DAY SPAS by Kevin Koffler / copyright The Hollywood Reporter - Weekender

The Hollywood Reporter / Weekender
Friday, March 16th, 1990
DAY SPAS by Kevin Koffler

     We planned on spending an hour or so checking out City Spa's facilities, but we ended up staying five hours. City Spa is a men's club on the former site of the Pico Burnside Baths (women are not admitted)<Update 2012 Women are admitted on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday>. The old place reportedly used to be a dump, but the new owners have poured mega-bucks into this place to clean it up and to give it an authentic "old boy" East Coast club feeling, filling the place with a lot of oak and vinyl. Besides the spa, the facility also has a gym, a game room, a TV room, an excellent restaurant and a room in which you can sleep.
     Spa Treatments: Unlike most spas, where the steam room exudes just a hint of eucalyptus, we were overwhelmed by the stuff at City Spa. It was incredibly healing. The Russian room is probably the spa's most unique though. Natural Rocks are placed on a heated steel plate, and water is sprayed on them. We sweated more in there than in any sauna we experienced for this article. In the Russian room, you can get a "plaitza," where you are sort of beaten with eucalyptus leaves---actually it's not as S&M as it sounds, and it left us feeling very relaxed (Mick Jagger and Kieth Richards reportedly swear by the plaitzas). Make sure you also ask for a soap scrub from Seymour. This guys a real character (he's been doing soap rubs for something like 50 years), and he'll leave your skin cleaner than it's been in years.
     Staff and Clientele: The staff are very good at what they do. The plaitzas and soap rubs are the best treatments we had here. The shiatsu was also very good, but not as good as Ms. Chun at the Beverly Hot Springs. The clientele is mostly 40+plus executives, but the new owners are currently trying to introduce the facility to younger patrons.
     Prices: Very reasonable. Daily entrance is $20 <Update 2012 $40>(which includes everything except plaitzas, soap rubs, massage and food from the adjacent restaurant). Plaitzas and soap rubs are $15 each<Update 2012, plaitzah $20 soap rub $30>. Massage ranges from $40-$45 an hour.<Update 2012, one hour massage $60> 
     What makes this Spa Special: It's an oasis for men who want to escape for an afternoon, pamper themselves in an unpretentious atmosphere and leave feeling a lot better than when they arrived, for not a lot of money. We highly recommend it. 5325 W. Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, 323-933-5954.

copyright The Hollywood Reporter 1990