Work is underway on the new Korean spa coming to the East Gate Marketplace in South Riding. King Spa & Sauna will open a giant (62,000+ s.f.) facility in an out parcel at the center along Highway 50. It has two other locations — one in Chicago and one in Dallas.
The new spa will feature a variety of pools — both recreational and therapeutic —as well as some 8,000 s.f. of different saunas. There will also be a Korean restaurant on site.
If you’ve never been, a Korean spa is a little different from what you may be used to. There are usually large pool areas featuring showers, plunge pools, water jets and steam rooms. These are segregated by sex — one private area for men, one private area for women — and everyone is naked as a jaybird. No swimsuits allowed. (Koreans don’t have the same body hang-ups that Americans have. In fact, most of the world doesn’t have the same body hang-ups we do.)
Then there is the communal area where friends and family gather together. Everyone wears the shorts and shirt combo provided by the spa and you can relax in a variety of saunas that purport to offer different health benefits. We’re talking a salt room, an ice room, a charcoal room, a pyramid room and more. You can also watch TV, dine at the restaurant and some people even take naps.
Various massages, body scrubs and acupressure treatments are offered. But full warning — we understand these treatments are sometimes a bit more “aggressive” than people expect. Nevertheless, fans swear by them.
There are several other Korean-style spas in the DC area. The closest to Ashburn is Spa World in Centreville. The King Spa & Sauna in South Riding will be even closer, thanks to the newly-opened Loudoun County Parkway connection. It will be just 15 minutes or so from south Ashburn. King Spa is expected to open sometime in 2019.
