After visiting some of the great thermal spas of Canada, I had high hopes for New York’s Great Jones Spa. It turned out to be a very NY version of a Nordic spa: compact, subterranean and pricey. But I guess when you compare Canada’s population density to that of NYC, I was asking too much to think the experience could be on par with spas I’ve visited in Quebec. Despite my disappointment, the Great Jones Spa is a pleasant, soothing place to retreat from the busy streets of New York.
What to Expect at the Great Jones Spa
The water course is downstairs from the check-in desk. Eavesdropping in the locker room, it seemed like most people were there for a massage, with the sauna and spa tub an afterthought. For much of my visit on a Wednesday evening at five, I was the only one in the spa area, except for a couple of bored attendants refilling little bowls of crackers and rearranging lounge chairs.
After you pay in the lobby, you go to the changing room where you put all your stuff in a locker and change into a swimsuit. The spa provides a robe and plastic slip-on shoes. Then you walk down a flight of stairs to find a 10-person capacity spa tub, a large sauna, small cold plunge and dimly lit lounge area with chairs, chaise longues and magazines. Three big glass lanterns encase fat white pillar candles along the edge of the spa tub. The sauna has lovely stone walls. The most striking features are two panels on the wall –one tall and narrow, one shorter and wide—with water running down them, like flat waterfalls.
Strangely missing is any spa scent. I’m sure this is a conscious choice to be kind to people with various allergies. But I missed the usual spa smells of lavender, eucalyptus, etcetera. It made me realize how central scent usually is to my spa experiences, a focal point as I close my eyes and try not to obsess on my usual subjects. Instead, at the Great Jones Spa my dominant focus was the sound of water cascading down the wall. At first this was unsettling, but I got used to it after a while and started to like it.
Cost and Value
At $55 for three hours, I found the Great Jones Spa mighty pricey. I’ve paid less and got a lot more out of other spas. But again, New York. I found myself eyeing the tray of apples and basket of teabags, wondering if I should swipe them all to recoup a few bucks.
I don’t know if anyone stays here for the full three hours. After doing two and a half circuits of sauna, cold plunge, spa bath, relax in a chair, just over an hour had gone by and I was done. I think a visitor would get the most value out of the Great Jones Spa by booking a massage for $150, which comes with use of the water circuit, in the middle of a busy stay crammed with museum visits and theater shows. Then it would feel like a worthwhile respite.
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Teresa Bergen owns the Veg Travel & Fitness site. She’s a long-time yoga teacher and certified as both a personal trainer and a health coach by the American Council on Exercise. Teresa is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the Wellness Tourism Association, and is the author of Meditations for Gym Yogis.
