easy selection is Shibui’s signature Omakase massage. The hyper-customized treatment begins with sampling an array of grounding scents, each inspired by a natural element (wood, Earth, water); they’re subtle, soothing and perfectly balanced.
The Omakase treatment includes a little bit of everything — dry brushing, cupping and massaging — any or all of which can be ditched depending on what you’re feeling. Snuggle into the warmed, exceptionally cushy massage bed, and trust your therapist’s expertise. Here is a place where you can confidently leave your wellbeing in someone else’s hands. Each therapist is a master of their craft.
Another option is the Healing Birch massage, ideal for athletes or anyone with sore muscles, fatigue or overall stress. Muscles are treated to an essential-oil-infused balm optimized for reducing inflammation. If perhaps you’re feeling the unwelcome effects of a fun night out, opt for the Drunken Lotus massage, where sake-soaked towels and essential oils help replenish, detoxify and heal.
And then there are the facials. If you need convincing for a treatment centered on skincare, the glowy, impossible dewy skin of the receptionist should do the trick. Her secret? “I just use the products we use here,” she said.
Japanese by nature: how Shibui curates an end-to-end spa experience
Image courtesy of the Greenwich Hotel
You’ll fill out a detailed questionnaire a couple days before your treatment, where you can specify areas of tension, your pressure preference (maybe you prefer the gentle pressure of a Swedish massage, or the firm pressure of a deep-tissue treatment) and other important details. But the therapists are intuitive and kind, periodically checking in — before and during the massage — to ensure everything is to your liking. Overhead, calming flute music plays.
Again, the Shibui Spa leaves no stone unturned. The treatments are heavenly, and the treatment rooms themselves feel plucked from Japan: rustic wooden cabinets, oversized wooden doors, a copper singing bowl, a stick of unlit incense. In keeping with Japanese custom, guests and therapists remove their shoes before entering.
But the pre- and post-treatment rituals have been given just as much thought. After your massage, expect what will likely be one of the best showers of your life. There are two: one with steam, and one without. (Go for the steam.) The shower heads look like giant steel sunflowers, perhaps 14 inches in diameter (and the water pressure is prime). You’ll leave feeling loosened, cleansed and thoroughly zen — dreaming of when you can return.
Relaxation is calling. Connect with Fora to plan and book your stay at the Greenwich Hotel, plus a mandatory treatment at the Shibui Spa.
Please note that all opinions expressed are those of the author, who visited Shibui Spa on her own volition and was not compensated to do so.