By Lauren Townsend for The Aha! Connection
We need to talk about the JeJu Sauna. Years ago, my mother asked if we could go to “this 24-hour Korean spa in Duluth.” Um, no. Hard pass on that. She sent me the website and ALL the reviews, but that was still no. Fast forward to this past November at a business luncheon. Here I am, sitting with the best and the brightest of the CRE industry and one person at my table asks another if he has been to the JeJu Spa. I open my ears because I’m fairly certain this is the spa my mom keeps bugging me about. They proceed to detail their experiences at the spa for the rest of us. It holds entirely true that when you tell people what happens at the JeJu Spa, there are only two responses: 1. That sounds amazing; I have to go. 2. That sounds like my own personal hell. I called my mom on the way home and told her that we were going to Duluth the next day…and boy did we.
Upon entering JeJu Spa, you are greeted and pay your entrance fee ($30). They hold your cc# and give a fastpass type wristband and what is basically, an Orange is the New Black uniform with a locker key. You immediately head to the locker room and put your shoes in a locker. The entire spa is bare feet, so no shoe contamination. You then head to your locker and change into your new outfit. Since you will undoubtedly look confused and the locker room manager will give you a quick tour of the facility.
There are men’s and women’s locker rooms, but everywhere else is co-ed. You walk out to an open area with huts, a food court (yes, you read that right) and a jade swimming pool. Bring a swimsuit if you want to swim. There are many elemental saunas with different temperatures and benefits like jade, charcoal, baked clay, silver/gold, precious gems, salt and ice. The benefits are listed outside of each room in English and Korean. You can grab a pillow and blanket and head to a sauna to rest or nap. FYI, people are literally napping everywhere, and people are working on laptops or just like, laying there.
JeJu also offers reflexology and massages. My mom and I split, and I took a reflexology session. It was pretty much the same type of foot massage you would get at Treat Your Feet. My mom signed up for a massage and claimed it was one the best she’s had. We rested some more, had some Korean short ribs at the food court and then headed into the locker room for what we came for. Body Shampooing.
Once you are done with EVERYTHING else. They are other services within the locker room, like vaginal steam, for instance. Then you get naked, like super naked, and head into the bath house area. Interestingly enough, I had just read an article about how societies needed to bring back bath houses and this certainly was going to test my feelings about this. So, you are naked and then you shower in an open shower. If you are there to be body shampoo’d, you then sign up and go soak in a hot, warm or cold “pool” for at least 10 minutes. I would say that there were at least 15 other super naked ladies walking around this place at like 1 in the afternoon, just to give you some perspective. Alright, then it’s time. My mom and I are called into 1 of 2 scrubbing rooms. From what I can remember or haven’t repressed, there were roughly 10 beds in each room. And by bed, I mean massage table covered in rubber. The lady who was doing my shampooing indicated that I should lay face down on the bed. I was warned at my luncheon that this would not be a warm and fuzzy service experience, which was correct. Once I was face down, naked, on a rubber sheet, surround by an unknown number of people including my mom, this lady put on her scrubbing mitts and started scrubbing. And scrubbing. And lifting an arm and scrubbing. And turning me over and scrubbing and lifting a leg and scrubbing. I was also warned at my luncheon that this was not for the shy, which was also correct. She really got up in there. I could feel dead skin sloughed off on the table which was both gross and fascinating. All the while, there will be a pause to toss warm liquid on you, like a beached whale. They then apply one of the body masks to replenish whatever you’ve lost and then you are sent on your way to hose off again, at which point you can get on your way or head to the naked steam room or lay down and take a nap on, what looks like, a giant heated salt block. Once you are all done, you get dressed, grab your shoes and cash out your fast pass band. There is also a nail salon upstairs with very affordable pricing, but it is a separate cost (they don’t take the JeJu fastpass band).
JeJu is an experience. You need to be ready for quiet relaxation. You can enjoy JeJu Spa even if you don’t plan on getting naked and scrubbed down. If you do decide to go for it, your skin will be so soft and basically brand new.
JeJu Sauna and Spa
https://jejusauna.com/
3555 Gwinnett Pl Dr NW, Duluth, GA 30096
