Steam, Ice Buckets, and Oak Leaves: My Unforgettable Day at World Spa in NYC
World Spa in Brooklyn, NY.
Whether you’re visiting for the treatments, the amenities, or just the vibes—World Spa in NYC proves wellness can be communal, joyful, and way more exciting than you’d expect.
When you walk into World Spa, the vibe is excitement.
There’s a fairly long line of people waiting to check in, but I’m lucky enough to write for “Spa and Beauty Today,” so I’m able to go to the VIP line where there’s only one couple in front of me at check in.
Main floor concierge.
The locker rooms are fantastic and some of the cleanest I’ve seen for a spa this size.
It is NYC, so the lockers are on the smaller size, and it took me a minute to shove my oversized backpack filled with recording gear into it. They do store larger bags in the back if needed, and many people come here straight from the airport.
Locker room at World Spa.
After changing, I immediately went to see Svetlana for the Venik Platza Ritual. I like to know nothing about what I’m about to experience before I walk in.
The room is shockingly hot. It says 209 degrees on the outside, but she told me she uses coals to make it hotter once we are inside. (The actual temperature in the room was 194 °F and this is the highest it gets. The thermometer was in recalibration, which is why it read 209.)
Venik Platza Ritual Treatment Room.
I’m someone who does hot yoga almost daily and keeps the temperature at 80 degrees in my house, and this was a shock to the senses.
Svetlana has me lie on my stomach and puts a freezing cold towel over my head, which was one of the best feelings describable for that moment.
The best way to explain what happens next is that you go through a car wash. Oak branches and leaves are used to scrub and massage you, moving up and down your body. It was a little hard to not giggle at first imagining how silly this must look to an outsider, but you quickly get lost in the relaxation of it.
The heat does become almost unbearable at moments, but Svetlana knows what she’s doing and before you have a moment to speak, cold water is being poured on you or a new cold towel is put on your face. After about 20 minutes on my stomach, she has me flip around to my back and the process is repeated.
If you Google the benefits of oak (which I am doing now) they are numerous, but the one that comes up most frequently seems to be helping treat inflammation, something I deal with daily.
After she finishes, I’m amazed to see how many leaves were stuck to my sweaty body. I peel them off and offer them back to Svetlana to use for her next client. She does not find it funny.
She then tells me I need to cold plunge. I refuse. For those that have not read my other articles, I despise being cold and cold plunges are where I draw the line at spas.
Snow room at World Spa
Svetlana says we are going to the shower next and takes me to the one next to the snow room.
She puts her hand in to prove the water was warm. She sees I don’t trust her. I step into the lukewarm shower. Not as hot as I like, but I can deal.
Showers at World Spa
Then Svetlana says, “The ice bucket is coming,” and I realize she’s holding a rope akin to something you would have seen on a Nickelodeon game show.
In a commanding thick Eastern European accent that suddenly becomes scary, she says to take a step to the right and without thinking I fall into line. She pulls the lever and a large bucket worth of cold water falls on me!
It’s not as horrible as I would have thought. After having just been in a 194-degree room, it’s fantastic for about three seconds and then I scurry back into the lukewarm shower that now feels like it’s 100 degrees and the perfect temperature.
Birch and Oak at World Spa
There is a lovely restaurant downstairs, but I’m told as a VIP there is an exclusive one upstairs which I go to. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a spa.
I often bring books and look for little corners to relax but beyond the treatments, some spas are lacking when it comes to spaces to unwind.
World Spa, even if you don’t have access to the VIP restaurant, is meant to hang out in. It’s meant to come with friends or for meetings, which is something I rarely experience with spas.
Cocktails at World Spa.
I get a cappuccino, which is fantastic and a luxury in my life I can’t live without and wish was available in all spas. There’s also a fantastic cocktail and food menu.
There is also a smoking lounge in the VIP restaurant beside a top shelf liquor cabinet, something I’ve never seen in an American spa.
Swimming pool at World Spa.
The pools and jacuzzis are amazing. It’s the perfect balance between a community pool where you hang out with all your best friends and a luxury spa.
You can feel the excitement and happiness in the air. There’s a lot of talking, but it’s not too loud and everyone is being respectful.
There are also three Japanese pools in the corner where you can alternate between cold, warm, and hot.
Onsen pools at World Spa.
There are several saunas that all have the most comfortable lounge chairs for you to recline on instead of the traditional hard wooden benches, which is a great touch.
Infrared Sauna at World Spa.
This is the first spa I’ve been to where I felt truly sad I didn’t bring a friend to.
Normally, I prefer to go solo, but this one is really about fostering a community experience while still having those quiet and Zen sections that people crave at spas.
Salt Room at World Spa.
When I was checking in, I was told to watch the 3 p.m. show—something that has never been said to me at a spa.
At 2:55 p.m. a gong rings and we are led into the largest of the saunas where Alessio performs an Aufguss for the audience.
Grand Banya
It’s a German tradition where essential oils are put on a coal while he spins a towel around, sending the essential oils and hot air whirling around you.
The best way to describe what this 15-minute show looks like is to imagine a world-class color guard champion spinning pizza dough. It’s such a glorious sensory overload that I highly recommend.
The heat is overwhelming, but also calming. Some people are cheering him on, others are meditating with their eyes closed.
After it ends, he recommends that everyone quickly shower off and cold plunge. I shower, but make sure to avoid the dreaded bucket shower and then scamper off before I possibly get tricked into another cold plunge.
I head back to the VIP restaurant for another cappuccino and continue to write this article. I also order a sushi burger.
Sushi burger at World Spa.
Usually, I put on headphones when in saunas. I’m annoyed by the music at spas. It often feels like cheaply thrown together meditation music made on a laptop by AI, but World Spa’s playlist is perfectly curated.
I have a 5:30 p.m. early dinner with an old friend but have some time to kill, so I schedule a 25-minute deep tissue massage out of pocket. I only do this if I believe the spa is worth it. Having reviewed and experienced many spas, it’s few and far between that I’m willing and excited to pay out of pocket.
Yarslov is my massage therapist. I have never had a stronger and more intense message. He would occasionally ask, “Enjoy?” when I would make sounds that were bordering on pain, but beyond that we were silent in our little cabana on the main floor.
I hurt myself a lot, and I do a lot of dumb things. Without talking much, he immediately hit all the knots and worked out all the stress from 2025. If I lived in NYC, I would go back next week for another 25-minute session.
Friends toast at World Spa.
Go to World Spa. And go with friends, family, significant others. Although still fun on your own, this is a spa that’s meant to be enjoyed with your favorite people for either a special occasion or just because it’s a random Tuesday and you want a break.
For more information on World Spa and to book a treatment, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @worldspanyc
[Images courtesy of World Spa/Brian Berkowitz]
An award-winning composer and musician, Alex Burke has been seen playing alongside Bob Dylan in his concert film “Shadow Kingdom,” on the MTV Movie Awards, the Tonight Show, and Michael Bublé's Xmas special on NBC. He has recorded with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, David Lynch, Fiona Apple, Margaret Cho, and composed music for numerous tv shows. When not in the studio or composing, he tours regularly where he frequents spas whenever possible.