Wi Spa, with its hot and cold tubs, dedicated saunas, and nap nooks, has long been a beloved Los Angeles destination for rest and rejuvenation. Now, Koreatown's most popular spa is upping its wellness offerings, getting ahead of the self-care trend. Or a head of it.
Wi Spa opens a head spa. More than halfway through construction of the Root Head Spa, which is scheduled to debut in the next two months. It will be located on the lobby level, in the space that formerly housed a gym, with seven individual treatment rooms.
The idea for this new edition began before the head spa trend became so popular in Los Angeles, says Min Jung, manager of Wi Spa. After researching the different types of head spas, Wi Spa decided to create their own “in the Japanese Yume Head Spa style,” they say. Treatments will cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize the scalp and include a gentle head massage. (“Yume” means “sleep” in Japanese, a nod to the dreamlike state the treatment leaves guests in.)
“But this is not a massage, it's not a head wash, it's actually a scalp treatment,” says Jung.
Videos of Chinese and Japanese-inspired head spa treatments began appearing on social media in 2022: the arch-shaped “waterfall bath” is especially visually intriguing. We chronicled the rise of the trend, which began to proliferate in Asian communities such as Arcadia, San Gabriel, Temple City and Rosemead, in 2024 and 2025; There are now top spas all over the city.
Rubbing the scalp helps circulation, strengthens hair follicles, and helps prevent dandruff, itching, and inflammation, among other benefits, doctors and dermatologists say. In our coverage, we said it “might be the most relaxing spa service in Los Angeles.”
Wi Spa's Himalayan salt sauna, a visitor favorite.
(Wi-Spa)
A one-hour Wi Spa head spa treatment will cost between $150 and $200, Jung says, adding that prices have not yet been set. That's the high end of the average in Los Angeles for treatment. Wi Spa's $40 entrance fee (which includes access to spa services) will not be waived with the purchase of the spa head treatment, as is the case with other Wi Spa services, such as a body scrub or massage, which typically exceeds $160.
Also in the works: Wi Spa plans to build a wellness center on its third floor, in what is now a skincare area. The new offering will likely include an infrared sauna and a red light therapy bed, among other things. Last summer, Wi Spa also opened a blowout lounge, called Root Style Bar, adjacent to its women's locker room. So (as the fiddlers say) guests no longer have to walk to their car with wet hair or attend post-spa events with a DIY blowout.
Next up: a renovation of the entire spa to refresh existing areas.
Meanwhile, visitors may not know: Wi Spa has an AI-powered “Aescape” massage robot in its facilities.
Reporter Deborah Vankin tests the Aescape massage robot at Pause Wellness Studio in 2024.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
We wrote about Aescape when it debuted at Pause, a wellness center in Studio City: It performs a 3D scan of your body to perform personalized robotic massages. (Cyborg butt massages should not be underestimated.) There are now several Aescapes in Los Angeles, including at Equinox gyms. Wi Spa rented theirs last summer. Guests can book robot massages for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour for $1 per minute, making it more affordable than Wi Spa's manual massage offerings.
However, we're partial to the most affordable massage option at Wi Spa: the luxurious blue-lit massage chairs scattered throughout the spa. Bring cash. It's just $10 for a 30-minute “deluxe” full-body massage, and it's surprisingly effective.
