Located inside Shinsegae Centum City, the world's largest department store, Spa Land is an upscale, yet affordable playground for adults -- kids under 13 aren't allowed inside.
Busan Spa Land: No ordinary bathhouse —
Located inside Shinsegae Centum City, the world's largest department store, Spa Land is an upscale, yet affordable playground for adults -- kids under 13 aren't allowed inside.
CNN
Many of the spa's 22 baths and pools are located outdoors, including this saltwater foot bath and wading pool.
Massive outdoor foot bath —
Many of the spa's 22 baths and pools are located outdoors, including this saltwater foot bath and wading pool.
CNN
This outdoor rock pool is for women only. Spa Land's water is pumped from underground springs.
Women only —
This outdoor rock pool is for women only. Spa Land's water is pumped from underground springs.
courtesy Shinsegae
Spa Land's snack bar serves bingsu, Korea's beloved shaved ice dessert.
Bingsu hangout —
Spa Land's snack bar serves bingsu, Korea's beloved shaved ice dessert.
CNN
Baths are single-sex only, with a separate rooms for "seshin," the Korean method of scrubbing the body all over with sandpaper-like loofahs.
No photos in here —
Baths are single-sex only, with a separate rooms for "seshin," the Korean method of scrubbing the body all over with sandpaper-like loofahs.
courtesy Shinsegae
Stays are limited to four (incredibly short) hours.
Maze of rooms and pools —
Stays are limited to four (incredibly short) hours.
CNN
The description for the Hwangto-bang (Yellow Earth Room) reads: "It's been said that yellow earth is a good remedy to women's disease and has a good effect in purification and mental stability. As it emits far-infrared rays, customers who want to take rest are recommended to use this room."
Yellow earth —
The description for the Hwangto-bang (Yellow Earth Room) reads: "It's been said that yellow earth is a good remedy to women's disease and has a good effect in purification and mental stability. As it emits far-infrared rays, customers who want to take rest are recommended to use this room."
CNN
Made of bricks of salt, the salt room is said to be good for the skin -- then again, there isn't a room in the spa that doesn't come with that claim.
Salt room —
Made of bricks of salt, the salt room is said to be good for the skin -- then again, there isn't a room in the spa that doesn't come with that claim.
CNN
Spa Land is big on themed rooms.
Roman bath —
Spa Land is big on themed rooms.
CNN
The walls of the pyramid room are set at a 52-degree angle, "which has been said to be the easiest angle to collect energies from the universe," according to the spa.
Pyramid room —
The walls of the pyramid room are set at a 52-degree angle, "which has been said to be the easiest angle to collect energies from the universe," according to the spa.
CNN
The SEV room "radiates electrons from SEV" meant to "metabolize your body rapidly."
SEV room —
The SEV room "radiates electrons from SEV" meant to "metabolize your body rapidly."
CNN
The Bali room is a resting place between other rooms with extreme temperatures.
Welcome to 'Bali' —
The Bali room is a resting place between other rooms with extreme temperatures.
CNN
Each headrest in the relaxation room comes equipped with private speakers/headphones. There's also a movie room in the back with a big screen.
Private TVs —
Each headrest in the relaxation room comes equipped with private speakers/headphones. There's also a movie room in the back with a big screen.
CNN
On the third floor customers can book beauty treatments for each part of the body.
Beauty zone —
On the third floor customers can book beauty treatments for each part of the body.
CNN
The rejuvenating oxygen treatment is one of the most popular programs in the beauty zone.
Air capsules —
The rejuvenating oxygen treatment is one of the most popular programs in the beauty zone.
CNN
The spa's cafe and restaurant are run by the Westin Chosun hotel. Alcohol intake is limited to reduce the possibility of accidents in the sauna.
Hotel dining —
The spa's cafe and restaurant are run by the Westin Chosun hotel. Alcohol intake is limited to reduce the possibility of accidents in the sauna.
CNN
busan spa land

Story highlights

Spa Land Centum City offers refined, upscale spa experience

Even spa-jaded Koreans are awestruck by this state-of-the-art spa

Water in Spa Land's baths comes from hot springs 100 meters underground

Walls of pyramid room are set at a 52-degree angle to "collect energies from the universe"

CNN  — 

Here’s a tip for traveling in Busan, South Korea: whatever time you’ve allotted for a venue or attraction, triple it.

No, quadruple it.

Everything in South Korea’s second largest city (after Seoul) is better than you think it’s going to be, and you’ll want more time to explore and enjoy.

Case in point is Spa Land Centum City, a gigantic, modern jjimjilbang (Korean-style sauna/spa) located inside Shinsegae Department Store Centum City.

Before seeing Spa Land, I had set aside an hour for a visit – the usual amount of time I allot for soaking and scrubbing at a Korean bathhouse.

Coming from Seoul, I was skeptical about how different one jjimjilbang could be from any other. The capital, after all, is well known for its extravagant spas.

Boy, was I mistaken.

A spa like no other

Centum City’s Spa Land takes the jjimjilbang concept to an entirely new place.

While Seoul jjimjilbangs tend to be mobbed 24 hours a day with families and groups of friends, Spa Land presents a more refined, upscale and leisurely experience.

Despite state-of-the-art facilities, admission fees are reasonable – ₩12,000 ($10.50) on weekdays and ₩14,000 ($12.25) on weekends. Students get a slight discount and – here’s an interesting kicker – children under 13 aren’t allowed inside, an unheard of concept in South Korea, where families often make weekend rituals of jjimjilbang visits.

Another unusual feature is the four-hour limit on stays.

Most South Korean jjimjilbangs are open 24 hours and often serve as a crash pad for over-indulgent partiers, many of whom prefer to sleep off the effects of the night in a spa rather than face the repercussions of coming home late and smelling like the inside of a brewery vat.

How to do Spa Land right

The first thing South Koreans want to know about a jjimjilbang is whether the water is special enough to bathe in.

The water in Spa Land’s baths and pools is pumped from two types of hot springs that lie 100 meters underground, and which are sterilized 36 times a day.

The “sodium bicarbonate hot spring” is the “beauty bathtub,” said by the spa to “remove your dead skin cells and make your skin and hair shiny.”

Related article Korean scrub mistress comes clean with her secrets

The “sodium chloride hot spring” is “similar to seawater” and has a “heat-preservation effect” that is “good for blood circulation and helps to relieve pain from neuralgia and backache.”

The spa ritual itself is familiar. Visitors change into cotton shirts and pants handed out at reception. Then they head to communal areas.

There’s a tarot card reading station set up near the entrance, but most people beeline past this and head straight for the outdoor foot bath area.

Here there’s a large heated pool for wading back and forth, as well as private booths where couples often play games on their phones while perched precariously above pools of water.

Theme rooms

Spa Land has dreamed up a variety of themes for its many steam and sauna rooms.

These range from extremely hot (I couldn’t enter this one without yelping in pain) to extremely cold (the Ice Room has a cute, fake jellyfish aquarium) to the gimmicky.

How gimmicky?

The walls of the pyramid room are set at a 52-degree angle, “which has been said to be the easiest angle to collect energies from the universe,” according to the spa.

The SEV room “radiates electrons from SEV” meant to “metabolize your body rapidly.”

The theme rooms are fun to take pictures in.

The downstairs snack bar serves bingsu (a beloved Korean shaved ice dessert) and various vinegar drinks said to be good for the skin.

Customers can take the snacks and eat them all around the bathhouse.

Upstairs there’s a restaurant and cafe run by chefs from the Westin Chosun Hotel.

Alcohol consumption is limited to 500 ml per person, to prevent sauna accidents and overly rambunctious parties from disrupting the austere atmosphere.

Bath time

Hot and steamy.
Hot and steamy.
courtesy Shinsegae

My favorite spot in the spa is the outdoor rock pool in the women-only bathing area.

I soaked under its sodium bicarbonate waterfall for a good 20 minutes before my appointment with the seshin ajumma (scrub ladies) in the scrub room.

For 25 minutes I beached myself on a plastic slab, and gave myself over to the capable hands of a professional scrubber.

Clad in black bras and panties (standard scrub uniform), she scoured my entire body with two loofahs.

“Young ladies are the most sensitive,” she said in an amused voice when I squeaked a little. “The older ladies always ask for the hardest pressure.”

I emerged red and raw, but wonderfully clean. It was the best extra ₩20,000 ($18) I’ve ever spent in spa.

Next time I’ll plan on three hours for a visit. Make that four.

Spa Land, Centum City, 35 Centumnam-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea; +82 51 745 2900; open daily, 6 a.m.-midnight