While I did not quite encounter a fully authentic Korean spa, I did get a taste of the Jjimjilbang experience while staying at the Grand Hyatt Seoul…an interesting cultural episode.
A Luxury Jjimjilbang Experience At Grand Hyatt Seoul
It had been over a decade since I last spent a night in Seoul and I really wasn’t into any sort of wellness at that time like saunas or steam baths. Now I sit in those after my workouts and it has become an important part of my routine…it’s also a time I use to meditate/pray.
A Jjimjilbang is a traditional Korean bathhouse and a cultural fixture in South Korea. These public bathhouses include gender-segregated Mogyoktang areas with hot and cold tubs, steam rooms, saunas, massage, and body scrubbing areas. They also include common areas with relaxation zones in which you can rest, eat, drink, and in some cases even sleep.
Indeed, my spa at the Grand Hyatt Seoul did not provide the full experience, but the Mogyoktang area was pretty authentic. There were saunas, steam rooms, cold plunge pools, and hot tubs. There was also little communal shower areas where you could dress and scrub your body before jumping in the pool or sauna while sitting on a stool that was only a foot off the ground.
And full nudity.
I find that interesting since it can vary so much from country to country, even within a region. I’m neither prudish nor unaccustomed to naked people. Spending so much time in Germany, where nudity in public baths is not only required but co-ed, I’ve seen bodies of all shapes and sizes and there’s frankly nothing prurient about it.
In Korea, the spa is truly a place where you let it all hang out. Quite a contrast from LA where people come into the sauna in their workout clothes or at least wrapped from neck to knee in towels. It wasn’t just in the sauna or steam room, though, but also in all the pools and even the lounge. And the place was packed!
Next time I’m in Korea, I’ll visit a “real” Jjimjilbang but at least I got a taste of one at the Grand Hyatt, though I hope to try out a traditional kiln sauna next time, which the hotel did not have. I appreciate that South Koreans take their spas very seriously!
I’m here purely for the comments from the fan club.
The whole post is just an opportunity for the Matthew-stans to bring their drooling out in public for a moment.
As long as that’s all they bring out….
+1. 🙂
@Matthew – stupid question. How were you able to bring your phone/camera into the bathing area? You can’t exactly be discreet when you’re naked. (I see a sign in the last photo.) Or did you get permission to enter when it was closed?
Looks pretty similar to Japanese public baths, except for the nudity in the lounge areas.
It closed at 2pm…gave me a chance to take a few pictures.
what’s your OF, daddy?
I feel there would be a large volume of signups after todays article-This is another Matthew not the author FYI LOL
Looking at the picture,I didn’t know Chris Hemsworth was present at the same time as you.
@Matthew
You can find a “real” jimjilbang in LA.
Yeah and they let trannies into the women’s section.
As long as trash like you is kept out…
You really need to start an OF or at least post some more revealing pics, I think you enjoy the adulation from your gay fans.
I don’t need adulation, just clicks.
More then please.
He’s totally into it. Perhaps a bit curious, too…?
Oh he totally enjoys it. Out of all the “legacy” travel bloggers (ie non-TikTok/IG), he’s the one who posts the most selfies on his trip reports.
I think Zach Griff has me beat! 😉
Haha Zach is my Wharton classmate so I see him plenty in person 🙂
Just a funny story.. I flew on a award ticket on KE and they have a free shower service with Grand Hyatt Incheon. It was like 6ish am and it was literally my first time in korea so I figured it would be fun to try something new. I went in and its almost the same as above with a few plunge pools and a sauna and to the right was a big frosted door. Of course i did a lil research on the proper manners of jimjibang. men and women are seperated and its usually full nude. no biggy. I decided to enjoy the experience and did the plunge pool and sauna and also the hot spring one. As im sitting in one of the pools, I do where does that door lead to? Im the only one in the pool area, there wasnt anyone to show me me anything. So i got curious. I open the door and it leads to another big pool. I was like cool, im gonna jump in. Just as my whole body is outside the door I realized, theres windows.. Theres a lot of windows.. This isnt just the male section, this is shared pool. I immediately turn around and into the mens side of things. I am so lucky no one was swimming in the morning. I was done with the shower experience after that. Lol adventures!!
Hilarious. Mate, at least the door wasn’t locked to go back in. That would have been trouble!
Magnify the towel shelf image. Zoom into the knobs on the top. Check the reflection :).
I didn’t zoom in but did anyone notice that the shower faucet is in the exact right spot haha
There are several Jimjilbang in Koreatown in LA. On Wilshire, Olympic. Most are nice and relaxing
Oh you’re such a tease.
I have been worried that something happened to you! 🙂
Didn’t you catch my work a few days ago on that Pete Ballgagger article? I had many indignant responses and the usual calls to ban me.
It was very satisfying.
Tis the season for haters. Been catching my fair share.
Good to see hateful trolls like Chi are proud of being hateful trolls.
Awe little Aaron, I almost forgot about you. How have you been?
It’s so frustrating how immature Americans are about nudity. Why do we automatically equate nudity with sex? I’ve been to a few onsens in Japan and find it incredibly relaxing. Yeah, I’m naked. So is every other guy. So what? It’s not some sex orgy thing but extremely therapeutic and relaxing to the body and mind. I almost even fell asleep once in the hot spring. Good on you for trying it out. I wish more Americans would stop being so prudish
I read your blog every day – I love all your content. But I’m not gonna lie – I live for the nude selfies. LIVE. FOR. THEM.
You know there are a few in K-town? WiSpa is the largest and has the most diverse clientele, which makes me a little less worried about offending.
I applaud you for your discipline when it comes to your work-out regime and diet. You look great and should be proud of that, but I find it quite tasteless to post these photos on a travelblog, purely to generate clicks and traffic.
The bigger issue is you taking a phone with you inside a spa like this, especially in Korea where they have had severe issues with upskirting photography and stuff, causing it being mandatory that smartphones in Korea always make a shutter sound when pictures are taken. This is a very sensitive subject over there, so you better make 1000% sure no one is around or you could cause quite some stir up, lol.
My neighborhood bath house here in Korea costs me less than five bucks (I got a book of tickets) and has hot/cold tubs a steam room sauna and plenty of showers at different heights. It’s just a small one, so there’s no co-ed clothed section. It’s awesome to spend a couple of hours there at the weekend.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The next time you’re in the NYC area, hop over the bridge to Jersey and check out the spa at Sojo in Edgewater, or for a more authentic Korean experience, King Spa in Palisades Park .
One word: **BOING**
I think you’ve found the winning formula to separate your blog from the herd.
Is there a difference between Jjimjilbang and onsens in Japan? From the pictures they seem to be the same.
I’m going to take a stab, and I’ll happily admit I’m wrong if someone tells me otherwise, but this looks more like a sento in Japan. A sento is often in an urban environment, and is a bathhouse. An onsen usually has water from hot springs and thermal pools. Onsen usually have outdoor portions that can be in very lovely nature.
Thanks. Maybe I should clarify, are there any differences between Korean and Japanese bathhouses (which I usually group into the term onsen). These look like what I typically see in a modern Japanese hotel.
It’s too bad that the famous “Dragon Spa” in Seoul closed down at the beginning of the “foreign” virus and never reopened. It was kitchie, to say the least, but spotlessly clean. Yeah, it took a bit of getting used to. I opted for the $80 USD gold treatment. I thought, maybe two hours at the best, but six hours later and REALLY clean, I made it back to the crew hotel. I wasn’t prepared for the “hands on” body wash that I signed up for. After sitting buck naked in a pool with other gentlemen, I was called by “Michael” for my wash. Michael (his English name), was about 6’3 (Koreans are tall!) and a set of arms on him to make a wrestler envious. I put my warm butt on the cold table. Michael covered my eyes with a warm, wet towel and I heard splashing behind me. All of a sudden, he poured very warm water on me and after I ricocheted off of the ceiling (a bit of warning would have been nice), I was scrubbed from head to toe for 90 minutes! EVERY THING was scrubbed with “4 grit sandpaper” (well that’s what I thought!) down to “1000 grit sandpaper”, rolling over every so often after a big splash of that wonderful hot water! It was a fabulous experience. When I oozed back to the hotel, the concierge, Mr. Woo, offered to help me back to my room. “Ah, Captain Whitmire, you’ve been to spa!” “NOOOOOOO KIDDING!”
LOL. I love the story! Thanks for sharing.
My own “waterboard” experience below! 😉
https://liveandletsfly.com/waterboarding-turkish-bath/
Well, similar! I thought I was on an embalming table. You got the marble slab!