Koreatown's Wi Spa ups its game with a head spa, AI robot masseuse and more

Wi Spa, with its blistery and acold tubs, specialty saunas and napping nooks, has agelong been a beloved L.A. destination for remainder and rejuvenation. Now Koreatown’s astir fashionable spa is kicking up its wellness offerings, getting up of the self-care trend. Or a head of it.

Wi Spa is opening a caput spa. It’s much than halfway done operation of Root Head Spa, slated to debut wrong the adjacent 2 months. It volition beryllium located connected the lobby level, successful the abstraction that formerly housed a gym, with 7 idiosyncratic attraction rooms.

The thought for this caller variation began earlier the caput spa inclination became truthful fashionable successful Los Angeles, says Min Jung, a Wi Spa manager. After researching the assorted types of caput spas, Wi Spa decided to make theirs “in the Japanese Yume Head Spa-style,” she says. Treatments volition clean, exfoliate and moisturize the scalp, and they volition see a gentle caput massage. (“Yume” means “dream” successful Japanese, a motion to the sleepy authorities the attraction leaves guests in.)

“But this is not a massage, this is not a caput wash, it is really a scalp treatment,” Jung says.

Videos of Chinese and Japanese-inspired caput spa treatments started popping up connected societal media successful 2022 — the arc-shaped “waterfall bath” is particularly visually intriguing. We chronicled the emergence of the trend, which archetypal began proliferating successful Asian communities specified arsenic Arcadia, San Gabriel, Temple City and Rosemead, successful 2024 and 2025 — present determination are caput spas crossed the city.

Scrubbing the scalp immunodeficiency circulation, strengthens hairsbreadth follicles and helps to forestall dandruff, itchiness and inflammation, among different benefits, practitioners and dermatologists say. In our coverage, we said it “might beryllium the astir relaxing spa work successful L.A.”

Wi Spa’s Himalayan Salt Sauna, a visitant favorite.

(Wi Spa)

An hourlong Wi Spa caput spa attraction volition outgo astir $150 to $200, Jung says, adding that prices are not yet set. That’s the precocious extremity of mean successful L.A. for the treatment. Wi Spa’s $40 introduction interest (which includes entree to spa amenities) volition not beryllium waived with acquisition of the caput spa treatment, arsenic it is with different Wi Spa services, specified arsenic a assemblage scrub oregon massage, which typically exceeds $160.

Also successful the works: Wi Spa is readying to physique a wellness halfway connected its 3rd floor, successful what’s present a skincare area. The caller offering volition apt see an infrared sauna and a reddish airy therapy bed, among different things. This past summertime Wi Spa besides opened a salon for blowouts, called Root Style Bar, adjacent to its women’s dressing room. So (cue the violins) guests nary longer person to trek retired to their car with bedewed hairsbreadth oregon be post-spa events with a DIY blowout.

Next up: a spa-wide renovation to freshen up existing areas.

In the meantime, visitors whitethorn not know: Wi Spa has an “Aescape” AI-powered massage robot connected its premises.

Reporter Deborah Vankin tries retired the Aescape massage robot astatine Pause Wellness Studio successful 2024.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

We wrote astir Aescape erstwhile it debuted astatine Pause, a wellness halfway successful Studio City — it performs a 3D scan of your assemblage to present customized robot massages. (Cyborg butt massages are not to beryllium underestimated.) There are present respective Aescapes astir L.A., including astatine Equinox gyms. Wi Spa leased theirs this past summer. Guests tin publication robot massages for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes oregon an hr for $1 a minute, making it much affordable than Wi Spa’s manual massage offerings.

We’re partial to the astir affordable massage enactment astatine Wi Spa, however: the plush, blue-lighted massage chairs scattered passim the spa. Bring cash. It’s conscionable $10 for a 30-minute “luxury” afloat assemblage massage — and it’s amazingly effective.